Citizen Krone, Austria between the Lines (2002)

This film journeys deep into the heart of Austria’s favorite daily newspaper, the Kronen Zeitung, the most widely-read paper per capita in the world. The “Krone’s” 2.7 million readers represent 43% of the Austrian press market. A reflection of the Austrian soul, this newspaper serves as a prism through which we can understand the rise of the populist Right in this country and examine the dangerous flirtation between media and politics. Director and editor-in-chief Hans Dichand’s ingenious populist strategy allows him to reach the greatest number of readers: the paper’s style and content play on base human instincts such as the fear of the “other,” the opposition between “good” and “evil,” and the common man’s sense of powerlessness in the political arena. He then wields the might of this enormous audience to influence politicians and impose his nostalgic vision of a pure, prosperous, and peaceful world.