Mr. Kleber hosted the ZDF "heute journal" for 19 years and worked as a reporter in the USA, among other places.
In the webinar, he answered many questions posed by the students. He was asked about the responsibility of journalists and reporters in times of wars and pandemics. The basic task of journalists, he said, is to gather information in order to describe, explain and correctly classify what is happening. Facts are to be researched and understood. Convincing people of his opinion is not his job. He emphasized that based on the same information, not everyone necessarily comes to the same opinion.
He described it as a challenge to always develop a clear picture. In spite of his experience, mistakes were made time and again, which he later corrected as a matter of course and made public.
Mr. Kleber urged that with the use of social media, everyone is a journalist or reporter and must therefore take responsibility. Before giving Likes and forwarding messages, we should "switch on our brains" and take time to check the truth content first.
His opinion on the role of money was interesting: "Money is an invention we have chosen to believe in. We invent money and spend it. But it works."
Regarding gender-equitable language, he admitted to being an opponent at first. However, he said, after receiving so much mail on the subject, he reconsidered his position: "If so many people, especially young people, want this, it's important to them." He said he has decided to take a "middle course." In professions where men still dominate, he said, it is important to him. He cited chief medical officers as an example, since there are fewer "female chiefs." The number of "female truckers" is also on the rise, he said. Pointing this out, he said, is necessary to improve the design of highway parking lots in terms of safety and hygiene.
In the end, he called on us to research against consensus, not to take everything for granted. That would make it too easy for us. We need to question more.
Unfortunately, the 90 minutes were over much too quickly to get answers to all the questions.
We would like to thank Mr. Schwartz for allowing us to participate in the webinar.