German public broadcasters are facing criticism over their coverage of the protests in Iran, which politicians and Iranian exiles say was muted and delayed compared with the extensive reporting on the war in Gaza.
"For days, the public broadcasters, especially ZDF, responded only half-heartedly to the protests in Iran. During the Gaza war there were daily reports about the alleged genocide against the Palestinians, but the demonstrations in Tehran are being ignored," said Reza Asghari, 64, a German lawmaker from the ruling Christian Democratic Union who is himself an Iranian exile, in an interview with Bild.
Criticism also came from North Rhine-Westphalia's Media Minister Nathanael Liminski, 40, also a member of the CDU. "Given the scale of the protests in Iran, I was genuinely irritated by the initially restrained reporting, or even the complete lack of reporting, by ARD and ZDF," he told Bild. "It is good that these media outlets are now giving the mass protests the attention they deserve."
Media experts also criticized ZDF, arguing that the channel not only intervened too late but also invited biased commentators.
An opinion article published in Germany's leading Jewish newspaper, Jüdische Allgemeine, under the headline "The Protests in Iran and the Embarrassing Reporting by ARD and ZDF," stated: "The ayatollahs must go, the shah must return. The Left currently has no explanation for this, nor do the editorial teams of the public broadcasters with their left-leaning tendencies. Imagine the Berlin Wall falling and almost no relevant media outlet in the world reporting on it."
ZDF's choice of interviewees also drew criticism, including its use of Iran analyst Azadeh Zamirirad, who has previously been accused by opposition figures of being "too close" to the ayatollah regime. Zamirirad has denied the allegations.
ZDF rejected the accusations. "The channel began covering events in Iran as early as December 31, shortly after the protests began. The first report already indicated that additional segments of the population were joining the demonstrations," the broadcaster said in a statement to Bild. Regarding its interviewees, ZDF said their selection was "based on their professional expertise."
Bild, which is known for its pro-Israel stance, also asked the channel whether the extensive and critical coverage of the war in Gaza was disproportionate compared with reporting on the protests in Iran. ZDF dismissed the comparison. "The war in Gaza and the protests in Iran are not connected in any way. Coverage of both issues is independent and reflects their respective news value," the broadcaster said.
