Is the free press dying?

In Donald Trump's White House, there was a chief strategist named Steve Bannon. Disgraced, he returned to his former job at the Breitbart News Network web portal.

A little later, he willingly gave author Michael Wolff information about Trump's family and what he experienced during the presidential campaign and later in the White House. It is not flattering for Donald Trump what can be found in the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" by Michael Wolff.

At the beginning of this year, Steve Bannon vacated his position at Breitbart News. What is known is that Donald Trump verbally lashed out at his former chief strategist via Twitter and that a US billionaire family still financially supports the Breitbart web portal and at the same time has made a commitment to Trump.

So it looks like this: Steve Bannon is a political pawn. He lost his job by expressing his views too freely. It's not about right or left. It's not about true or false. Bannon has given his personal, subjective view. He has spoken about experiences that fall under a standstill agreement.

He may have endangered national security and violated personal rights. It may be that he can be legally prosecuted for his statements. But free speech must be possible without fearing the invisible hand from the "political back rooms.

My sympathies are not with Steve Bannon the person, I am concerned about free speech and an independent media scene.

I know the feeling of knowing a lot and having to be doubly careful. SAP doesn't like what we write any more than Trump likes what he hears from the mouth of Steve Bannon. I am not calling for leniency or amnesty here for Bannon, for many other writers and journalists, and for E-3 Magazine.

It's about freedom of expression, for which we take responsibility: And in the event of mistakes, we are given an open and transparent chance for discourse. Anyone who has power also has a responsibility and an obligation to provide information to society - to the SAP community.

SAP is setting up a communications system in which free and independent media like E-3 magazine have to stay outside the door. Partners hand over their communication tasks to SAP and in return receive websites in Fiori design, on which one looks in vain for press sections.

These partners run blogs in which SAP press releases are acknowledged. As a thank you, these partners are mentioned in SAP's texts. They pat each other on the back and the amazed SAP existing customer looks on.

Press conferences, background discussions and events for journalists hardly ever take place anymore. They would rather invest in their own controllable channels than engage in open discussion with the free press.

The fear of losing control must be great if you also force your partners into this monopoly-like system. The other opinion is then no longer considered wrong, inaccurate, poorly researched, but dangerous.

A discussion of content is categorically rejected: rather a political pawn than an insightful discourse. The concern is for a free press that is allowed to make mistakes without fear.