Apollo-News-Chef: So zerstören linke Medien die Demokratie

Summary

The interview with Apollo News editor-in-chief Max Mannhart ranges from attacks on his reporters and the challenges of building an independent newsroom to his political views and the role of journalism in public debate.

Threats and intimidation

Mannhart describes an attack in Erfurt in which, he says, an Apollo News reporter was kicked in the head while on the ground. He also recounts threats, calls for violence, posters targeting the newsroom, a spray-painted door, and a lock damaged with superglue. He views these incidents as attempts to create a lasting atmosphere of fear and deter staff from reporting.

He praises his young colleagues for continuing their work and says he was glad to see broad media solidarity after the attack, though he also heard doubts about whether the reporters had provoked it.

Why Apollo News is based in Kreuzberg

Mannhart says he grew up in Kreuzberg and wanted the newsroom to remain connected to the city rather than retreat into a comfortable bubble. He also presents the location as a deliberate statement that political opponents should not decide who is welcome to work or live there. Protests and hostile posters followed, but he says he intends to stay.

Building the outlet

Mannhart says he began writing at 16 and that the early Apollo project grew out of a small political group and blog. He later worked at Tichys Einblick and joined the start-up that became Nius, then left with colleagues because they wanted a different editorial style, placing more emphasis on long-form reporting and investigations.

Apollo News was initially founded by a small team working without pay from a shared living room. Mannhart says the company now has more than 20 employees and is profitable.

Funding and editorial independence

Apollo News keeps its main reporting free to read. Mannhart says it is funded through advertising and voluntary reader subscriptions or donations, rather than a paywall. He argues that this model allows reporting to reach more people while relying on readers’ willingness to support it.

He also says the founding team retains control over editorial and business decisions. An investor holds a minority stake, which he describes as providing financial stability without influencing coverage.

Investigative reporting and media scrutiny

Mannhart identifies original investigations as Apollo’s main way to distinguish itself from established outlets. He cites reporting on irregularities in Berlin’s 2021 election and on the allegations surrounding Hubert Aiwanger’s schooldays as projects that raised the outlet’s profile.

He argues that journalism must pursue stories others may overlook, while acknowledging that investigative work is unpredictable, labor-intensive, and can have serious consequences for the people involved.

Standards and legal pressure

The discussion covers the need to seek responses from people facing allegations, verify claims, and meet journalistic and legal standards. Mannhart describes receiving lawyers’ letters and threats of litigation, and discusses how lawsuits can also become part of a public-relations strategy.

He characterizes journalism as inherently confrontational: reporting can damage reputations or careers, and journalists must be prepared for that responsibility as well as the legal and personal pressures it brings.

Mannhart’s political outlook

Mannhart says his views were shaped by an early interest in history and by growing up in a politically left-leaning, culturally diverse part of Berlin. He criticizes what he sees as overly rosy portrayals of integration and argues that some migrant communities hold social and religious norms at odds with liberal institutions.

He also makes broad claims about political Islam and mosques in Germany; these are presented as his views in the interview, not independently established findings.

Western culture and liberalism

Mannhart explicitly describes Western society as exceptionally valuable, pointing to capitalism, technological progress, Christian moral traditions, democracy, and the rule of law. He argues that these institutions and achievements should be defended rather than treated only as subjects for criticism.

He also expresses frustration with what he sees as conformity among young people and with the German liberal parties, which he believes have weakened the public meaning of liberalism.

Elections and democracy

Discussing the Berlin election irregularities, Mannhart argues that election procedures matter even when errors may not have changed the result. For him, the core purpose of democracy is a peaceful transfer of power, which depends on public trust.

He is particularly critical of making postal voting broadly available, saying it risks weakening the ceremonial and shared character of voting. The interviewer notes the need to account for people who cannot easily reach polling stations.

Pandemic coverage

Mannhart recalls opposing the later COVID restrictions, especially given the effects of lockdowns and isolation on young people. He says much of the media at the time aligned too closely with the government’s approach and failed to maintain sufficient skepticism.

He credits Julian Reichelt’s coverage at Bild as an unusually visible challenge to that consensus.

Russia, Ukraine, and public debate

The pair discuss an Apollo News interview with Russia’s ambassador to Germany. Mannhart says the ambassador was conveying the Russian government’s official line, including denials about civilian targets and the war, rather than simply offering personal opinions. He argues that the interview’s significance lay partly in the contrast between the ambassador’s calm manner and the threatening implications of some of his remarks.

Mannhart rejects what he sees as panic-driven rhetoric about imminent nuclear war, while also saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was an act of aggression and that Germany should not treat the situation as a simple matter of being “anti-Russian.” He supports Germany being capable of defending itself and calls for a more differentiated debate and diplomacy.

The subtitles end while the discussion is still considering peace proposals and Donald Trump’s approach.

Presenters and contributors

• Ben — host and interviewer
• Max Mannhart — guest; editor-in-chief of Apollo News