Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 08.07.2005

On the media page, Heribert Seifert takes a sympathetic if critical look at the German watchblogs. Like their American counterparts, these blogs monitor reporting in individual media. Bildblog, for example, watches the German tabloid Bild. And Medienkritik online (with the banner: "Politically uncorrect observations on German media reporting) focuses on anti-American reporting. "The ostensible goal of the watchblogs is to keep an eye on reporting in the traditional media in the name of a critical public. But they seldom rise to the task. Personal preferences and animosities, a lack of judgement and an offhand way of handling their journalistic responsibilities make them shining examples of chief witnesses against 'mainstream' media. All the doubts they raise about conventional press coverage can be directed back at them."


Die Tageszeitung, 08.07.2005

The German Film Prize will be awarded in Berlin tonight. New this year is the decision-making process. For the first time the awards, along with 3 million euros in prize money, will be handed out not by an independent jury, but by the 650 film professionals of the German Film Academy. Günter Rohrbach, president of the Academy, explains in an interview why he approves of the change. "For example, in pharmaceutical research and development funds, the people who do research in this sector would be the best, and most competent, ones to decide where the money should go. Of course conflicts of interest are bound to arise. But these would be balanced out as soon as enough groups took part. If 600 or 1,000 institutes were to vote for who they think does the most interesting and innovative work, the result would probably be much more equitable than the decision of an independent jury."


Frankfurter Rundschau, 08.07.2005

Daniel Kothenschulte flew with the German pop delegation to the Live 8 concert in Edinburgh. And what did he see? The end of political festival culture. "This four-hour concert with its line up of national music of consent from Wet Wet Wet to Travis via Band Aid veteran Midge Ure, all leading predictably to a finale with indestructible US soul veteran James Brown, will round up with 50,000 people all clicking their fingers every three seconds. This is supposed to signify that a child dies every three seconds. Never before has a humanitarian concern found such paltry aesthetic expression. Nothing is allowed to cause pain at this protest, the video walls are full of starving children with smiles on their faces and ethno pop in the background. ... On this Wednesday, Woodstock's legacy, the rock spectacle as expression of a higher mission however ambitious, will be buried forever. None of the musicians are attempting to formulate their political concerns musically. Only Annie Lennox channelled her feelings into a wonderful version of Redemption Song."