Panorama (German TV program)

Panorama is the oldest German current affairs television magazine, first aired on 4 June 1961. It is produced by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), and is aired every third week on Thursdays at 21:45, alternating with Monitor and Kontraste [de] by Das Erste. Anja Reschke has been moderator since 2001.[1] It became popular, with often controversial topics leading to broader discussions and legal consequences.

Panorama
Genrecurrent affairs magazine
Created byRüdiger Proske
Inspired byPanorama
Presented byAnja Reschke
Country of originGermany
Original languageGerman
Production
ProducerNorddeutscher Rundfunk
Original release
NetworkARD
Release4 June 1961 (1961-06-04)

History

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Panorama was initiated in 1961 by Rüdiger Proske,[2] then director of the department of current events (Hauptabteilungsleiter Zeitgeschehen) of Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).[3] It was designed following the model of the successful Panorama that the BBC had aired from 1953.[4] It was the first political television magazine in Germany, aired by ARD.[4][5]

In 2008, a new format began, Panorama – Die Reporter.[6] Its reports, including about the textile company KiK and the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit, received several awards.[7] In 2012, NDR started a weekly program, Panorama 3 [de], aired regionally on NDR Fernsehen; Panorama 3 was moderated by Susanne Stichler until 2021, and then by Aimen Abdulaziz-Said [de] and Lea Struckmeier alternating.[8]

Controversies

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Critical reports often caused legal persecution. In 1962, police arrested a Panorama team in Geldern for filming for a report about a teacher who had been an SS guard under the Nazi regime. In fall the same year, members of the federal government criticised Panorama for "torpedoing" its measures ("Maßnahmen der Bundesregierung zu torpedieren").[9]

 
Alice Schwarzer c. 1977

In 1974, when Peter Merseburger ran the magazine, a report about an abortion by Alice Schwarzer, at the time a criminal act, was cancelled by authorities (Intendantenkonferenz) last minute. Merseburger did not moderate the broadcast in protest, and a speaker read his texts.[10]

After a series of reports in 1978 about the Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant, the NDR state contract [de] was terminated.[5][11] In 1988, a lawyer of Oskar Lafontaine prevented a critical report minutes before the broadcast began.[12]

In 2003, the former chancellor Helmut Kohl evaded a question from a Panorama reporter, saying that Panorama had "nothing to do with journalism" ("Ich habe überhaupt nicht die Absicht mit Ihnen 'n Interview (zu machen […] Sie sind doch von „Panorama“ [...] Wissen's doch, was das heißt. Sie haben doch mit Journalismus nix zu tun.“).[13]

Awards

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In 2018, authors of Panorama received the Grimme-Preis for exceptional journalism (besondere journalistische Leistung) in the category "Information und Kultur" for a report of the 2017 G20 Hamburg summit.[14] In March 2020, the Panorama authors Nadia Kailouli [de] and Jonas Schreijäg received the Grimme-Preis for their documentary SeaWatch3.[15]

Moderators

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Literature

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  • Anja Reschke: Die Unbequemen. Wie Panorama die Republik verändert hat. Redline-Verlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-86881-306-7, OCLC 847629666.

References

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  1. ^ "NDR / Das Erste: 60 Jahre Panorama im Ersten". General-Anzeiger Bonn (in German). 6 June 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Martens, René (4 June 2021). ""Panorama" wird 60: Immer gut unter Druck". Die Tageszeitung: Taz (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Fernsehmuseum Hamburg: Proske, Rüdiger". Fernsehmuseum Hamburg (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b Stenke, Wolfgang (17 February 2021). "... dann bezogen wir dagegen Stellung". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b 60 Jahre Panorama: Noch lange nicht genug (in German) 30 June 2021
  6. ^ Panorama – Die Reporter: Das Team (in German) NDR 2022
  7. ^ Preise und Auszeichnungen (in German) NDR 2022
  8. ^ Das Politik-Magazin im NDR Fernsehen. (in German) NDR 2022
  9. ^ Tim Schanetzky [de]: Adenauerzeit (Teil 4). Als die Journalisten frech wurden. In: Die Zeit No. 44, 22 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Journalist Peter Merseburger / Der Patriot". FAZ (in German). 17 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  11. ^ Ley, Raymond (18 February 2022). "Unbequem und unbestechlich / 50 Jahre Panorama". NDR (in German).
  12. ^ "Panorama nachgefragt" – Der Fall Lafontaine (in German) NDR 1993
  13. ^ Hans Leyendecker: Kohl und der „Panorama“-Reporter: „Verschwinde!“ Spiegel Online, 16 May 2003 (first by Süddeutsche Zeitung).
  14. ^ "Panorama gewinnt Grimme-Preis" (in German). NDR. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Grimme-Preis für Dokumentarfilm "SeaWatch3"" (in German). NDR. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.

Further reading

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