Fighter for freedom of the press: FPÖ warns of left -wing censorship attempts!

Fighter for freedom of the press: FPÖ warns of left -wing censorship attempts!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - The FPÖ has given a sharp conviction against the termination of the bank account of the conservative magazine "of course". The FPÖ media spokesman, Christian Hafenecker, described the measure on December 12, 2024 as a "undemocratic attack on freedom of the press". According to Hafenecker, the Styrian Sparkasse had acted for no reason and thus promised a clear "de-banking". This is an attack on alternative, patriotic media, with the aim of undermining its livelihood. The termination is in a row with similar incidents in which left -wing activists or organizations create pressure on banks in order to exclude unpleasant media from financial support. According to Hafeneck, this not only endangers the freedom of the press, but also democracy itself.

The endangerment of freedom of the press

The FPÖ sees itself in a defensive position against an increasing threat to fundamental rights, especially freedom of press and expression. This is interpreted as a strategic access to critical voices that act against the media mainstream. According to the Hafenecker, the freedom of reporting by the European rules, such as the "Digital Services Act", will continue to be trimmed. In addition, there is a mentality to delegitimize unpleasant opinions under the guise of combating "fake news". Such developments are strongly reminiscent of times when the diversity of opinions was actively suppressed.

The role of the media in a democracy is essential, so that without free and neutral information, citizens are hardly able to develop well -founded opinions. According to a report by Mediabasics.org, the independence of the media is directly associated with the democratic quality of a political system. Uninformed citizens could reach false conclusions, which again underlines the need for objective messages. Only through investigative journalism can grievances be uncovered and citizens are stimulated to think critically. As a “fourth power in the state”, the media has a decisive control function that guarantees and protects democratic discourse.