German author accuses media of hysteria against China
Updated: 2008-03-29 16:09
BERLIN -- Discontented at German media's biased coverage of the riots in Tibet, a German author has accused German media of hysteria against China.
"The coverage is very biased and unfair to China. Behind this is a China hysteria in Germany where people can only read negative news about China, which I think is wrong," Bernhard Ganter told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Friday.
The Munich-based author and journalist said he has sent several articles to German newspapers to express his opinions, but none of them has got published.
"We have press freedom in Germany, I can write what I want, but it just won't be published if it does not suit those people," said Ganter,. "No dissenting voice can be published. They want to publish what politicians and the major media want, which are one-sided and unfair to China."
In an opinion piece titled "China hysteria", which is posted on his own website, Ganter said: "As long as human rights and press freedom are also trampled upon in Germany, Germany should not call for human rights in other cultures, of which they have no idea."
Ganter also noted in the article that "The Dalai Lama is a very political man, greedy of power and double-faced. There are many sources to prove that. If people want to know the truth, just read."
He told Xinhua that German media's biased reports about China did not start from the Tibet riots. German media tends to look for a scapegoat whenever people meet some major problems here in at home, he said.
"At time of high gasoline prices, it was reported that the Chinese are buying up oil. If butter and milk become expensive, then you will see media reports that the Chinese are buying up our milk. It is simply not true, but people just want to look for a scapegoat. And that I think is the reason for the one-sided reporting," Ganter said.
"The general population in Germany is not informed. They say exactly, what the media report," he added.
Ganter said that he personally wants to speak out and try his best to improve the mutual understanding between Germany and China.
"If people want to understand each other, of course you need to sit down and talk. Especially those major media, which can reach the majority of people, should appeal for sobriety and calm instead of reporting hysterically," Ganter said.
"But what prevails now is a hysteria, an unqualified hysteria," he added.
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