Germany’s largest newspaper BILD apologizes for harming society over its coverage of the covid-19 pandemic during the past 18 months

Back in April 2020, we wrote about Germany’s largest newspaper BILD after it condemned China for endangering the world and also for being the world’s “greatest export of coronavirus.” With a circulation of currently about 1.37 million copies daily, the BILD newspaper is published by the Axel-Springer Publishing Company.

After enduring the covid-19 for over 18 months, the situation in Europe and especially in Germany seems to be getting worse. As Europe battles the fourth wave of infections sparked by the Delta variant, about 204,090 protested in Paris and other French cities on Saturday against a mandatory coronavirus health pass for entry to many public places, according to a report from Reuters. France is not alone, there are also protests in Berlin, Germany, and Italy over Covid-19 passports.

With the government’s poor handling of the virus and the ongoing unrest escalating in European cities, the German newspaper BILD issued its apology for harming society over its coverage of the covid-19 pandemic in the past 18 months.

In a 5-minute YouTube video, BILD editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt said:

“Millions of children in this country, for whom we are all responsible as a society, I would like to say what our Federal Government and our Chancellor have not dare to say so far: We ask your forgiveness. We ask your forgiveness for a year and a half of politics, who sacrificed you.”

To victims of violence, neglect, isolation, emotional loneliness. For politics and media reporting that to this day, like poison, gives you the feeling that you are a mortal danger to our society.” You’re not, don’t let that persuade you. We have to protect you, not you us, “admits BILD editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt

Below is a video of his apology.

Meanwhile, thousands of Germans turned out in Berlin on Sunday to protest the German government’s anti-coronavirus measures. Hundreds of Germans clashed with police and some 600 protesters were detained, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Thousands turned out in Berlin on Sunday to protest the German government’s anti-coronavirus measures despite a ban on the gatherings, leading to clashes with police and the detention of some 600 protesters pic.twitter.com/7Tb0eWa9RG

— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) August 1, 2021

Below is the transcript of the BILD editor-in-chief’s video.

“Millionen Kindern in diesem Land, für die wir als Gesellschaft alle miteinander verantwortlich sind, möchte ich sagen, was unsere Bundesregierung und unsere Kanzlerin bisher nicht wagen zu sagen: Wir bitten Euch um Verzeihung. Wir bitten Euch um Verzeihung für anderthalb Jahre einer Politik, die Euch zu Opfern gemacht hat.

Zu Opfern von Gewalt, Vernachlässigung, Isolation, seelischer Einsamkeit. Für eine Politik und eine mediale Berichterstattung, die Euch bis heute wie Gift das Gefühl einflößt, Ihr wäret eine tödliche Gefahr für unsere Gesellschaft.

Das seid ihr nicht, lasst Euch das nicht einreden. Wir haben Euch zu schützen, nicht ihr uns”, gesteht BILD-Chefredakteur Julian Reichelt.”

Below is another version of the transcript.

“Aux millions d’enfants de ce pays,
“To the millions of children in this country,

dont notre société a la responsabilité,
for whom our society is responsible,

je veux exprimer ici ce que ni notre gouvernement
I want to express here what neither our government

ni notre chancelière n’osent vous dire.
nor our Chancellor dares to tell you.

Nous vous demandons de nous pardonner.
We ask you to forgive us.

Nous vous demandons pardon pour cette politique
Forgive us for this policy

Qui pendant un an et demi a fait de vous
Which, for a year and a half, has made you

des victimes de violences,
victims of violence,

de négligences, d’isolement et de solitude.
neglect, isolation and loneliness.

Pardon pour cette politique et cette couverture médiatique
Sorry for this policy and media coverage

qui, comme un poison, vous a inculqué le sentiment
which, like poison, made you feel

que vous étiez un danger mortel pour la société.
like you were a mortal danger to society.

Vous n’êtes pas un danger pour la société, ne croyez pas à ce mensonge.
You are not a danger to society, don’t believe this lie.

C’est à nous de vous protéger.
It’s up to us to protect you.

Ce qui est arrivé à nos enfants, de nombreuses personnes et Bild, l’on denoncé.
What happened to our children, many people and Bild denounced it.

Rien ne s’est passé.
Nothing happened.

Merkel a organisé un sommet pour les enfants ? Non !
Merkel organized a summit for children? No !

Au lieu de ça, on a persuadé nos enfants
Instead, we persuaded our children

qu’ils allaient assassiner leur grand-maman
that they were going to murder their grandma

s’ils osaient être ce qu’ils sont, des enfants.
if they dared to be what they are, children.

Ou s’ils rencontraient leurs copains.
Or if they met their friends.

Rien de tout ça n’a été prouvé scientifiquement.
None of this has been scientifically proven.

C’était facile d’imposer ça aux enfants,
It was easy to force that on the kids,

il ne peuvent pas se défendre et ils ne votent pas.
they can’t defend themselves and they don’t vote.

Quand un État vole les droits d’un enfant,
When a state steals the rights of a child,

il doit prouver que par là il le protège contre un danger concret et imminent.
it must prove that by doing so it protects him against concrete and imminent danger.

Cette preuve n’a jamais été apportée.
This proof has never been provided.

Elle a été remplacée par de la propagande
It has been replaced by propaganda

présentant l’enfant comme un vecteur de la pandémie.
presenting the child as a vector of the pandemic.

Ceux qui voulaient contredire cette propagande,
Those who wanted to contradict this propaganda

n’ont jamais été invités à la table des experts.
were never invited to the expert table.

Nos politiques feraient mieux d’ouvrir les écoles
Our policies would do better to open schools

et les salles de sport plutôt que les bureaux de vote !
and sports halls rather than polling stations!

Sinon ils auront sur la conscience, et laisseront dans les livres d’histoire,
Otherwise they will have on their conscience, and will leave in the history books,

une multitude d’âmes innocentes.”