Georg Picht. Strategies of a Media Intellectual in the West German Public Sphere

In the intellectual debates of West Germany, Georg Picht was always present. He dealt with educational and peace policy, the protection of the environment, development aid, demographic development and the global food crisis. He involved himself in the activities of government agencies and engaged in political consultancy. Yet the core of Picht's political activities was his journalistic work. Like few other intellectuals of the old West Germany, Picht was prominently present in the media. He was covered by the media and positioned himself in the media. Picht was capable of using the public attention he had created to portray himself as an idea provider on the one hand and as a competent organiser on the other hand. His media presence was not purely calculated and strategic, however. It was also a form of adaptation and shaped the character of the newly developing archetype of the media intellectual. Using Picht and his journalistic activities as an example, the article shows how intellectuals adapted to the media logic of the second half of the 20th century and were ready to let themselves be taken in by its production mechanisms.