TASKS OF GDR PRESS AND RADIO OUTLINED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700160191-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 8, 2011
• Sequence Number: 191
• Publication Date: February 3, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/08: CIA-RDP80-00809A000700160191-1
STAT
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TASKS OF GDR PRESS AND RADIO OUTLINED
The following information is extracted from a report pre-
sented by Fred Oelssner, member of the Politburo of the ZK (Cen-
tral Committee) of the SED (Socialist Unity Party), on the occa-
sion of the 16th meeting of the ZK of the SED held on 17-19 Sep-
tember 1953_7
The press and radio are the most important and most effective means of in-
fluencing the masses and of conducting the ideological struggle against hostile
concepts and reactionary opinions. These media are also indispensable aids for
party training.
The press is known to be the strongest and sharpest weapon of the party.
The fact that this weapon has not always been correctly handled was established
at the last meeting of the ZK, when the work of the press was severely criti-
cized. At the 15th meeting of the ZK, it was stated that the masses had very
little opportunity to express themselves in the newspapers and radio broadcasts,
that defects were frequently glossed over, and that letters and requests of the
workers were disregarded.
Without doi.bt, the party press has already started to benefit from this crit-
ic'sm.. The newspapers are now chiefly concerned with strengthening their ties
with the masses. For example, the Ostsee-Zeitung in Rostock, the Freie Erde in
Neustrelitz, and other Bezirk newspapers published editorials in which the crit-
icism of the ZK as well as critical comments of readers were net forth. A large
number of editorial staffs held discussions with workers, especially with their
people's correspondents fv-olunteer correspondents from the workers' rank], and
readers, and thus received important suggestions for the improvement of their
work. In this connection, the people's correspondent movement is receiving new
impetus, and the number of letters from readers has also risen.
However, Neues Deutschland, the official organ of the ZK, still tends to
underestimate the importance of people's correspondents. During August 1953,
Neues Deutschland published very few contributions by people's correspondents.
Since Neues Deutschland has more space at its disposal than other newspapers,
it should publish each day several items furnished by people's correspondents.
It must be emphasized that as the official organ of the ZK, Neues Deutschland
has not done justice to the role it must assume in setting an example for other
newspapers to follow.
It is the task of the newspapers to publicize the national struggle for the
conclusion of a peace treaty and for the reunification of Germany. Although the
newspapers have devoted some space to these problems, there is still room for
improvement.
Both the party press and the radio are. extremely negligent in educating the
populace, particularly the youth, to develop a genuine spirit of patriotism. It
is true that problems of German history have recently received frequent press
coverage, but no uniform plan has been established.
The press and radio devote very little attention to the development of a
genuine hatred toward the Anglo-American imperialists, who dispute the right of
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our nation to exist. The newspapers too seldom expose the imperialist ideology
and the disintegrating Western culture. Both the press and the radio are far
too weak in enlighte,ing the masses as to the predatory aims of the US imperial-
ists. The press and radio have done practically nothing to destroy the mytn
of US strength; thus, the fact that there has been no historical proof of the
fighting ability of the imperialist US troops has not been utilized at all in
order to destroy the myth of US strength.
The chief defect in the work of the press and radio is at present to be
found in the inadequate description of life in the GDR and in the insufficient
treatment of the accomplishments of the new course. About 50 percent of the
material covered by press and radio should deal with subjects showing how the
new course is being accomplished.
Propagandizing the Marxist-Leninist theories constitutes an important task
for the party press. It is necessary not only to increase the quantity of these
propagandistic articles but also to improve their quality and effectiveness.
The articles propagandizing Marxism-Leninism, which have been appearing much too
infrequently of late, are usually completely detached from the practical tasks
of the party.
Another important pa-t of the propaganda work is the treatment of the USSR.
It is not enough to publish accounts of the tremendous material aid rendered
by the USSR for the accomplishment of the new course in the GDR. Constant em-
phasis should be placed on the fact that our friendship with the USSR has deep
class roots, that the cause of the Soviet people is the cause of the working
classes in all countries, that the USSR was the first to embody the great ideas
of Marx and Lenin, and that the USSR is the first workers' and peasants' state
in the world.
However, in meeting its responsibilities with respect to the above tasks,
the press must never neglect its basic task, that of convincing the masses to
support actively the policies of our party. The departments for party activi-
ties on most editorial staffs, particularly the Neues Deutschland, play a very
minor role and sometimes do not function at all. The newspapers must educate
the party members and candidates, and must use concrete facts to point out to
the masses the leading role of the SED. The newspapers have been very negligent
in reporting on the activities of local party orgnntrntions, the activities of
the Dropr.gandists, the functions of the party aktiv, and many other aspects of
the party's work.
Constant guidance of editorial staffs by appropriate party managements is
of exceptional importance for the improvement of the press work. The SED Be-
zirk managements still continue to underestimate the significance of the press
as the most important means of (1) improving the over-all ideological-political
work among the masses, (2) strengthening the leading role of the party in the
political, economic, and cultural life in the GDR, and (3) mobilizing the masses.
As a result, the Bezirk managements give only sporadic guidance and support to
the editorial staffs. The following measures must be taken in the future to
improve this situation:
1. The editorial staff is to prepare its own plan on the basis of the work
plans of the Bezirk management and the central press. This plan is to be approved
by the Bezirk Secretariat. An instructor for press problems is to be assigned
to the Bezirk management to supervise the execution of the plan. The same pro-
cedure will apply to the Kreis management, which will approve the plan of the
Kreis editorial staff and will exercise supervision through the agitation-propa-
ganda department.
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2. At plenums to be held periodically, the Bezirk or Kreis management will
hear the reports of the editorial staff. A member of the Bezirk or Kreis man-
agement will present the plan of that organization. A resolution will then be
adopted as to the work of the editorial staff.
3. The Secretariat of the Bezirk or Kreis management will confer regu-
larly with the editorial staff on current problems, review the work of the edi-
torial staff, and make concrete suggestions.
4. At periodic intervals, the Secretariat of the Bezirk or Kreis manage-
ment will deal with the circulation of the newspaper, and will determine the
areas and localities where subscription campaigns must be carried out.
weaknesses criticized
eral, Rtheodefectsmand were
are 15th
similar meeting
in c this field the
to of those enumerated
n
above for the press. There have been considerable improvements in radio pro-
grams since the 15th meeting of the ZK. Increased attention is being devoted
to the interests of the workers, particularly in the radio programs for farmers
and for West Germany. There has also been an increase in the use of reports of
radio correspondents fv-olunteer contributors from the workers' ranks7 on broad-
casts. However, the monthly records of the Department for Radio Correspondents
show that editorial staffs are still underestimating the importance of the radio
correspondents' reports. Radio must give the workers more opportunities to make
their own contributions to the programs.
Like the press, radio programs have been negligent in popularizing the suc-
cesses in the GDR and in describing everyday life in the GDR. The tendency to-
ward inaccuracy and rosy optimism in reporting is a major fault in radio broad-
casts, as well as the press.
One must guard against the false tendency of concentrating only on enter-
tainment in radio programs. Propaganda needs much more emphasis. An important
task of radio is to confront the enemy with effective counterarguments, and to
present convincing answers to each new lie of the enemy immediately. Radio must
develop particular skill in agitating decisively against US imperialism.
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