[Rezension] Alexander Teske - Inside Tagesschau - Blinde Flecken
Alexander Teske is a German journalist who worked in the planning department of Tagesschau in Hamburg-Lockstedt for six years until the end of 2023. Prior to that Teske worked for fifteen years at MDR in Leipzig and five years at ProSieben, Sat.1, and RTL. With his book "Inside Tagesschau" Teske provides previously unknown insights into public broadcasting.
Rents and living Costs
While housing shortages and high rents are a very tangible problem throughout Germany the Tagesschau has long neglected this issue. Teske attributes this among other things to the high incomes and high standard of living of journalists. Accordingly the Tagesschau lacks not only reporting on excessive rents but also on the overall high cost of living.
Auch die Verzweiflung über wenige bezahlbare Wohnungen hat es spät und unzureichend auf die Themenliste geschafft. Denn festangestellte Tagesschau-Redakteure leben häufig in der eigenen Immobilie. Zuwanderung sehen sie auch deswegen mit anderen Augen, weil sie weniger damit in Berührung kommen. In ihren Wohnvierteln und an ihrem Arbeitsplatz begegnen sie selten Migranten. Auch das Gendern ist vielen Redakteuren ein Herzensanliegen – die Mehrheit ihrer Zuschauer lehnt es ab. Die Berichterstattung über Gaspreisbremse und Tankrabatt hat selten erwähnt, dass alle Einkommensschichten davon profitieren, auch die, die es nicht nötig haben. Die Gutverdiener profitieren sogar überproportional, da sie in größeren Wohnungen wohnen und größere Autos fahren.
Despair over the lack of affordable housing also made it onto the list of topics late and inadequately. Permanent Tagesschau editors often live in their own homes. They view immigration differently because they have less contact with it. They rarely encounter migrants in their neighborhoods and at work. Gendering is also a matter close to the hearts of many editors – but the majority of their viewers reject it. Reporting on gas price caps and fuel discounts rarely mentioned that all income groups benefit from them even those who don't need them. High earners even benefit disproportionately because they live in larger apartments and drive larger cars. [1, p.47]
East Germany
As a native of Saxony Teske criticizes the Tagesschau for its lack of coverage of the still-existing differences between East and West Germany such as the appointment of the Federal Commissioner for the Victims of the SED Dictatorship. Teske sees one reason for this in the small number of editors with East German backgrounds. He notes that only about 10 out of 300 employees have East German backgrounds rather than 50 out of 300 as should be and the only chief anchor for the Tagesschau with a East German background can be named with Jens Riewa.
Teske also criticizes the lack of understanding for the mood in East Germany. For example East German presenter Rommy Arndt received criticism after speaking out against the delivery of tanks to Ukraine. While transatlantic or pro-Western perspectives are the norm pro-Eastern or generally other perspectives remain the exception if at all. [1, p.138-156]
Migration
Although the mood among the population has changed since the increased migration in 2015 public broadcasters insist on their supportive stance and favorable assessment from 2015. And Teske criticizes the fact that the topic of migration is either not reported at all or is reported disproportionately. On the one hand the Tagesschau has repeatedly not reported barely reported or reported late on murders committed by asylum seekers in the course of migration since 2015 such as the murder of Maria L. in Freiburg in Breisgau in October 2016, the murder of Mia V. in Kandel in December 2017 or the fatal brawl in Köthen in September 2018.
Teske describes how the Tagesschau editorial team repeatedly decides against such cases claiming they are either only of local importance or would happen just as easily with German citizens as the perpetrators. And when the Tagesschau reports on such cases the accusation of Islamophobia is in the foreground as in the attack on Michael Stürzenberger of the citizens' movement Pax Europa (Bürgerbewegung Pax Europa/BPE) in Mannheim in May 2024. [1, p.195-205]
[Review] Alexander Teske - Inside Tagesschau - How Decisions are made
[Review] Alexander Teske - Inside Tagesschau - Moralizing instead of Reporting 2025-09-15
Src:
[1] Alexander Teske - Inside Tagesschau- ISBN 978-3-784437316
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