Comparing Local and International Coverage of President Obama's Inauguration

Power of People... German Coverage

Edited by Sally A. Cruikshank
Author: Stine Eckert

Capturing the moment, saving it for the next generation - this seemed to be the purpose of German newspapers on January, 21st.. But it was not Obama, foreign correspondent Matthias Rüb (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) was focusing on - it was the American people. He observed and described a moment, where people stood together, sharing a moment everyone was waiting for. The correspondent experienced a united America, where citizens, whether they were Black, Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian, looked up to and believed in the words of one man. Matthias Rüb witnessed a day, where the American people re-gained their pride, and he shared this day with the German people. Also the New York Times appreciated the sea of flags and red, white and blue between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. 'Beyond the politics of the occasion, the sight of a black man climbing the highest peak electrified people across racial, generational and partisan lines,' the paper wrote. And this new hope is needed, to solve all the current and upcoming problems. Two wars, an economic crisis, terrorism, lost jobs and health care are only a few challenges the newspaper lists.

Photo courtesy of CreativeSoulPhoto
"Capturing the moment, saving it for the next generation - this seemed to be the purpose of German newspapers on January, 21st.. But it was not Obama, foreign correspondent Matthias Rüb (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) was focusing on - it was the American people. He observed and described a moment, where people stood together, sharing a moment everyone was waiting for. The correspondent experienced a united America, where citizens, whether they were Black, Hispanic, Asian or Caucasian, looked up to and believed in the words of one man. Matthias Rüb witnessed a day, where the American people re-gained their pride, and he shared this day with the German people. Also the New York Times appreciated the sea of flags and red, white and blue between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol. 'Beyond the politics of the occasion, the sight of a black man climbing the highest peak electrified people across racial, generational and partisan lines,' the paper wrote. And this new hope is needed, to solve all the current and upcoming problems. Two wars, an economic crisis, terrorism, lost jobs and health care are only a few challenges the newspaper lists.

In contrast to that, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung focuses on the overall goals of Obama's politics: hope over fear, and unity over conflicts. Detailed challenges, or overall goals - The newspapers from the two continents seem to agree. There are problems to face in the next couple of months and years. But a President that has and values the support of the people is a step in the right direction.On January, 21st, German and U.S. newspapers had the same opinion. It was a glorious day, that was a result from the power of people." --Carolin Biebrach"On both sides of the Atlantic, journalists tried to get an overall feel for Obama’s tone during his inaugural speech; German and US journalists covered the event rather homogeneously.German foreign correspondent Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington who was reporting for one of the major political publications in German, weekly Spiegel magazine, dubbed Obama the 'new national chief psychologist' for his motivational spirit; CNN gave Obama a thumbs up for 'the right speech for the times.' Whereas the Spiegel article was titled 'Obama proclaims his American dream,' the analysis of his inaugural speech by Nancy Gibbs of Time magazine was more specific and somber: 'Humility, Gratitude, Sacrifice.' She concluded her story taking the perspective of the audience who looked up at 'a man in the very far distance accept[ing] the full weight of their hopes.'

Hope over fear was just one topic that German and U.S. journalists addressed. Both also emphasized Obama’s willingness to face what ails the United States openly, his call for duty and sacrifice. Another German foreign correspondent Oskar Piegsa of weekly newspaper Zeit, another major political publication in Germany, gave examples of people in tears due to the historical meaning of the moment, pointing out Obama’s background. A theme that came up with every U.S. media I read. Piesga also likened the event to public viewing for a major soccer game with everyone on the same page, booing Bush and obsessing about Obama, a big game easy enough to play for everyone. Interestingly, the Spiegel article reported about Obama’s emphasis on a new and more appreciated position for science and his mentioning of wind and solar energy whereas environmental issues where absent in the U.S. coverage I followed on NPR, CNN, and Time.

The mirroring of topics was reflected in a number of same quotes: In their assessment of Obama’s inaugural speech, Spiegel as well as CNN referenced John F. Kennedy in 1961: 'Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.' Both publications quoted the America-as-a-friend line, his acknowledgment of a nation not only at war, and in an economic crisis but also the 'nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable and that the next generation must lower its sights.' In this transatlantic homogeneous mixture of hope and fear only one sentence struck me more than the rest, provided by Nancy Gibbs of Time Magazine: "You could almost pity the pundits as they groped for extravagant new ways to say what didn't need to be said in the first place.