Qatar is not a democratic country, there is no free press and there are no reports of thousands of dead guest workers. Nevertheless, the ARD reports on several playout channels from the 2022 World Cup. Here you can find out why.
Why is ARD broadcasting a World Cup tournament during which several thousand people have died in preparation?
In connection with the World Cup, we have been reporting for years on the intolerable conditions and circumstances on the construction sites in Qatar, as well as on socio-political abuses in the host country of the World Cup. We have intensified this reporting over the past twelve months and will continue to closely monitor developments in Qatar during the tournament. We believe that critical reporting can be an important lever to initiate or accelerate improvements in Qatar.
How can ARD report critically if they are not allowed to film everywhere?
How rigorous the restrictions on our filming on location will actually be cannot yet be fully foreseen. However, the first goals have already been achieved, for example when it comes to filming in private apartments and houses. For classification: Restrictions on the turning options, for example in safety-relevant facilities, are more the rule than the exception worldwide.
We know: This World Cup is certainly not a normal sporting event. Where we see it endangered, we advocate free reporting. In the run-up, we have already established close contacts with correspondents in the region and with international NGOs in order to lay the basis for independent reporting.
How does ARD prepare for surveillance?
The work in Qatar will certainly be a big challenge for our colleagues. Similar surveillance scenarios were recently used at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. That doesn’t make it any better, but it shows that we have experience with difficult local conditions and don’t allow ourselves to be intimidated immediately.
How are the topics of greenwashing and lack of sustainability dealt with?
We report critically on the effects of the World Cup on Qatar’s climate balance. Just as with other political and socio-political issues, we have decided not to look the other way, but to take a closer look. For example, in our investigative feature “Qatar – World Cup of Lies” (from November 13th in the ARD Mediathek), we uncover how brazenly and with which mechanisms greenwashing is carried out at this World Cup.