With a flood of U.S. election-related reporting all over the world, it's not often that particular pieces stand out from the mainstream. But, for German-speakers, it's worth a look at this post "Obama Wins?' from the weblog of Handelsblatt, the leading German business newspaper. While not the most brilliant example of European coverage of the American election, it does try to point out a difference between German and British/American election reporting.
Blog author Georg Watzlawek suggests that in German journalism there are "(at least) two taboos' – endorsing political candidates and predicting election winners before the results are final. He says that by endorsing Barack Obama, the Financial Times has compromised its journalistic independence. It seems, however, that when it comes to his own German blog, all rules are out the window as Watzlawek does indeed endorse Obama.
Research contributed by Transatlantic Media Network intern Cecily Boggs
