The Declining Image of the German Political Elite

The decline of the image of the political elite in Germany since the 1960s is related to the press coverage of German politicians. It has been argued that (1) the image of the political elite has declined because (2) the press coverage has become increasingly negative, and (3) politicians are the main source of negative statements about other politicians because (4) they get the most publicity if they attack other politicians. Press coverage, however, is not regarded as the only cause of the behavior of politicians and the opinions of the population, but rather as an indicator of general trends in the media coverage.