The mood towards journalists in the country is becoming increasingly grim. After several physical attacks during demonstrations, a cameraman from the Puls4 station was hit with a particularly unsavory attack: a bag of feces was thrown at him.
“He parked our company car with station logos. While he was unloading the car, a bag full of feces was thrown at him and thank goodness!! missed,” reports journalist Magdalena Punz on platform X (formerly Twitter).
Then “something about ‘media’” was shouted, she said, shocked. So who exactly is behind the attack and why it happened is completely unclear at the moment.
Attacks are becoming more common
The reactions to the journalist’s post are visibly affected. “Unbelievable,” responded ORF journalist Patrick Gruska (ZiB 2), “who incites people,” wrote another user of the platform.
But not least since the Corona crisis, journalists in the country have had to deal with particularly strong winds. Independent, balanced reporting is increasingly confronted with accusations of fake news, sometimes even from politicians. This also increasingly results in attacks.
Krone.tv was also recently affected
During the Corona demonstrations, Punz herself was repeatedly confronted by angry demonstrators who repeatedly tried to prevent her from doing her work. In October last year, ORF satirist Peter Klien was grabbed by a security guard while trying to get FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl to make a statement.
Only in March there was a physical attack on a camera team during an FPÖ demo – again the Puls4 station was hit. There were skirmishes and insults by demonstrators. In February, the krone.tv team was also affected by this as part of their coverage of the Vienna Academic Ball. Here too, the team was not only confronted with insults; one person also hit the camera.
Respect for press freedom “poor”
Last year’s Democracy Index also shows that these are by no means isolated cases. This is a testament to AustriaSetbacks in the field of media freedom. “From the Chancellery to the city council, it has become apparent that there is a lack of respect for press freedom in Austria,” said Mathias Zojer of the Concordia press club at the time.
A worrying development, which probably contributes to a worrying increase in the willingness to use violence among parts of the population.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
