Overview

• Media Tenor’s 100‑day review across 1,899 items counted 841 reports on Friedrich Merz, compared with 749 for Angela Merkel and 643 for Olaf Scholz at the same stage.
• Despite the high volume, only about 8% of early pieces cast Merz negatively, versus roughly 30% for Merkel after her first 100 days.
• Coverage of ministers varied widely, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at 149 reports, Development Minister Reem Alabali‑Radovan at nine, and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil at 242—outpacing recent vice‑chancellors.
• A newer Media Tenor update assessing roughly 1,200 reports since February finds portrayals of Merz have recently turned predominantly negative after a June uptick and now compare unfavorably with Scholz’s standing six months after 2021.
• Media Tenor attributes the AfD’s comparatively favorable recent treatment to poll‑driven “horse race” stories that spotlight gains more than declines, with policy content playing a lesser role.