''Telepolis'' is a German

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

magazine, published by the Heinz Heise Verlag since the beginning of 1996. It was founded by journalists Armin Medosch and Florian Rötzer and deals with privacy, science, culture, internet-related and general politics and media. Other contributors include Mathias Bröckers, Gabriele Hooffacker or Burkhard Schröder. ''Telepolis'' received the European prize for online journalism in the category "investigative reporting" in 2000 for its coverage of the

Echelon Echelon may refer to: * A level formation ** A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society ** A military sub-subunit smaller than a company but larger than a platoon ** Echelon formation, a step-like arrangement of units * ECHELO ...

project; in 2002, it received the Online Grimme prize. It periodically releases special issues, the first printed edition (January 2005) being on "Aliens - how researchers and space travellers want to uncover their presence." One of the articles in this edition, perhaps the most daring, described the so-called

theory of everything A theory of everything (TOE), final theory, ultimate theory, unified field theory, or master theory is a hypothetical singular, all-encompassing, coherent theoretical physics, theoretical framework of physics that fully explains and links togeth ...

(TOE) proposed by Burkhard Heim and its alleged applications to

spacecraft propulsion Spacecraft propulsion is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. In-space propulsion exclusively deals with propulsion systems used in the vacuum of space and should not be confused with space launch or atmospheric e ...

. (

Heim theory Burkhard Heim (; 9 February 1925 – 14 January 2001) was a German theoretical physicist known for proposing a unified field theory called Heim theory, which he claimed could have applications to the development of hyperspace travel. Academic ...

is not part of mainstream physics, and few physicists would describe it as a TOE.) Others deal with

SETI Seti or SETI may refer to: Astrobiology * SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. ** SETI Institute, an astronomical research organization *** SETIcon, a former convention organized by the SETI Institute ** Berkeley SETI Research Cent ...

and

exobiology Astrobiology (also xenology or exobiology) is a scientific field within the life and environmental sciences that studies the origins, early evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe by investigating its deterministic condi ...

Criticism

''Telepolis'' presents contemporary historical topics differing from the so-called

mainstream media In journalism, mainstream media (MSM) is a term and abbreviation used to refer collectively to the various large Mass media, mass news media that influence many people and both reflect and shape prevailing currents of thought.Noam Chomsky, Choms ...

. Two days after the Terror attacks on 11 September 2001, Mathias Bröckers speculated in an article on ''Telepolis'' that the Bush administration had deliberately allowed the attacks to happen. Over time, this one article became a conspiracy series that made Bröckers a star of the Truther scene and to him by Wolfgang Wippermann Antisemitism accusations. Wolfgang Wippermann: ''Agents of Evil. Conspiracy Theories from Luther to Today'', be.bra. Verlag, Berlin 2007, pp. 134-140. In their 2017 essay "Lügenpresse - Eine Verschwörungstheorie?", Uwe Krüger and Jens Seiffert-Brockmann discuss counter-publics and

alternative media Alternative media are media sources that differ from established forms of media, such as mainstream media or mass media, in terms of their content, production, or distribution.Downing, John (2001). ''Radical Media''. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publica ...

that are anchored in various milieus and ideological orientations. During the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

, they examined Telepolis, among others, and found that this medium emphasised information from a left-wing perspective that was negative towards the pro-Western actors and questioned the narrative of the democratic revolution. What such media have in common is "that they work on perforating the established media reality, questioning the established

mass media Mass media include the diverse arrays of media that reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit information electronically via media such as films, radio, recorded music, or television. Digital media comprises b ...

definitions of reality, declaring reference frames and axioms of the mainstream invalid and exchanging them." The liberal, pluralistic democracy is portrayed as an opinion

dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

based on a conspiracy between ruling elites and the established media. In 2019, the Americanist and conspiracy theory researcher Michael Butter placed ''Telepolis'' among the alternative media such as '' KenFM'', '' NachDenkSeiten'' or '' Rubikon,'' all of which would form an alternative public sphere to the traditional

and

public broadcasting Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...

. According to Butter, they serve

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

s such as that of the lying press and sell them as serious news.Michael Butter: ''Verschwörungs(theorie)panik. "Filter clash" of two public spheres.'' In: Heiner Hastedt (ed.): ''Deutungsmacht von Zeitdiagnosen. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven.'' transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2019, , pp. 197-211, here p. 205 (retrieved via

De Gruyter Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. History The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...

Online).

References

External links

''Telepolis''
1996 establishments in Germany Computer magazines published in Germany Magazines established in 1996 Online computer magazines German-language magazines {{Europe-compu-mag-stub