Abstract
From 1978 until hisfall in October of last year, Joachim Herrmann, as Central Committee Secretary for Agitation and Propaganda, held an unlimited rule over radio, television and newspapers in the GDR. Now he has had to appear before an investigating committee of the Volkskammer (Parliament) which is looking into the misuse ofpower, corruption, and illegal amassing of wealth. He admitted that through his administrative interference into journalistic work he had for years been violating the constitution. He admitted his responsibility for the bad media policy which controlled citizens and journalists, but he, too, put the main blame on Erich Honecker. Herrmann, who used to interfere in television broadcasts as they were being transmitted and personally placed annoùncements in them -for which he earned his nickname 'Usher' — was also responsible for the block parties, now known as 'block flutes' among the people. How he regimented their party papers was' written up in the CDU newspaper Neue Zeit in January. It published the following instructions which the editors of the block parties' papers receivedfrom Herrmann through the Press Office as the 'extended arm of the SED media headquarters'.