Obituary for Baumgartner: ORF under criticism - religious low point”!

Obituary for Baumgartner: ORF under criticism - religious low point”!

Felix Baumgartner, the well-known extreme athlete, has died, triggering a wave of sadness and criticism. The ORF published an obituary that sparked massive controversy. FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker was extremely critical of this reporting and described it as an “unrespectful low point of red-white-red media brutality” and criticized the political one-sidedness.

Hafenecker, who also expressed his sympathy for Baumgartner's family, friends and companions, accused the ORF of not focusing on the extreme athlete's sporting achievements, but rather of discussing his political views. This would not only diminish Baumgartner's reputation, but would also be a "moral execution" for him and his family, he said. The reporting is disrespectful and tasteless, which reflects the brutalization in the media.

Public reactions and demands

The reactions to Baumgartner's death were not only strong in the political sphere. Global personalities like Elon Musk also paid tribute on X (formerly Twitter) by writing “R.i.P brave soul.” However, Baumgartner was also mocked on social networks by left-wing activists and Antifa accounts, which Hafenecker sees as further evidence of the brutalization in society.

In the context of this debate, Hafenecker is calling for far-reaching consequences for the ORF. He calls for an urgent de-ideologization and de-politicization of the station as well as the abolition of the compulsory contribution. This is necessary in order to restore balanced reporting that respects both Baumgartner's sporting successes and his personal opinion.

Media brutalization and public assessment

The controversies surrounding ORF’s reporting are not isolated. A study by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, which was co-financed by Stiftung Mercator, shows that political one-sidedness in public broadcasting is a widespread problem. Analyzes of the reporting, which included almost 10,000 news stories, show that in many public broadcasting formats, liberal perspectives predominate and the representation of conservative topics is often neglected.

The study also highlights that in recent months there has been a tendency to increasingly display the negative portrayals of political actors on both the left and right of center. As a result, dealing with critical issues could reduce trust in established parties, as the study leaders criticize. Such findings contribute to the discussion of how important balanced and diverse media reporting is in today's society and raise the question of the ORF's current direction.

In summary, Hafenecker's words and the study's results indicate a violation of the fundamental principles of tasteful and respectful reporting. In my opinion, Baumgartner's legacy as an athlete should be in the foreground instead of being drawn into the political discourse.

You can find more information about the reports and reactions here: express, FPÖ, and Mercator Foundation.