Weak leadership and untrustworthy?

In the 2021 parliamentary election campaign Olaf Scholz triggered a significant shift in voter sentiment. At the beginning his poll ratings and those of the SPD were behind those of his rivals. Towards the end however he gained approval among the population. Scholz also appears to be experiencing a change in sentiment after taking office as Federal Chancellor. In some media reports he was clearly criticized. This is unfavorable for him because the population experiences politics primarily through the media.This study examines the media image of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his first year in office. It focuses in particular on the portrayal and assessment of Scholz in the two national daily newspapers: Bild-Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung.