The American Press and the Unification of Germany

Abstract

This media analysis compares four American print media's coverages of the unification of Germany, and was designed to test the relativity of the term objectivity in news reporting. The selected periodicals, the New York Times Magazine, Time Magazine, The Nation, and National Review, present a cross section of the political spectrum. Examining photographs, cartoons, headlines, charts, language, and contents, the analysis was structured to provide a model approach applicable to the classroom. The results illustrate in detail that both the specific features and ideological premises attributed to each of the periodicals and the problems involved with objective reporting led to various interpretations and biases. This study furthermore offers specific suggestions for a respective curriculum unit.