Fall Julia Ruhs: NDR director grants errors in the personnel

Editorial independence and internal freedom of the press are among the cornerstones of journalism. An editorial team must be able to decide without external influence what it publishes. The editors of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) decided against further cooperation with TV journalist Julia Ruhs-and thus triggered a massive debate.

NDR director Hendrik Lünenborg now grants errors. “Our communication was really not optimal at this point. You can’t say that otherwise, because we continued the format,” said Lünenborg in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa). The editors themselves made the decision itself.

Julia Ruhs is considered conservative, the NDR traditionally as more progressive. It will continue to moderate the magazine program “Clear” for the Bavarian Radio (BR), its stem station. The NDR will use the Journalist Tanit Koch for the joint format with the BR in the future, but this only announced the institution after the resting staff. Koch previously worked for “Bild” and “Focus”, among other things, advised the CDU candidate Armin Laschet in the 2021 Bundestag election campaign.

Union politicians in particular had criticized Ruhs’ dismissal at the NDR. The personnel decision is also critically recognized in journalism. Tenor: Anyone who stands for freedom of expression and diversity must also be able to withstand them within an editorial team. The NDR editorial team and the call of the public service broadcast have proven to be a fight, according to various comments.

Hendrik Lünenborg is calm about the matter itself: “On personal details, to moderators, the spirits are always part. That is something we know on public service. He does not see the editorial diversity of the institution. “In fact, there was a fairly broad internal debate and there was also violent criticism. This is also a normal process because it has to be discussed in editorial offices. It is only important to me that these discussions are conducted inside and also in a fair and collegial way.”