The conspiracy magazine ZEM & VEK. (source: SME)
Another retail chain will withdraw the conspiracy magazine Zem a Vek (Earth and Time) from its shops. Following the supermarkets run by Billa, it will now disappear from the shops run by Tesco, the Medialne.etrend.sk website reported.
“We agreed with the press distributor on stopping the sale of Zem a Vek from the next issue,” Tesco wrote in response to the comment by Peter Hajdin of the Komplot Advertising agency, who started the debate about retail chains selling the magazine back in June, along with blogger Jakub Goda, adding that the sale of the current issue started on August 31.
The retailer is ready to withdraw the next issue as soon as the publisher sends it to its distributor, Medialne.etrend.sk wrote.
Changing their mind
Hajdin wrote a message to Tesco at the beginning of summer. He wrote how surprised and concerned he was when he found Zem a Vek, known for spreading conspiracy theories, anti-Semitic opinions and ideas harmful and dangerous for society, in one of its shops.
“I consider it a very bad sign and wrong example from the side of such a big retailer like you,” Hajdin wrote, as quoted by Medialne.etrend.sk. “I’ll appreciate if you decide to withdraw similar media from sale. If not, I’ll go shopping elsewhere and will tell my friends about this.”
Tesco first responded that they are apolitical and that they realise that everybody has the right to freedom of speech.
However, Tesco changed its stance a few months later and decided to withdraw the magazine from sale, Medialne.etrend.sk reported.
Some retailers still sell the magazine
Hajdin said that he only wrote to Tesco, even though he realises that other retailers sell Zem a Vek.
“I know that other people spontaneously addressed other retailers in a similar way – probably you will find something in discussion under my original status,” Hajdin told Medialne.etrend.sk.
Tesco has not answered questions yet.
Currently, several retailers still sell the magazine, including Terno, Delia and Kaufland.
“Kaufland doesn’t support press censorship and restrictions to freedom of speech, so it currently doesn’t plan to withdraw the magazine from sale,” the company commented in summer, as quoted by Medialne.etrend.sk.
