2023: Fake News Made in Austria
The digitisation of media outlets made it easier to circulate extremist messages and conspiracy theories by copying professional media without adhering to principles of journalism. During the coronavirus pandemic in particular, new, privately financed broadcasters and programmes arose that used the state of emergency to spread feelings of insecurity and threat through fabricated narratives.
This episode of the Swiss podcast Apropos examines the strategies of one of these media organisations: the far-right platform AUF1, based in Upper Austria. AUF1 spreads fake news, hate speech and panic through video and text reports on the web, but also releases its content in the form of podcasts. While most podcast platforms have since blocked AUF1, episodes are still available on the web.
“AUF1: A Station for Conspiracy Theories”, episode from the podcast “Apropos – der tägliche Podcast des Tages-Anzeigers”, 1:09 min., 8.8.2023, Tages-Anzeiger
Transcript[Original voice-over from an AUF1 broadcast:]
“Dear AUF1 viewers, we are now at the height of summer. Despite the daily horror stories from the global climate alarmists, who in their heatwave hysteria constantly talk about temperature warnings and people dying from the sun, we at AUF1 are still very fond of summer. That’s why we’re taking a two-week break to recharge our batteries. Our daily fight for awareness against the Great Reset agenda saps our energy, too.”
[Philipp Loser, podcast host:]
“Coronavirus vaccinations are bullshit, the mainstream media is lying and globalists want to take over. On the internet, conspiracy theories are being disseminated with ever increasing professionalism. For example, on AUF1, a fairly successful Austrian online channel. AUF1 provides a platform for extremists and conspiracy theorists and is now looking to expand into Switzerland. Danielle Peterhans, who works at our research desk, discovered this together with our video editors Adrian Panholzer and Nicolas Fäs. She also knows which people in Switzerland are already regularly tuning in to AUF1.”
