Germany: A German Approach to Balance and Complexity

This article [1 [1] This research was carried out under the guidance of Prof. Peter Ludes, Jacobs University Bremen. Cf. Kramer and Ludes, Networks of Culture. We thank them for their generous support. ] interprets the 2008 German media coverage of the Olympic torch relay as a media hype and delivers an in-depth report on different media types (print, TV broadcast and Internet portals) covering this event. The torch relay reports are examined in four different settings – Olympia/Greece, London, Paris and Mount Everest – revealing a struggle between harmonious and conflict-ridden images. A difference in the directionality of reporting is identified, comparing the media coverage of the Olympic torch relay with the subsequent earthquake in Sichuan, China, in May 2008. Furthermore, suggestions for future analysis of the coverage's moderate bias towards protest groups are provided. The article concludes with general remarks about the German media.