The 'political prisoner' the German media would prefer to forget

Dear Reader,

This newsletter is about a case that reveals something striking — how blind much of the German media remains to the depth of public discontent around them.

While traditional parties still cling to the idea that right-wing populism can be legislated or banned out of existence, most mainstream outlets act as if their job is either to demonise or ignore it - rather than engage with it on the basis of facts and evidence.

The consequence is predictable: fewer and fewer people trust established media. Just like in the English-speaking world, “alternative” outlets are rushing to fill the vacuum. Like the new parties that have emerged on the political scene, these publications are often shrill and rough-edged — but they meet a demand by addressing topics that the mainstream are too squeamish to touch.

The case of Michael Ballweg illustrates this dynamic with unsettling clarity.

Ballweg, a mild-mannered software entrepreneur and meditation fanatic, spent nine months in prison accused o…