Research: The Advertisement Affair (Media Corruption)
When Steuergeld (tax money) buys positive headlines – The "Kurz System" and its methods.
The Advertisement Affair, which came to light through the Thomas Schmid chats, is a central theme in Part 4 of our mockumentary. It shows how media power and political influence were systematically manipulated through public funds.
The "Beinschab-Österreich-Tool"
The WKStA (Economic and Corruption Prosecutor's Office) suspects that the Ministry of Finance, under the direction of Thomas Schmid, used tax money to commission manipulated polls from the pollster Sabine Beinschab. These polls were then published in the tabloid newspaper Österreich (Fellner group).
The Mechanism:
- Manipulated Polls: Surveys were "beautified" to favor Sebastian Kurz.
- Advertisements as Payment: In return for publishing these polls and positive reporting, the Ministry of Finance placed expensive advertisements in the newspaper.
- Corruption Verdacht: This circuit of "Polls - Ads - Headlines" is investigated as embezzlement and bribery.
Significance for "The Horten Mystery"
The advertisement affair is the modern equivalent of the "market consolidation" of the 1930s. While Helmut Horten acquired physical department stores, the actors around Sebastian Kurz "acquired" media space and public opinion.
- Satirical Motif: We use the "Beinschab-Tool" as a metaphor for the construction of reality. In our film, we show how headlines are painted like pointillist dots until they form a beautiful, but false, picture of a politician.
Sources: Investigation files of the WKStA, chat protocols of Thomas Schmid, reporting by the ORF and investigative media.