MASS MEDIA IN DIVIDED GERMANY 563
was handed out in pharmacies, or the ADAC-Motorwelt, which went to
all the members of the ADAC automobile club (akin to AAA in the United
States) also became infl uential lobby publications within “consumer de-
mocracy.” The power of these rather apolitical magazines in East and
West rested on their ability to shape social norms and desires.
Journalists as Intermediaries between East and West
Fundamental changes also occurred in the realm of communication be-
tween the two German states at the beginning of the 1970s. Until 1973,
there were no permanent West German correspondents in the GDR,
although GDR journalists were allowed to report from West Germany.
Western reports on the GDR mostly came from offi cial sources, but also
sometimes from statements made by GDR citizens that had been smug-
gled out of the country. Direct journalistic reporting by Western journal-
ists about the GDR, such as the famous “Reise in ein fernes Land” (A Trip
to a Faraway Country), published by three journalists from Die ZEIT in
1964, was still an exception rather than the rule.^45 The GDR feared cri-
tique and espionage attempts if it formally accredited West German jour-
nalists, while West Germany was worried that such a move might boost
the image of the GDR and work in favor of offi cial diplomatic recognition
for the GDR. As media coverage expanded around the globe, gaining new
momentum through satellite-supported live television, the refusal of the
GDR to admit Western journalists did in fact prove to be detrimental to
the country’s eff orts to achieve international recognition.
The multifaceted control of the media by the SED was never limited
to only the domestic side of things because the party always kept a close
eye on the image of the GDR abroad.^46 It was continually plagued by the
fear that countries in the West would snap up any inconsistent reports
or even critique coming from inside the GDR. Moreover, in contrast to
West Germany, the GDR sent hardly any correspondents abroad, with the
exception of the news agency ADN and Neues Deutschland, which only
served to further isolate the GDR in the eyes of the world.
Around 1970, the GDR became increasingly aware of the fact that it
was cutting itself off from the West German public as well as the rest of
the globe. As part of the Basic Treaty that was signed in 1972, both sides
agreed to give journalists the right of freedom of information and report-
ing. Furthermore, the establishment of the Department for Journalistic
Relations at the beginning of the 1970s and an International Press Center
in 1977 were part of a concerted eff ort on behalf of the GDR to increase
its presence abroad.^47 As part of this move, almost twenty West German