Hademar Bankhofer (Author)

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Hademar Bankhofer (born May 13, 1941 in Klosterneuburg , Lower Austria ) is an Austrian journalist who specializes in health issues . He moderates TV programs and is the author of numerous books. In addition, Bankhofer writes numerous glosses on health issues in various German-language newspapers and magazines and has numerous appearances as an expert in German and Austrian radio and TV stations.

The Austrian medical journalist, who calls himself “Mr. Health ”, was best known for his appearances in magazine programs on various German-speaking broadcasters. Some of these contracts were terminated by the broadcasters after rumors emerged that Bankhofer had operated surreptitious advertising for pharmaceutical products. He regularly writes columns in various newspapers. Bankhofer's methodology, in particular his handling of scientific studies and his journalistic ethos of behavior, has been controversial since the scandal surrounding possible surreptitious advertising for products from the Klosterfrau Healthcare Group .

Career

Hademar Bankhofer was born on May 13, 1941 in Klosterneuburg. From 1959 to 1964 he studied law , psychology , philosophy and journalism at the University of Vienna without completing these studies. He was a reporter for various weekly and daily newspapers as well as deputy editor-in-chief of a Viennese weekly newspaper. From 1964 on, he initially dealt with parapsychological phenomena and wrote horror novels for the Zauberkreis Verlag under the collective pseudonym Henry Ghost.

Hademar Bankhofer has been a freelance writer, radio and screenwriter since 1976, both primarily as part of his work as a medical journalist. He is also the presenter of regular television programs on the subject of health and a series author for major Austrian and German daily and weekly newspapers. In early 1985, at the invitation of Walter Schiejok, Bankhofer started a health bar in the WIR series .

While still studying newspaper science, he collected recipes, which he published in 1972 under the title Hexenschuss & Hoarseness . Bankhofer and Ferry Dusika landed the first bestseller with the book Big Eat Too Little. Dusika, a former cyclist and health professional at the senior club , became Bankhofer's mentor . It was through him that Bankhofer began to deal with nutrition. In the following years he worked for the Society for Medical Vitamin and Mineral Research in Munich and the German Society for Communication Research in Cologne . Both societies no longer appear. The same applies to the German Society for Risk-Free Medicine in Oldenburg , where Bankhofer was a member of the board.

Bankhofer regularly publishes books on health topics and has columns in various German and Austrian newspapers and magazines.

Since 2009, he has been supporting the efforts of the French kitchen appliance company SEB to increasingly market small electrical household appliances as part of a marketing campaign called Healthy Enjoyment .

Television broadcasts

Bankhofer moderated various TV programs on the topic of health on the German channels Deutsches Investor TV (“Bankhofer fit & vital”) and Bible TV (two programs: “Old home remedies - modern natural medicines” and “Health from nature”) and on Austrian television on schauTV (“Einfach Bankhofer”). Before that, from 2006 to 2009, he presented the sponsored health program The Healthy Half Hour on ORF's commercial branch channel TW1 and the family magazine Einfach Bankhofer on Austria 9 every Thursday . He moderates The Great Health Quiz on hr television . He is a guest in various television discussions on German and Austrian television and appears in talk shows as an expert on health issues.

On ORF radio, Bankhofer had a regular section on Radio Wien with an attached podcast and another on Radio Grün Weiss .

public perception

Above all, at the beginning and after being awarded the Austrian title of “Professor” in 1991, critics said that Bankhofer was seen by a broad public not as a medical journalist, but as a scientist and doctor himself. In this context, especially in the early days, some doctors criticized the presentation style of Bankhofer's health tips, as it presented the examinations "atypically casual and popular". Proponents saw this as an opportunity to address the "normal patient" more intensely.

Because of his aversion to ties , scarves and jackets became his trademark.

Methodology and proximity to companies

Bankhofer's general methodology in dealing with scientific studies has repeatedly been criticized from academic circles, as has his journalistic ethos of conduct and his duty of care with regard to sources. Scientists such as B. Gerd Antes , head of the German Cochrane Center in Freiburg, take the view, among other things, that Bankhofer reports on questionable scientific findings and thereby helps them to gain popularity.

In 2000, Bankhofer held a seminar as a lecturer at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at the University of Leipzig with the title “Public Relations and Journalism Using the Example of Medical Communication in the Mass Media”.

Until 2008, Bankhofer appeared regularly as a “health expert” in the ARD morning magazine . On July 24, 2008, the WDR , which produces the format, terminated its collaboration with Bankhofer with immediate effect, as it had concealed an existing consultancy contract with the Klosterfrau Healthcare Group and responded contradictingly to inquiries. On ARD websites, Bankhofer repeatedly recommended the Klostermelisse (a word mark of the Klosterfrau group) and the Klosterfrau health book , although these pages (see lemon balm ) have since been taken offline. In 2004, the German Cochrane Center informed the ARD in an email that there were massive doubts about the seriousness of Bankhofer's recommendations. However, a detailed letter in 2006 did not result in any changes.

Between 2006 and 2008, in a health column for the television magazine rtv , Bankhofer repeatedly recommended active ingredients so precisely that pharmacists had to recommend Klosterfrau products in 16 cases when they presented the relevant excerpts . In the following years, the same applied in several cases to specific combinations of active ingredients he recommended, which also led to products from companies in the Klosterfrau Group. Representatives of the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia stated that the rtv column had a "veiled advertising character".

In May 2009 Bankhofer published the book Naturdoping together with the moderator of the morning magazine Peter Großmann .

The NDR media magazine Zapp reported on July 1, 2009 that Bankhofer had left a "greeting" to German journalists on its website www.gesundheitswelten.com in response to broad coverage in the German media . A radio interview with him was announced under “You have to hear that”, in which he would also “talk about the damage to reputation [...] caused by 'assholes' in Germany”. In the interview, Bankhofer claimed to have been the victim of a "wicked intrigue" that had been prepared over three years. According to Bankhofer's statement, for three years "the morning magazine tinkered with getting it away". The real reason is that he is said to have given too many nature tips in the program and "seduced" people into self-medication . Bankhofer stated in the interview that his contracts with Klosterfrau had been known in the German print media for a long time, and he complained that they had "separated from him immediately without any presumption of innocence". Regarding the responsible decision-makers at WDR, he recognized for the first time how many “spineless cowards and assholes” there were. In this context, he quoted Hans R. Beierlein with the statement: "The professionals, the experts are becoming fewer and fewer, the assholes multiply like rabbits ." Up until this point in time, Bankhofer was present with his broadcast concept in the ARD morning magazine for 12 years without any objections been. Bankhofer continued to claim in the program that some of his critics on the Internet were "even paid". He reduced the criticism to the fact that he had stood in a studio herb garden and used the term monastery balm. Theodor Fontane and Hildegard von Bingen had already used it. He did not comment on his numerous other media references to products from the nunnery group or other contractually affiliated companies.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung summarized the process as follows:

"The whole process [...] shows how the skilful exploitation of a media hype and the regular homage by the greats of the talk show scene lead to collective lack of criticism and sleepiness even in serious editorial teams."

In January 2011 it became known that the Commission for Approval and Supervision found that the religious television broadcaster BibelTV was operating surreptitious advertising in two programs broadcast in September 2010 of its format "The Healthy Way" moderated by Bankhofer. The Commission stated:

“… In the health magazine, u. a. Experts have their say who talked about the benefits of certain products or active ingredients from whose sale they profit economically. The audience was left in the dark about these connections. The products could be seen several times and clearly recognizable in the picture. "

The interviews broadcast in the BibelTV show were originally produced for the program “Einfach Bankhofer” on the private broadcaster Austria 9 TV. In the same month, the station broadcast a program on infrared cabins in which only models from the Physiotherm company were presented. Bankhofer is directly involved in the marketing of this company. In addition to a highly exposed position on the start page of the corresponding website, the company offers two special models under the names Bankhofer Special Edition ( Bankhofer I and Bankhofer II deluxe models).

other activities

As a c / o TV health expert, Bankhofer is a member of the Austrian Advertising Council . Its President Michael Straberger stated in an interview with Der Standard in January 2011 when asked about Bankhofer's alleged surreptitious advertising activities that he had "not yet spoken" to him.

family

In 1968 Bankhofer married Lieselotte "Lizzy" Fürst. He is the father of one son and the grandfather of four grandchildren. The son Hademar Harald Bankhofer jr. is the radio presenter Hadschi Bankhofer, known in Austria .

Awards

Works

  • Ghosts, ghosts, superstitions. Hestia, ISBN 3-7770-0122-9 (NA 1976, Zauberkreis-Verlag).
  • As Henry Ghost (collective pseudonym): Occu. Zauberkreis-Verlag, novel booklet series.
  • 50 simple things you should know about your health Westend, 2006, ISBN 3-938060-12-3 .
  • Lumbago & hoarseness. Delphin, 1981, ISBN 3-404-66061-7 .
  • Confusion at Gruselstein Castle , youth book, 1983.
  • Gentle medicine: 1,000 home remedies for your health! Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-900696-45-4 .
  • The 500 best vital tips. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-900696-31-4 .
  • Health from the saucepan: tips and tricks of whole foods. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Vienna / Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-900696-98-5 .
  • The elixir of life, lecithin. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Vienna / Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-901794-05-0 .
  • Healthy legs - beautiful legs. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-901794-36-0 .
  • Healthy & fit on vacation. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben / Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-901794-94-8 .
  • With Martin Hörning and Jens Meyer-Wegener: The 7 power plants for women. Southwest, 2005, ISBN 3-517-06886-1 .
  • My 1000 best health tips from A to Z. Bassermann, 2005, ISBN 3-8094-1832-3 .
  • My advice for annoying complaints. Southwest, 2005, ISBN 3-517-06884-5 .
  • The happiness of staying healthy , mosaic by Goldmann 2005, ISBN 3-442-16662-4 .
  • The big health book for the whole year. , Mosaik series at Goldmann, 2004, ISBN 3-442-16588-1 .
  • Healthy & fit with frozen food. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben 2004, ISBN 3-7088-0025-7 .
  • Enjoy low fat, live healthy. Kneipp-Verlag, Leoben 2007, ISBN 3-7088-0422-8 .
  • NADH - Coenzyme 1. 2012, the vital active ingredient in cells , ISBN 3-9503217-0-5 .
  • Professor Bankhofer's Natur-Apotheke, 2015, ISBN 3-8094-3447-7 .
  • My best well-being recipes: Proven natural home remedies. 2017, ISBN 3-8094-3808-1 .
  • My best tips for complaints that are not discussed. 2018, ISBN 978-3-8094-3858-8 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Bankhofer's website: Hademar Bankhofer health tips. Health with natural medicine and natural healing methods from Mr. Gesundheit. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  2. Television: Bloggers overthrow ARD health guru. In: The time . December 11, 2008.
  3. ARD fires Hademar Bankhofer . In: Focus Online . July 24, 2008 ( focus.de ).
  4. Anita Staudacher Dijon: Boiling down the customers with full steam. In: Courier . kurier.at ( Memento from September 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Hademar Bankhofer on Austria 9. In: Wiener Zeitung . September 3, 2009.
  6. ots.at
  7. Einfach-BANKHOFER-das-Gesundheitsmagazin ( Memento of the original of July 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / schaumedia.at
  8. bibeltv.de ( Memento of the original from April 13, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bibeltv.de
  9. Greta Taubert: How are we today? In: Berliner Zeitung. July 17, 2006, accessed October 3, 2014 .
  10. Marcus Anhäuser: “Statutory nonsense” - Hademar Bankhofer's health tips lack a scientific basis. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . No. 133, 13./14. June 2009, p. 20.
  11. a b Gerd Antes: "Mare's milk and other cheeses" - The Bankhofer case. ( Memento of the original from August 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 1, 2008. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sueddeutsche.de
  12. Press release: Medical communication in the mass media. In: ECO-News, July 8, 2000.
  13. Lecturer. ( Memento from June 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Website of the "Department of Communication Management and Public Relations", Institute for Communication and Media Studies, University of Leipzig
  14. Thomas Knüwer: Suspicion of surreptitious advertising . WDR fires Hademar Bankhofer. In: Handelsblatt . Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  15. Press release: WDR ends collaboration with Prof. Hademar Bankhofer. In: WDR , July 24, 2008
  16. Daniel Bouhs: ARD fires health guru Bankhofer. In: Stern , July 24, 2008.
  17. Information on the Klostermelisse trademark  in the register of the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA)
  18. Taken offline ARD websites as of August 1, 2008.
  19. a b Marcus Anhäuser: "Mr. Bankhofer's Melissen-Masche" - The self-proclaimed expert has been promoting products from the Klosterfrau Group for years. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , No. 133, 13./14. June 2009, p. 20.
  20. health worlds imprint. Self-description: "Gesundheitswelten.com [...] for all health-conscious people and for all friends of Prof. Hademar Bankhofer." Retrieved on September 18, 2010.
  21. Jump up ↑ The swear word of the week. ( Memento from July 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) In: NDR , broadcast “Zapp”, July 1, 2009.
  22. Excerpt from the interview in Stefan Niggemeier's blog : Hademar Bankhofer und die Arschlöcher.
  23. a b c Interview on Radio 88.6 ( page no longer available , search in web archives: Interview online (MP3) on Bankhofers Gesundheitswelten.com ).@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.gesundheitswelten.com
  24. Gerd Antes: “Mare's milk and other cheese” - The Bankhofer case. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. August 1, 2008, ( sueddeutsche.de )
  25. ZAK press release 02/2011: Again fines imposed on Sport 1 / surreptitious advertising on Bibel TV objected. - dr-bahr.com
  26. Bankhofer broadcast: "... violate the ban on surreptitious advertising" (Addendum 5.2.) ( Memento from May 16, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), placebo alarm, January 20, 2011.
  27. The Prof. Hademar Bankhofer special edition is here (company website), physiotherm.com ( Memento from September 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  28. Advertising advice continues without "Wiener Blut". In: The Standard. January 25, 2011