According to her job, Tagesschau spokeswoman Judith Rakers is apolitical on social media. The current situation has changed that.
Hamburg – It is almost a political institution: Judith Rakers*. If so, then you could perhaps compare her work as a news anchor a bit with the office of Federal President. Like the German head of state, Rakers should not be inclined towards either side; the imperatives are impartiality, neutrality and independence. Because the Tagesschau, especially its daily main edition at 8 p.m., is an important public institution that wants to appeal to the entire population.
Tagesschau spokeswoman Rakers on the Ukraine war: “Madness has to stop”
But the Ukraine conflict has prompted Rakers to break this rule. The 46-year-old has expressed her sympathy for the people of Ukraine on social media. She wrote on Facebook and Instagram on Friday that she had “only bad news again in the morning shift” for the viewers.
She wanted to “clearly say that this is not easy for me. I too am touched by the news, the pictures, the fear of the people. The Desperate Fight for Survival of an Entire Nation”. Rakers concluded her post with clear words: “I’m now putting it as neutrally as I can: this madness has to stop.”
Tagesschau spokeswoman Judith Rakers: Break with the neutrality requirement
The opening sentences of her post make it clear how difficult this step must have been for Rakers. Actually, she doesn’t post anything political, emphasized the daily news spokeswoman. “Because we at the “Tagesschau” are required to remain NEUTRAL on all topics that we also report on in the news. Objectivity is a great asset and I think the claim of neutrality is right.” That is why she concentrates on social media “on the beautiful things in life, the small ones that make you happy”. But she couldn’t do that during the war.
Rakers has been a spokesperson for Tagesschau since 2005 and has read the 8pm main edition since 2008. In her work in front of the camera, she never shows whether the news she is reciting affects her. With her posts on social media, she has shown that calm is only on the outside. The users like their openness. The post has now been liked more than 43,000 times (as of March 6, 2 p.m.).
Rakers was already making headlines in the middle of last year. She confessed to BR that she once moderated a program on the Tagesschau when she was drunk. *tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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