Bauer Media Group, the publisher of In Touch and Life & Style, is facing intense scrutiny in the United States and Europe over revelations that it distributes pro-Nazi publications.
The Wrap uncovered the publications, which include Der Landser magazine — which tells WWII adventure stories from the perspective of Hitler's soldiers — and Nazi-themed porn, six months ago. They are published by subsidiary companies owned by Bauer.
Sharon Waxman and the Wiesenthal Center's Rabbi Marvin Hier joined HuffPost Live on Friday to discuss the controversy. "The problem with Bauer, Der Landser is that it tells a story, it glorifies the Third Reich because it makes its soldiers look like they were going on some kind of adventure and great things happened," Hier said.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has called on Amazon and iTunes to boycott Der Landser, and the German government to investigate the magazine. UK media analyst Bruce Fireman has also called on the British media regulatory agency to block the sale of a radio station to Bauer.
"On all of these counts," Waxman said, "I think it would make sense for Bauer Media to tell us what they're about and why they're publishing the magazine and why they've hidden it behind a couple of subsidiaries and just to have the conversation."
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