How much money does the state government spend on photographers? - Rhineland-Palatinate's €100,000 photography news budget sparks debate over spending priorities
The state government of Rhineland-Palatinate spent over €100,000 on photography news last year. This figure remains roughly the same as the previous year, with total expenditures staying near €101,000. However, some ministries saw significant increases in their individual spending on news and promotional materials.
The State Chancellery accounted for the largest portion of the costs, spending more than €56,300. This marked a rise of about €4,000 compared to the year before.
The Ministry of Education nearly doubled its photography news budget, jumping from around €7,000 to over €13,300. Officials explained the increase by pointing to new projects like the 'School of the Future' initiative, the 'Become an Educator in Rhineland-Palatinate' campaign, and photographer fees tied to a new digital strategy.
Criticism followed the spending. AfD faction leader Jan Bollinger accused the traffic-light coalition of wasting money on glossy self-promotion instead of focusing on fiscal responsibility.
While the state's overall photography news budget stayed stable, detailed comparisons with other German states remain unclear. Public data on specific photography news expenditures across Bundesländer is rarely broken down, often grouped under broader budget categories like 'services' or 'communications' in financial reports.
The Chancellery and Education Ministry led the spending, with the latter justifying costs through new projects. The total expenditure stayed consistent at around €101,000 for the second year in a row. No further breakdowns or state-by-state comparisons for photography news budgets have been made publicly available.
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