Der Tagesspiegel media bias and reliability
Ad Fontes Media places Der Tagesspiegel in the centre. We have seen it on 24 published stories of ours.
The short answers
Is Der Tagesspiegel biased?
Ad Fontes Media places Der Tagesspiegel in the centre. An outlet rating describes a broad pattern in its output, not every article it publishes.
Is Der Tagesspiegel left or right?
Ad Fontes Media places Der Tagesspiegel in the centre. In the three-way grouping used on story pages, that puts it under Centre.
Is Der Tagesspiegel reliable?
The factual-reliability assessments we hold for Der Tagesspiegel are Ad Fontes Media: High factuality. These are outlet-level assessments, not a guarantee that every report is correct.
What Der Tagesspiegel has been covering
Our account of each story, written from every outlet that ran it, with Der Tagesspiegel’s own report linked underneath.
RTL Deutschland and Sky plan to eliminate approximately 500 jobs by the end of 2027, following RTL Group's acquisition of Sky Deutschland. The majority of these cuts are anticipated in 2026, as the companies aim to achieve significant annual synergies.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asAfter the Merger of Both Stations: RTL Deutschland and Sky Cancel About 500 Jobs (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz campaigned for the Berlin CDU alongside candidate Stefan Evers. He addressed approximately 150 party members at the CDU headquarters, speaking about federal politics and praising Evers. The event was held behind closed doors.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asA Top Candidate Against Will: Stefan Evers to Save the CDU – in Berlin and in the Federal Government (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs or halt trade with the European Union if Canada is granted associate membership. He described the prospect as 'laughable' and a 'hostile act', while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed a desire for Canada to be the bloc's first associate member.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asBecause of "Ridiculous Rapprochement with Canada: Trump Threatens EU with "Very High Tariffs" or Trade Stop (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz campaigned for the Berlin CDU alongside candidate Stefan Evers. He addressed approximately 150 party members at the CDU headquarters, speaking about federal politics and praising Evers. The event was held behind closed doors.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"Together with the Federal Chancellor: CDU Prime Ministers Stand Behind Merz (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
A Russian drone struck a train near the Ukrainian-Polish border. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European officials had travelled on a train that passed through the area shortly before the attack, according to reports. Poland's Prime Minister warned of intensified Russian attacks.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asOnly 800 Meters From the EU and NATO State: Russia Attacks Ukraine Near the Polish Border (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that events in Europe, including the AfD's success in a German state election, stem from "system errors" by Western globalists. He also reiterated his view that the West's actions caused the conflict in Ukraine.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"Systemic Mistakes: Putin Blames "Western Globalists" for AfD Election Victory in Saxony-Anhalt (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
German investigators have identified two suspects in the attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, with at least one allegedly linked to Russia's GRU military intelligence. The drone, found near Ukrainian cargo aircraft, was laden with explosives.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asDrone Incident in Leipzig: Investigations Seem to Lead Directly to the Russian Military Intelligence Service GRU (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The talks occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a potential ceasefire, while Russian missiles struck airports near Kyiv.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asMeeting of Putin, Witkoff and Kushner: Kremlin Talks About "Constructive" Talks in Moscow (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to use maps that more accurately represent the true relative sizes of countries and continents. The move, driven by African nations, seeks to correct distortions caused by the centuries-old Mercator projection.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asGreater and More Precise Representation of Africa: UN Vote by a Large Majority for Reform of the World Map – only USA Opposes It (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
A hacker group known as Rhysida has published millions of files stolen from Berlin's city government on the dark web. The group had demanded a ransom of 30 bitcoins, approximately €2 million, which Berlin authorities refused to pay.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"This Testifies to a Certain Helplessness: Harsh Criticism of the Senate's Handling of the Hacker Attack (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Donald Trump announced he would ask European countries to repay the US for military aid and ammunition sent to Ukraine. He also indicated a temporary suspension of ammunition sales to allied nations, citing concerns over US stockpiles.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"We Will Demand This Money: Trump Calls for Europe to Repay Ukraine's Military Aid (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov at a G20 summit in North Carolina. They discussed Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine. Siluanov's attendance prompted objections from European governments, and he did not appear in a group photo.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asDiplomatic Eclat: At US Invitation: Russian Finance Minister at G20 Meeting (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Russia's Foreign Ministry has warned the UK of 'catastrophic consequences' and potential attacks on British military targets in retaliation for supplying arms to Ukraine. The Kremlin also denied reports of plans to attack NATO countries, while the CIA director visited Moscow.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asCarlo Masala on the CIA Chief's Moscow Trip: "This Visit Is so High-Ranking that We Should Take the Situation seriously." (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was reportedly in Moscow for meetings, according to US media. The Kremlin stated no talks with US envoys were scheduled for that week. A US military aircraft flew from Riga to Moscow.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asUS Military Plane on Flight to Moscow: CIA Chief Apparently Travelled to Russia (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
The United States announced it would impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian products, effective early Saturday. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated Canada declined to finalize a trade deal on previously agreed terms, leading to the tariffs.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asTrade Dispute Escalated with the US: "Canada Would Probably Rather Have Decided to End with horror." (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Former footballer Thorsten Legat has criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz, stating he is ashamed to be German and fears the rise of the AfD. Legat also announced his departure from reality television.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asInterview: Reality Star Thorsten Legat Shares Against Friedrich Merz (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
German authorities discovered a weapons cache containing two firearms in a forest near Berlin. Internal intelligence suspects Russian secret services are behind the depot, and a suspect was arrested in Romania.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asRussian Attack Plans Suspected: Investigators Apparently Discovered Weapons Depot on the Edge of Berlin (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Ghent University suspended Nathan Cofnas, a researcher who accused the late Cambridge professor Jason Arday of plagiarism, after opening a disciplinary inquiry. Cofnas, who describes himself as a 'race realist', was previously dismissed from Cambridge in 2024. Arday died in mid-August amid the allegations.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it asAfter the Death of Jason Arday: University of Ghent Suspends Plagiarism Critic Nathan Cofnas (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Russians withdrew nearly $3.4 billion from banks in the first two weeks of August 2026, following $11.8 billion in June and July. The outflows, driven by fears of Kremlin asset seizures to fund the war in Ukraine, have strained Russian banks and raised concerns over the country’s ability to finance its military spending.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"Nervousness Grows: Russians Raise Billions of Banks Out of Fear of State Confiscation (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Berlin’s Senate Chancellery reported a hacker attack on the city’s Landesnetz on 17 August 2026. Two administrations were taken offline on 14 August as a precaution. Authorities have not confirmed whether data was stolen or how long operations will be disrupted.
Der Tagesspiegel reported it as"We Are Practically Incapacitated: Hacker Attack on Berlin Senate Administrations (opens Der Tagesspiegel in a new tab)
Who says so
One organisation has published a rating for this outlet. Where they disagree, the disagreement is the useful part and it is left standing.
- Ad Fontes MediacenterCheck it
How reliably it reports fact
A rating of the newsroom in general, by others, and a different thing from the Trust score we publish on each story, which judges one piece of reporting.
High factuality
- Ad Fontes MediahighCheck it
Who owns it
- Dieter von HoltzbrinckBillionairedirect owner
Where it publishes from
- Publishes from
- Berlin, Germany
- Official site
- tagesspiegel.de
- Seen publishing on
- tagesspiegel.de
- Access
- Free to read
- Wikipedia
- Entry
What we have seen ourselves
Counted across the stories this site has published, which is the only denominator a reader can check: every one of them has a page, and every page lists the reports it was written from.
- Stories
- 24
- Reports listed
- 25
- We could read
- 5
- First seen
- 4 August 2026
20 of those reports were paywalled or blocked to us. Our reading of this outlet is built on the 5 we could open, not on everything it published.
A blindspot is measured against one side of the spectrum. Der Tagesspiegel is rated centre, so there is no side for it to be counted against and we publish no figure here.
Across the 24 stories of ours where at least three of the reports we listed carried a time, another outlet was always ahead of Der Tagesspiegel: its report arrived a median of 26 hours after the earliest one we logged.
Measured 19 September 2026. Last seen in a coverage list 19 September 2026. Ratings pulled 4 September 2026.
Other outlets rated the same way
Publishers carrying the same published leaning as Der Tagesspiegel, also publishing from Germany, ordered by how often we have seen them on a story. Sharing a rating is not the same as being alike.
Think this page is wrong?
The leanings above are published by AllSides, Ad Fontes Media and Media Bias/Fact Check, and we republish them rather than make them. If you think one is misapplied, the strongest place to say so is with the organisation that made it, and every verdict here links to their page.
What we are responsible for is everything else: the ownership chain, where Der Tagesspiegel publishes from, which of our stories we have listed it on, and whether we have the right publisher at all. Tell us what is wrong and an editor reads it.
Report something wrong on this page
Anything we correct is written up in the public corrections log. We do not publish reader votes as a rating, because an unattributed rating is the thing this site exists to argue against.
Every rating on this page is a named third party’s published work, republished with its author and, where one exists, a link to it. Our own coverage record is the section we measure ourselves. Neither is a judgement of any individual report: those are scored story by story, and the reasoning is on our methodology page.