public broadcaster has backtracked on an earlier decision to make journalist Thilo Mischke the co-host of its weekly flagship “ttt” cultural program.
ARD said on Saturday that the cultural affairs bosses involved in the production of “ttt,” short for “titel, thesen, temperamente” — title, theses, temperaments — decided not to appoint Mischke as the show’s presenter.
The decision follows an outpouring of criticism of the choice, with many accusing the 43-year-old Mischke of and racism.
What did ARD say?
In its Saturday statement, ARD described Mischke as a “recognized journalist and multiple award-winning reporter.” Nevertheless, the public broadcaster acknowledged the rising criticism of his appointment to co-host ttt.
“Fierce discussion about Thilo Mischke that has arisen in the last few days is overshadowing the central and relevant topics that we want to convey with the program,” ARD said.
The public broadcaster had last week addressed the criticism, saying in a post on Instagram that it was listening to the critics, and asking for time to reach a decision.
ARD had announced late last year that Mischke was chosen to replace veteran co-host Max Moor, who had stepped down, alongside Siham El-Maimouni. Mischke was due to begin on February 16.
El-Maimouni will now be presenting the show alone, ARD said on Saturday.
Why did Mischke trigger so much controversy?
Mischke’s previous views on women and ethnic minorities have often been criticized. The most glaring example is his 2010 book “Around the World in 80 Women,” in which he describes his travels around the world in an attempt to seduce 80 women to win a bet with his friends.
The book’s description of the women Mischke encounters has been described as sexist and as using broad stereotypes regarding women.
In 2013, he also wrote a book titled “The Love of Your Life Doesn’t Need Big Breasts.” In a 2019 podcast, Mischke said “male sexuality is perhaps based on rape” and called rape “primally male.”
In 2021, Mischke distanced himself from his earlier works, but his critics, who petitioned against his appointment as ttt host, say the move was “insufficient.”
Over 100 cultural workers, including writers, artists and journalists, signed the open letter condemning Mischke’s choice.
“For cultural television, we want enthusiastic presenters with an interest in culture who are able to respond sensitively and empathetically to contemporary discourse and do justice to the complexity of current cultural debates,” the open letter read.
“Therefore, we are ruling out working with Thilo Mischke as moderator of the ttt program.”
ARD said on Saturday that it agreed, alongside Mischke, “that the most important thing now is to avert further reputational damage to ‘ttt’ and Thilo Mischke.”
What’s next for Thilo Mischke?
Calling criticism of Mischke a “wild hunt” in a post on X, German free-to-air TV network ProSieben said it appreciated him because “he has been doing incredibly important and good reportage for years, for which he has received many awards.”
Referring to reports Mischke produced regarding the Taliban in Afghanistan and the far-right in Germany, the company told the German dpa news agency that it was looking forward to working with him again.
“ProSieben has been working with Thilo Mischke on a basis of trust for years,” a spokesperson told dpa, adding that the station was looking forward to “Thilo Mischke special reports in 2025 and the years thereafter on ProSieben.”
rmt/sms (AFP, dpa, KNA)
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