Austrian Chancellor Slams Interior Ministry's Plan To Limit Contacts With Opposition Media

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday, commenting on the decision of the Interior Ministry to curb its communications with opposition media, that any limitation of media freedoms in the country was "unacceptable."

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Tuesday, commenting on the decision of the Interior Ministry to curb its communications with opposition media, that any limitation of media freedoms in the country was "unacceptable."

According to Kurier and Der Standard media outlets, the ministry has informed the police departments of nine Federal states of its intention to limit communications with media which cover police activities "in a negative manner."

"It is the [political] parties and government institutions, as well as non-government organizations, which are highly responsible for free and independent journalism in the country.

Any limitations on the media freedoms are unacceptable," Kurz said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, as quoted by the ORF broadcaster.

A representative of the Austrian Interior Ministry has clarified that the initiative envisioned developing a unified means of communication between the police and the media after it was found out that regional police departments had different approaches to "statements related to the citizenship of foreign suspects and information on sex crimes."

The ministry has said that it was interested in equal and transparent communication with the media.