Self-criticism from Haldimann about the Buchenwald shoot
Ueli Haldimann, editor-in-chief of Swiss Television (SF), has apologized for the SF interview with Christoph Mörgeli conducted at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The two broadcast segments have been blocked in the SF archive and removed from the Internet.
Ueli Haldimann, editor-in-chief of Swiss Television (SF), apologizes for the SF interview with Christoph Mörgeli at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The two broadcasts have been blocked in the SF archive and removed from the Internet. In the "Mörgele affair", the Zurich SVP National Councillor was interviewed by SF's Germany correspondent on February 6 against the backdrop of the former concentration camp. The Buchenwald Memorial Foundation then accused television and Mörgeli of instrumentalizing Buchenwald.
Five days after this accusation, Haldimann commented on these accusations in his blog. He emphasized that neither SF nor the correspondent had intended to question the dignity of the place and the Nazi victims. If this did happen, he apologized for it.
Apparently, the issue also had consequences within the company: "Internal discussions have since taken place, and even colleagues who initially lacked the necessary sensitivity on this issue now see that this was wrong," writes Haldimann. The discussion should have been held outside the premises against a neutral background. He also addresses the question of whether SF "fell into a cleverly set trap" and whether Mörgeli had staged the interview. Haldimann writes that he has no reason to doubt Mörgeli's account.
Volkhard Knigge, the director of the Buchenwald Foundation, considered the apology in Haldimann's blog to be honorable and at least a good start. "But a blog is a somewhat remote point," he told the Mittelland Zeitung. But Haldimann apparently wants to leave it at that. According to the newspaper, there are no plans for an apology on "Tagesschau" or "10 vor 10".
Five days after this accusation, Haldimann commented on these accusations in his blog. He emphasized that neither SF nor the correspondent had intended to question the dignity of the place and the Nazi victims. If this did happen, he apologized for it.
Apparently, the issue also had consequences within the company: "Internal discussions have since taken place, and even colleagues who initially lacked the necessary sensitivity on this issue now see that this was wrong," writes Haldimann. The discussion should have been held outside the premises against a neutral background. He also addresses the question of whether SF "fell into a cleverly set trap" and whether Mörgeli had staged the interview. Haldimann writes that he has no reason to doubt Mörgeli's account.
Volkhard Knigge, the director of the Buchenwald Foundation, considered the apology in Haldimann's blog to be honorable and at least a good start. "But a blog is a somewhat remote point," he told the Mittelland Zeitung. But Haldimann apparently wants to leave it at that. According to the newspaper, there are no plans for an apology on "Tagesschau" or "10 vor 10".
