East German Journalists and the Wende: A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist ...

631 Pages·2015·3 MB·English

UCLA
UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
East German Journalists and the Wende: A history of the collapse and transformation of
socialist journalism in Germany
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2q13c9p4
Author
Guzman, Morgan Morille Schupbach
Publication Date
2015

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles

East German Journalists and the Wende:
A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist journalism in Germany

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy in History

by

Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman

2015
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

East German Journalists and the Wende:
A history of the collapse and transformation of socialist journalism in German y

by

Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman
Doctor of Philosophy in History
University of California, Los Angeles, 2015
Professor David Sabean, Chair

This dissertation utilizes archival sources and interviews to examine the transformation of
the journalism profession in East Germany from the collapse of the German Democratic
Republic (GDR) through the unification of the two German states. During this period of dramatic
political and social upheaval, East German journalists navigated the divide between socialist
journalism of the GDR and democratic journalism of the Federal Republic. By embedding the
history of this professional transformation within a broader narrative of the history of the
collapse of communism in Germany and Eastern Europe, this dissertation identifies how the
actions of journalists were largely determined by outside forces. Socialist journalism in East
Germany was envisioned as a means to use the media to control the public, but in practice the
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model primarily succeeding in controlling the journalists. As a result, the profession was at the
mercy of larger social and geo-political tensions and was hampered by persistent and lingering
structures of control that delayed the ability of journalists to undertake any substantive efforts of
reform. However, once those structures eroded, there was a brief window where journalists were
freed to reform the profession, and many envisioned a future for a democratic socialist
journalism that embraced journalistic freedoms but held true to socialist principles of equality
and social justice. These ideas were cut short by the rapid implementation of the Unification.
West German publishing giants were able to quickly secure control of the East German press
landscape, and Christian Democratic Union leadership in both East and West Germany ensured
that West German broadcasting structures were expanded to the newly added Eastern German
states. As a result, the journalists of the former GDR were left to again adhere to norms and
structures imposed from outside. However, there was a significant population of East German
journalists who were able to navigate the divide between the two regimes and adapt to the new
conditions of the unification, utilizing elements of their East German background and training in
their new careers in unified Germany.

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The dissertation of Morgan Morille Schupbach Guzman is approved
Peter Baldwin
Ivan T. Berend
Gail Kligman
David Sabean, Chair

University of California, Los Angeles
2015

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this dissertation to myh usband Daniel, my parents Richard and Viviane, my
son Henry, and to the little one on the way. Thank you for your sacrifice, patience,a nd
support. I could not have done any of this if it was not for you. Thank you for
encouraging me to follow my dreams. I love you !
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................1
STRUCTURE, SOURCES, AND METHODOLOGY OF THE DISSERTATION ......................................................................3
IMPORTANT THEMES .........................................................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER ONE: THE SPUTNIK-CRISIS (1988-1989)................................................................................ 14
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Literature Review..................................................................................................................................................... 18
HISTORICAL CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................................... 21
Glasnost ........................................................................................................................................................................ 21
State Controlled Media in the GDR ................................................................................................................... 28
West German Media in East Germany............................................................................................................. 35
Increasing State Censorship in the late 1980s............................................................................................. 37
THE SPUTNIK BAN........................................................................................................................................................... 40
The Cancellation of Soviet Films........................................................................................................................ 45
“Against the Misrepresentation of History” .................................................................................................. 46
RESPONSES TO THE SPUTNIK BAN ................................................................................................................................ 50
Censorship and the Role of Media in East Germany.................................................................................. 53
East versus West ....................................................................................................................................................... 62
East versus East......................................................................................................................................................... 67
The State versus the Public .................................................................................................................................. 74
Entmündigung........................................................................................................................................................... 76
REPERCUSSIONS............................................................................................................................................................... 79
CONCLUSION: SPUTNIK AND THE WENDE................................................................................................................... 85
CHAPTER TWO: EGON KRENZ AND THE MEDIA WENDE (SEPTEMBER 1989 – DECEMBER 6,
1989) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 93
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................ 93
Literature Review..................................................................................................................................................... 98
PRESSURE AND REFORM: HONECKER’S DEPARTURE AND KRENZ’S MEDIA WENDE........................................103
IMPACT OF THE WENDE ON MEDIA INSTITUTIONS.................................................................................................114
The Transformation of the Journalist’s Union (VDJ)...............................................................................114
Impact of the Wende on East German Broadcast Institutions ...........................................................119
Internal Reactions to the Wende within ADN, the East German News Service...........................131
East German Print Media responds to the Wende ...................................................................................135
PERSISTENT PROBLEMS ...............................................................................................................................................145
The Ministry for State Security and the Police ..........................................................................................145
Censorship and Limited Access to the Media .............................................................................................148
Failing Resources, Infrastructure, and Technology ................................................................................149
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................157
CHAPTER THREE: THE “THIRD WAY” THAT NEVER WAS (DECEMBER 7, 1989 – MARCH 18,
1990) ...................................................................................................................................................................160
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................................160
Literature Review...................................................................................................................................................164
NEW LEGAL, POLITICAL, AND MEDIA LANDSCAPE .................................................................................................167
The Left and the Third Way ...............................................................................................................................169
Democratic Pluralistic Media ...........................................................................................................................172
Volkskammer Resolution Guaranteeing Freedom of Opinion, Information, and Media.........174
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Opening the Border and the Battle for Distribution ...............................................................................179
MEDIA INSTITUTIONS RESPOND TO THE CHANGING MEDIA LANDSCAPE ..........................................................185
The East German News Service, ADN ............................................................................................................185
A New and Independent Media ........................................................................................................................190
New Role for the Journalist’s Union (VDJ) ...................................................................................................197
PERSISTENT PROBLEMS ...............................................................................................................................................201
THE END OF THE THIRD WAY.....................................................................................................................................206
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................208
THE MEDIA CONTROL COUNCIL, EAST GERMANY’S MEDIA WATCHDOG AGENCY (FEBRUARY-
OCTOBER 1990)................................................................................................................................................211
INTRODUCTION: THE WOLF WITH NO TEETH.........................................................................................................211
Relevant Works and Problem Statement.....................................................................................................213
MEDIA CONTROL COUNCIL ..........................................................................................................................................219
The evolving mission and authority of the Council .................................................................................223
TRANSFORMATION OF THE PRINT MEDIA ................................................................................................................228
Distribution Battles ...............................................................................................................................................229
Mergers and Acquisitions ...................................................................................................................................236
ELECTRONIC MEDIA......................................................................................................................................................243
Conflicting Visions for the Future of East German Broadcasting .....................................................244
The Transformation of the Broadcasting Structures .............................................................................258
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................267
CHAPTER FIVE: CONTINUITY AND RENEWAL, JOURNALISTS RECOUNT THEIR EXPERIENCES
OF THE TRANSITION OUT OF THE GDR INTO THE MODERN FEDERAL REPUBLIC ...................273
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................................273
Literature Review and Sources ........................................................................................................................276
The Challenges of Memory and Oral History..............................................................................................284
THE INTERVIEWS...........................................................................................................................................................288
Journalistic Origins: Who Becomes a State-Socialist Journalist? ......................................................290
The Red Monastery: The Creation of Socialist Journalists....................................................................302
Agitators, Organizers and Propagandists: The Role of Journalists in the GDR...........................306
Working within the System: The Daily Practice of Journalism in East Germany.......................312
The Turning Point: Glasnost and the Wende..............................................................................................324
Anarchic Freedom: Journalism Reinvented ................................................................................................333
The Enduring Value of Socialist Journalism ...............................................................................................348
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................................................354
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................................356
THE TENSION BETWEEN EXTERNAL CONTROLS AND JOURNALISTIC SELF-DETERMINATION ..........................358
THE CENTRALITY OF THE MEDIA TO GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY, IDENTITY, AND LEGITIMACY ...................363
LINGERING STRUCTURES AND PRACTICES................................................................................................................367
THE ROLE OF FOREIGN MEDIA ...................................................................................................................................371
FINAL THOUGHTS ..........................................................................................................................................................375
APPENDIX ..........................................................................................................................................................377
APPENDIX 1: INTERVIEW OUTLINE ...........................................................................................................................377
APPENDIX 2: ABINI ZÖLLNER .....................................................................................................................................382
APPENDIX 3: ALFRED EICHHORN...............................................................................................................................417
APPENDIX 4: FRANK HEROLD.....................................................................................................................................453
APPENDIX 5: TORSTEN H. ...........................................................................................................................................491
APPENDIX 6: SUSANNE H.............................................................................................................................................554
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BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................................................606

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