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Mainstream media accused of bias

September 4th, 2018

A conservative commentator suggests that mainstream parties play into the hands of extremist parties by ignoring people’s fears of immigration, and by dismissing critics of immigration as neo-Nazis.

Mandiner’s György Szalma comments on the Chemnitz demonstrations, and accuses mainstream elites and media of playing into the hands of extreme right-wing movements. The conservative blogger finds it counterproductive that the mainstream media as well as left-wing, liberal and also conservative elites in Germany depict the Chemnitz anti-migrant protesters as neo-Nazis. Szalma acknowledges that there were some neo-Nazis among the demonstrators, but he nonetheless thinks that the vast majority of the anti-migrant protesters were people discontented with the pro-immigration stance of the present ruling elite. By labeling demonstrators as neo-Nazis, he suggests, mainstream elites who are unwilling to listen to people’s concerns over migration may help the extremist parties to boost their support and increase their base. Szalma also finds it highly controversial that the same elites who without hesitation label as extremists all those who are not happy with immigration fail to express any concern over left-wing extremist pro-immigration counter-demonstrators. In an aside, Szalma notes that Hungary has no such problems, as the government’s immigration policies have taken the wind out of the sails of the far-right party (Jobbik).

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