Media and transition in central and eastern Europe [Elektronische Ressource] : a comparison between the German Democratic Republic and Hungary / von: Sacha Alain Christophe de Wijs

Media and Transition in central and eastern Europe
A comparison between the German Democratic Republic and Hungary


Dissertation

zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades


doctor philosophiae
(Dr. phil.)

eingereicht an

der Philosophischen Fakultät III
der Humboldt - Universität zu Berlin

von: MA; Sacha, Alain, Christophe de Wijs
Geboren am 25.03.1978 in Zürich (Schweiz)

Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Prof. Dr. Christoph Markschies


Dekan der Philosophischen Fakultät III
Prof. Dr. Bernd Wegener


Gutachter: 1. Prof. Dr. Silvia von Steinsdorff
2. Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz




Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 13.10.2009
1




For my Father
2 Table of contents

List of Abbreviations ...........................................................................................................5
I. Introduction...................6
1. Problem outline........6
2. Level of research......8
3. Hypotheses ............................................................................................................15
4. Methodical approach..............................17
5. Dissertation setup...25
II. Analytical approach....26
1. The role of the elites during the democratization process .......................................28
2. The role of societal forces taking the lead during the democratization process.......33
3. Concept of analysis / research design: Content analysis and interviews ................34
3.1. Content analysis ..............................................................................................35
3.2. Content analysis design...................35
3.3. Interviews........................................56
III. The impact of the Media on transition processes......................58
1. Setting the scene: paths of State Socialism............................................................58
2. Setting the scene: the role of the Media in State Socialism....60
3. The position of the Media in transition processes...................64
4. The role of the Media in democratic systems..........................68
IV. The GDR ..................................................................................................................71
1. The Media in the GDR............................73
2. Towards transition ..................................................................................................78
3. The Media in transition...........................92
4. From state financing to market environment: the consequences of the new
economic working reality.............................100
5. Comparing the respective GDR newspapers of research .....................................102
5.1. Quantitative analysis......................................................................................103
5.1.1. Quantitative analysis findings......................................103
5.1.2. Quantitative analysis comparisons..............................105
5.2. Qualitative analysis........................109
5.2.1. The “Neues Deutschland” before the resignation of Erich Honecker ...........109
5.2.2. The “Neue Zeit” before the resignation of Erich Honecker...........................112
5.2.3. The replacement of Erich Honecker............................................................113
5.2.4. The “Neues Deutschland” after the resignation Erich Honecker ..................114
5.2.5. The “Neue Zeit” after the resignation of Erich Honecker..............................125
6. The role of the Media during the transformation process......................................137
5.1.1 Output..........................................................................137
5.1.2 “In between the lines”...................143
5.1.3 Outcome......145
V. Hungary................................150
1. The Media in Hungary ..........................................................153
2. Towards transition................................155
3. The Media in transition.........................167
4. The influence of media privatization .....................................174
5. Comparing the respective Hungarian newspapers of research.............................179
5.1.1 Quantitative analysis....................................................................................180
5.1.2 Quantitative analysis findings.......................................181
5.1.3 Quantitative analysis comparisons...............................183
5.2 “Qualitative analysis”.......................186
5.2.1 “Magyar Nemzet” .........................................................................................186
5.2.2 “Népszabadság”..........................191
6. The role of the Media during the transformation process......................................200
6.1.1 Output..........................................................................201
3 6.1.2 “In between the lines”...................................................................................204
6.1.3 Outcome ......................................205
VI. The GDR and Hungary: a comparison....................................................................210
1. “Output”................216
2. “Outcome”............217
VII. Conclusions and further comments.......227
Bibliography....................................................................................................................232
Newspapers...................238
Documents.....................238
Interviews.......................239
Further reading ...............................................................................................................239
Appendix........................242










































4 List of Abbreviations
ADN General German News Service (GDR)
AVH Hungarian Secret Police: "State Protection Authority"
CDU Christian Democratic Union (GDR)
CPSU CC Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
DBD German Peasants' Party (GDR)
EKA Round table of the opposition (Hungary)
FIDESZ Alliance of Young Democrats (Hungary)
FKGP Conservative Smallholders Party (Hungary)
FRG Federal Republic of Germany
GDR German Democratic Republic
IMF International Monetary Fund
KDNP Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary)
KGB Soviet Intelligence Service: "Committee for State Security"
KPD German Communist Party
LDPD Liberal Democratic Party (GDR)
MDF Hungarian Democratic Forum
MDP Hungarian (Communist) Worker's Party
MIT Hungarian News Agency
MSZMP Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
MSZP Hungarian Socialist Party (Successor of the above in 1989)
NDPD National Democratic Party of Germany (GDR)
NEM New Economic Mechanism (Hungary)
NSDAP National Socialist German Workers' Party
SED Socialist Unity Party
SPD Social Democrats (Germany)
SZDSZ Alliance of Free Democrats (Hungary)



























5 I. Introduction

1. Problem outline

It is today over seventeen years since the demise of communist power in Central and
Eastern Europe. Since then, much work has been done analysing the process of
democratic consolidation in the region, taking into account a wide variety of political,
economical, social and institutional aspects of the transformation process. What appears
remarkable, however, is that the role of the media in this transition has been hardly
discussed. As stated by O´Neil: “Despite the fact that the recent spread of democracy has
led to a commensurate amount of scholarly work on authoritarian collapse and
democratization, little attention has been given to the media in this regard” (O´Neil, 1998,
pg 3). While the importance of the media’s political role has increasingly become subject to
studies in the longer established democracies, especially the United States and the
Federal Republic of Germany, with respect to Central- and Eastern Europe, an in depth
analysis clearly lacks. As argued by Sparks: “The consequence of this lack of attention to
the scope of recent developments is that the conceptual apparatus that we bring to the
study of the media and democracy is seriously underdeveloped” (Sparks, 2001, pg 8). As
a result, no theory exists to explain how the media change during and take effect on
political transformations in the region.

Generally, Western social scientists agree that democracies depend on free media
(O´Neil, 1997). “Democracy” in the modern senses of the word, is literally impossible
without the media. It is a characteristic claim of democratic societies that they are
democratic exactly due to them having both regular elections and a free media (Sparks ,
1998). The