Paul-Anton Krüger was Middle East correspondent for Süddeutsche Zeitung based in Cairo from 2014 to 2018, where he was responsible for covering the entire region. Since 2021, he has been parliamentary correspondent in Berlin. Diplomatisches Magazin spoke to him about the relationship between diplomacy and journalism.
DM: Mr Krüger, do you sometimes receive complaints from embassies about your reporting?
Paul-Anton Krüger: I have rarely experienced intervention. But it does happen occasionally. In one case in the recent past, I received a written complaint about my reporting.
DM: Which country was that?
Paul-Anton Krüger: I don’t want to say, because it may not be beneficial to continue travelling to that country.
DM: Do you react to such complaints? Or does your employer, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, react?
Paul-Anton Krüger: Well, in this case we did not react at all. That was also through our cooperation with the Tagesanzeiger in Switzerland, which does some of our foreign reporting. The relevant embassy approached the editor-in-chief in Switzerland and it was then passed on to me. In that case we did not react at all. I think that is a case-by-case decision. It always depends on what is at stake. If a factual error has been made or the position of the country in question has not been presented correctly, one will react differently than if an attempt is made to directly influence or prevent reporting.
DM: If intervention is made: Where would a line be crossed?
Paul-Anton Krüger: That always depends on the individual case. What happens from time to time – but this was more an issue in my work as a foreign correspondent – is that you have difficulties getting an entry visa. I am currently experiencing this with several countries where visa applications are still pending. They will probably not get a positive decision.
I have always said to the ambassadors here in Berlin – especially of countries where things are not so easy – “the advantage of granting us entry and allowing us to report on the spot is that we can always reflect a more differentiated picture than if we don’t enter the country.”
DM: Do embassies provide you with information material?
Paul-Anton Krüger: We are in regular contact with many embassies. We make enquiries. We are in direct contact with the spokespersons, and sometimes also with the ambassadors themselves. This is primarily the case with countries that maintain closer cooperation with Germany. Currently with France, for example, because of its European Council Presidency. We also have contact with the embassies when visits are scheduled or when members of the Federal Government are planning to travel to the countries in question. Sometimes ambassadors contact us because they want to get to know us, or they organise talks. But of course, also because they want to place information. I think that is part of normal business.
DM: Would you like to see closer cooperation with ambassadors?
Paul-Anton Krüger: As a rule, communication is quite good. But it is always a question of whether an embassy communicates openly or whether journalists are only given official positions that one also receives from the Foreign Ministry. It is interesting for journalists if embassies shed a little more light on the background of the politics of the respective country. But I have seldom had the experience that an embassy is not prepared to talk to you when you ask.
Interview Marie Wildermann