Tiroler Tageszeitung, editorial, April 4, 2023 edition. By MICHAEL SPRENGER. "It's about democracy."

Innsbruck (OTS) – What’s going on in Austria? The republic has been shaken by allegations of corruption for months. Admonishing words of the Federal President fade away. Far too often the media seek proximity to politics. A dangerous mix.

It is the presumption of innocence! For months, this standing sentence has accompanied the reports on the ongoing allegations of corruption, which have been rocking the republic for a long time. And yes, investigations are not equivalent to a final conviction. But the suspected cases – manipulated surveys, benevolent reporting in connection with counter-deals, massively exaggerated election campaign costs – are by no means just about the guilt or innocence of individuals; it is about a dangerous development of democratic politics in Austria. The former top politicians Christian Kern and Reinhold Mitterlehner speak of a bought and bought policy. But will these statements fade away, like the words of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who had called for a general renovation because he had found “water damage” at the Austrian home in view of the ÖVP affairs? One could remark contritely: Yes, nothing will change. Again nothing.
Apparently, those in power are not prepared to finally take legal action. The media transparency law is being acted on half-heartedly, and the country continues to lose ground in the international corruption index. The two major opposition parties SPÖ and FPÖ are also not able or willing to go ahead and take measures in their own sphere of influence that ensure transparency.
When it comes to stabilizing the pillars of democracy, the press is also called upon. Has it done its job of defending democracy in recent years? Has she introduced new rules internally after she should have realized that she had let herself be screwed by politicians; that it accepted “message control” with a shrug and made itself the government’s compliant vicarious agent during the Corona years? The small size of the country is certainly a challenge in the relationship between politics and the media. Too much closeness is unhealthy.
Politicians must therefore ensure that independent reporting is not penalized. She has to encourage them. Meanwhile, journalists should keep repeating the core sentence of the US Supreme Court in connection with the Pentagon Papers: “The job of the press is to serve the governed, not the governors.” In any case, the presumption of innocence is not overridden .