Josef Eckhardt
Josef Kunz Eckhardt | |
|---|---|
 Eckhardt c. 1950 | |
| Minister of Information and Public Enlightenment | |
| In office 24 February 1930 – 7 May 1935 | |
| Chancellor | Adalbert von Kolbenheyer Otto Röttgen |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 6, 1884 Wiesstadt, Cislania, Werania |
| Died | June 17, 1958 (aged 73) Westbrucken, Werania |
| Cause of death | Myocardial infarction |
| Political party | Weranic Reich Party (1942-1950) |
| Spouse(s) | Gesine Fegenback (1905-1947) Margarete Beuermann (1948-1958) |
| Occupation | Businessman, politician, newspaper publisher |
Josef Kunz Eckhardt (July 6, 1884 - June 17, 1958) was a Weranian newspaper publisher and politician who played an important role in Weranian politics from the mid 1920's to the early 1950's. The founder of the Eckhardt and Nord Communications, a multi-media conglomerate, Eckhardt played a crucial role in the expansion of the Tageskrorrespondent and the Morgen Post, two of the most read papers in Werania appealing predominantly to the conservative middle class and nationalist working class respectively. Close to politicians in the National Liberal Party during the Great War he served as Minister of Information and Public Enlightenment where he developed ideas regarding crowd psychology to increase support for the war effort during the war.
Eckhardt's father Gerhard was the owner of the Wiesstadt Tageskrorrespondent with Eckhardt succeeding his father as head of the company in 1908. Eckhardt expanded the Wiesstadt Tageskrorrespondent by selling several of his fathers stocks and expanding the paper nationwide, renaming it simply the Tageskrorrespondent in 1910. In 1912 Eckhardt acquired the Morgen Post, a struggling paper based in Roetenberg, quickly changing the style and tone of the paper from an upmarket weekly paper to a daily tabloid focusing on human interest stories and sensationalism. This approach whilst deeply controversial amongst traditional Weranian newspaper industry it soon resulted in the Morgen Post expanding to become the largest paper in Werania with a circulation of 1 million across Werania by 1920. Eckhardt's company, Eckhardt and Nord Communications, soon acquired several magazines and other newspapers giving him close to a monopoly on Weranian print news by the beginning of the Great War and making him one of the most prominent press barons in Euclea. His company expanded into radios around the same time further expanding Eckhardt's reach in the media. Eckhardt's conservative views meant his papers often supported right-wing causes making him seen as a kingmaker in conservative politics in Werania.
During the Great War Eckhardt eagerly supported the government's participation in the war and played a role in crafting censorship laws passed in 1927. Eckhardt was appointed Minister of Information and Public Enlightenment in 1930 by Chancellor Adalbert von Kolbenheyer to better disseminate propaganda for the war effort. A believer in the irrationality of the masses and their tendency towards herd behaviour meant as Information Minister he often directed state propaganda to utilise crowd psychology to control the masses during the war.
Following the Great War Eckhardt stepped down as Information Minister and began further expanding his media empire, creating his own film studio EKO (Eckhardt Künstlerorganisation; Eckhardt Artists Organisation) in 1935. Eckhardt also was seen as a prominent force behind a group of powerful businessmen, politicians and military officers known as the Mistendorf Group that sought to promote monarchism, conservatism and economic liberalism due to what they believed to the socialisation of Werania under the influence of hostile left-wing forces, chiefly Swetania.
The 1940's saw Eckhardt's papers take an ever-more conservative tone being dismissive of liberal democracy and increasingly vitriolic towards socialists and leftists in general. In 1942 Eckhardt joined the ruling Weranic Reich Party which promoted an authoritarian government based on traditional Catholic culture and was hostile to independence movements in the empire and leftism in Euclea. Eckhardt mobilised his papers to support military action against Swetania and was seen as one of the primary voices that supported the drive towards the Swetanian-Weranian War in 1949.
Following the Colonels Putsch and the Swetanian-Weranian war Eckhardt fell into public disfavour and withdrew from politics, although continued to tightly control the direction of his newspapers. He increasingly however passed executive responsibilities of his business to his sons Wilhelm and Rudolph. Eckhardt died of a heart attack in 1958 aged 73.
Eckhardt throughout his life was a controversial figure in Werania. A flamboyant personality with a string of mistresses Eckhardt was often considered to be a shrewd businessman who was skilled in his use of public relations. However his domination of the Weranian media landscape and close relations with politicians has often been criticised for being corrupt, whilst his right-wing causes and lack of political nuance have led him to be accused of undermining public interests in favour of his own. His life has been the subject of various dramatisations as well as conspiracy theories.