Shortly after the scandal surrounding the top RBB station, the NDR also had to fear for its good reputation. Employees accuse political boss Stein and editor-in-chief Lorentzen of deliberately suppressing overly critical reports. Both are now recalled until the background is clarified.
Due to unexplained allegations against editorial managers at Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in Kiel, there are temporary personnel consequences. The director of the Landesfunkhaus Schleswig-Holstein, Volker Thormählen, said in a statement: “Norbert Lorentzen and Julia Stein asked me this afternoon to release them from their previous duties at the Landesfunkhaus Schleswig-Holstein until further notice. I have your wish complied and thanked them for taking this step.” Thormählen added: “For the sake of good order, I would like to remind you that the presumption of innocence applies.”
Lorentzen is editor-in-chief of the NDR for Schleswig-Holstein, Stein is responsible for political reporting there. The case revolves around allegations in connection with the political reporting of the public broadcaster ARD. The online medium “Business Insider” and then “Stern” had reported allegations that there could be a kind of filter by the superiors in the editorial office. For example, it was about an interview that an NDR journalist wanted to conduct, but his superiors refused.
Lorentzen and the NDR had rejected the allegation of political influence. The independent state broadcasting council of Schleswig-Holstein has initiated an examination. In a letter to the state broadcasting director, NDR employees demanded complete clarification. It’s about the reputation of the station. According to NDR information, the positions of Lorentzen and Stein will be temporarily taken over by the deputy director and editor-in-chief Bettina Freitag and editor Andreas Schmidt from the “Politics and Research” department.
The “Stern” had previously quoted an e-mail with which Stein had wanted to prevent three NDR employees from doing unpopular research into a case of abuse at the German Red Cross in October 2020. Stein wrote that it had to be “more targeted or leaner”. “Otherwise it always has an interrogation character and I don’t think that helps us here.” In the weeks that followed, the three journalists were finally completely withdrawn from the topic, wrote the “Stern” with reference to NDR circles.
At the time of the research, the chairwoman of the DRK was Anette Langner, long-time SPD state politician and state secretary. Her partner was chairwoman of the NDR broadcasting council. When asked whether the head of the DRK played a role in the lack of reporting, the NDR did not answer, according to “Stern”.
