Online echoes: the Tagesschau in Einfacher Sprache

The Tagesschau – a short summary of the daily news stories – is an important part of the evening routine of many people in German-speaking countries. Since June 2024, the Tagesschau is now also available in Einfacher Sprache, simplified language. The launch last year did not go without public comment. On the contrary: there was controversial discussion on numerous social media channels shortly after the launch. We wanted to find out: which topics are in focus and what do people think about the new format?

Willkommen zur Tagesschau in Einfacher Sprache…

At a first glance, the Tagesschau in Einfacher Sprache does not look any different to the conventional version: the preview image does not give us any clues. However, the differences become apparent very quickly: the simplified edition is spoken more slowly, contains many long pauses, and the amount of headlines is reduced. The content is simplified and characterised by short sentences. In general, it becomes clear that on many other linguistic levels, this format is not the conventional one we are used to.

Why is the Tagesschau broadcasting a simplified edition?

In its press release dated 12 June 2024, the Tagesschau explains why it has opted for a news format in simplified language. It states: “Around 17 million adults in Germany have problems understanding complex texts. So that they too can find out about current topics, the Tagesschau is now broadcasting TV news in simple language.” The editorial team names specific target groups: “German learners, people who have not had the opportunity of having a good education, people with hearing, reading or learning difficulties as well as people with an illness, such as a stroke, and those who just want to stay informed after a hard day’s work”. The public broadcaster’s motivation with regard to accessibility, inclusion and participation in information is recognisable in the press release. With this format, the Tagesschau is also complying with the German Interstate Media Treaty (Medienstaatsvertrag), which stipulates in Section 30 that public broadcasters should provide accessible telemedia.

Nevertheless, the Tagesschau has been criticised in various ways for its format. The discourse surrounding the Tagesschau in simplified language and initial reactions can be seen in comments on the social media platform Reddit, which were posted after the release in June 2024.

Reddit as a source for data

Reddit is an online forum where users can post content such as text or links. The platform is divided into so-called ‘subreddits’, which represent thematic communities. Users can publish their own posts in these subreddits to discuss specific interests, topics or hobbies or to rate content.

User comments – such as those on Reddit – offer valuable insights into how media formats are embraced (or not) by the public. Such discussions can be particularly informative for journalistic practice.

For our study, we used the Reddit API to collect comments under seven posts on the topic of ‘Tagesschau in Einfacher Sprache’ that were posted on the internet forum. The seven posts originate from six different subreddits, which, for example, focus on the German language or feature discussions with a satirical background or political content.

We found a total of 528 comments, 22 of which have already been deleted from the platform. Our data set therefore comprises 506 comments. With the exception of one post, which was only published in February 2025, the posts were published in June 2024.

All collected posts are publicly accessible, even without a Reddit account. In addition to German-language comments, there were also many English-language comments. We assume that these are mainly from people with German as a second language (DaZ) – one of the target groups that Tagesschau wants to address with the simplified format.

Insights into the discourse

The initial reading of the comments was followed by an open annotation phase in which we analysed the raw data. We then categorised the contributions into different thematic focal points that frequently appeared in the comments. In a final step, we analysed and discussed recurring discourse patterns. In this blog post, we provide exemplary insights into key aspects of the discussions. The selection represents a condensed summary of our observations. For the analysis, we deliberately left the quoted comments in their raw version and did not change their spelling. For comments originally in German, we include both the original and an English translation. Six topics in particular came up repeatedly in connection with the Tagesschau in simplified language:

1. The (size of the) target groups: “17 Millionen, bitte was 😭” (“17 million, sorry what 😭”)

In the Reddit comments, users in both English- and German-language comments reacted with surprise to the high target group figure in the Tagesschau press release: ‘Insane numbers’. The statement that 17 million adults in Germany have problems understanding complex texts seems to shock the commentators: “17 million people cannot comprehend complex sentences. Very alarming for culture and education.”

As the press release links to the LEO study (2018) but does not elaborate on it for people unfamiliar with it, reactions of this kind are not surprising. The cited LEO study essentially examines the reading and writing skills of the study participants. However, the Tagesschau offers an audiovisual format that primarily addresses viewers’ listening comprehension. The reference to the figures from the LEO study as an argument in favour of the relevance of audiovisual news formats in simplified language therefore raises questions. The following comment, for example, calls for the figures to be reviewed and categorised: “Können wir auf die 17 Mill. Erwachsenen noch mal einen Fakecheck machen? Wie kommen die auf diese hohe Zahl? […]” “Can we do another fake check on the 17 million adults? Where did they get this high figure from? […]”

2. Inclusion and integration: “Hier geht es um Inklusion.” ‘It’s about inclusion.’

Supporters of the simplified news programme frequently referred to the topics of inclusion and integration in their comments. Users often mentioned the opportunities that simplified news offers in terms of accessibility and participation in information: “[…] Die Vereinfachung dient der Barrierefreiheit und nicht der Herabsetzung. Das Ziel ist, eine breite gesellschaftliche Inklusion zu erreichen. […]” “[…] Simplification serves accessibility and not degradation. The aim is to achieve broad social inclusion. […]”

However, not all users share convictions such as these and even reject the participation of certain groups. For example, people from the target group are denied the right to co-determination: “Ich will nicht, dass Menschen die auf diese Art von “Nachrichten” angewiesen sind, an Entscheidungsprozessen teilnehmen.” “I don’t want people who are dependent on this type of “news” to participate in decision-making processes.”

The comments show that the discussions about the new format go beyond mere linguistic criticism. Some of them touch on fundamental convictions about participation and democracy and are often political at their core.

3. Complexity and simplicity: “Deutsche suhlen sich doch all zu gern in komplexer Grammatik” “Germans just love to wallow in complex grammar”

Different views are also evident in the area of complexity and simplicity. These deal in particular with the topic of comprehensibility of language. Users, for example, cite the so-called ‘official language’ (‘Behördensprache’) as an example of complex language that should be reconsidered: “Als nächstes bitte grundsätzlich mal bei allen Behörden und sonstigen Ämtern schauen, ob man dort etwas vereinfachen kann. […]” “Next, please take a look at all authorities and other public offices to see if something can be simplified there. […]”

In addition to positive opinions, however, there are also neutral or negative comments. It is noted here that linguistic simplification often goes hand in hand with a loss of precision: “Irgendwo sind halt komplexe Zusammenhänge nicht in einfacher Sprache auszudrücken ohne Genauigkeit zu verlieren. Und Behörden müssen genau arbeiten.” “In some contexts complex concepts cannot be expressed in simple language without losing precision. And authorities have to work precisely.”

4. Scenarios of decline: “Deutschland schafft sich ab.” “Germany is abolishing itself.”

Comments outlining scenarios of social or linguistic decline frequently appear in the discourse surrounding the Tagesschau in simplified language. The simplification of language is interpreted as a symptom of a general decline: “Hin und wieder gucke ich ja auch noch die Tagesschau […]. Nicht ein einziges Mal kam mir der Gedanke, dass da etwas zu komplex ist […]. Aber so scheint sich die Gesellschaft ja zu entwickeln… ‘Vor Verzehr Folie entfernen.’” “Every now and then I watch the Tagesschau […]. Not once did it occur to me that something was too complex […]. But that’s how society seems to be developing… ‘Remove foil before consumption.’”

Advocates of simplified language rarely use these doomsday narratives. If they do mention these scenarios of decline, they tend to relativise it or take a clear counter-position. For example, in the following comment: “[…] Wir gehen hier, stark verspätet, große Schritte Richtung Inklusion. Wer hier mit Häme kommt und vom großen Bildungsverfall spricht, sollte sich möglicherweise selbst bilden.” “[…] We are taking big steps towards inclusion here, and it’s about time too. Anyone who comes here with malice and talks about the great decline in education should perhaps educate themselves.”

The scenarios of decline in the Reddit comments often refer to aspects of education or intelligence – in some cases, the two areas are mixed together. One polemical comment, for example, reads: “Wenn die Bildung im Land so im Arsch ist dass die Leute zu dumm für die Tagesschau sind. Alter…” “When this country’s education is so fucked up that people are too stupid to watch the news. Bro…”

5. Intelligence and education: “Krass wie es um unsere Bildung steht” “The state of our education, damn”

Statements that touch on intelligence or education are also used to devalue opponents of the discourse: “Ist halt nicht jeder so eine Intelligenzbestie wie du” “Well not everyone is a genius like you” or to compliment oneself: “Manchmal denke ich, dass ich einfach zu schlau für diese Welt bin…” “Sometimes I think I’m just too smart for this world…”. Accusing people of belonging to the target group is used as an insult: “Hast dich unironisch selbst als potenzieller Consumer vom neuen Format geouted, not bad lol.” “You unironically outed yourself as a potential consumer of the new format, not bad lol.”

Insults in the context of simplified language often follow a similar pattern: a person is categorised as unintelligent or uneducated and, as a result, defined as a user of simplified language. This principle of devaluation is not only used by critics of the format, but also by supporters. In some cases, it can also be found in the form of political exchanges: “Sehr schön. Dann verstehen vielleicht sogar durchschnittliche AFD-Wähler die Inhalte.” “Very nice. Then maybe even average AFD voters will understand the content.” or: “Haha damit die Grünen auch was verstehen” “Haha so that the Green party voters understand something too”. However, comments like these not only insult political opponents, but also the target group members of the simplified news format.

6. Childishness: “[…] Es ist eine Gratwanderung zwischen Einfacher Sprache und Kindersprache.” “[…] It’s a balancing act between simplified language and children’s language.”

In several comments, the format of the Tagesschau in simplified language is compared with characteristics of children’s television. Comments like these harbour a high potential for stigmatisation for the target groups addressed. Such attributions can be found among both supporters and opponents of plain language: “Klingt schon irgendwie wie pepa pig 😀 Aber grundsätzlich finde ich gut sowas….” “Kind of sounds like pepa pig 😀 But theoretically I think it’s a good idea…” Some also see the format directly as a children’s format: “ich finde das Projekt gut, wenn Politik und Weltgeschehen dadurch für Kinder leichter zugänglich werden.” “I think the project is good if it makes politics and world affairs more accessible for children.”

Some commentators cite specific reasons for this impression: “Für mich ist es vor allem diese Kind-ich-erklär-dir-das-mal Betonung der Moderatorin” “For me, it’s mainly this let-me-explain-this-to-you-my-child intonation of the presenter” or: “[…] Es wirkt, als würde der Addressat nicht ernstgenommen. Körpersprache, Intonation und Tonfall der Sprecherin wirken auf mich, unabhängig der Wortwahl, anders als in der Hauptausgabe […]” “[…]It seems as if the addressee is not being taken seriously. The speaker’s body language, intonation and tone of voice seem different to me than in the main edition, regardless of the choice of words […]” or: “Gleich im ersten Beitrag kommt die Formulierung “richtig schlimm heiß” vor, wo ich nicht weiß warum man das wertend rüberbringen muss und nicht einfach “sehr heiß” oder “noch heißer als sonst” sagt. […]” “The phrase ‘really awfully hot’ appears in the very first contribution, where I don’t know why it has to be said that way and not simply ‘very hot’ or ‘even hotter than usual’. […]”

Feedback like this provides important information for format development, as it reveals which aspects of speech or language are particularly off-putting and where adjustments could be made accordingly.

However, there are also opinions that do not share the aforementioned childishness associations: “Als Ausländer, liebe ich das. Ich wohne hier fast 10 Jahren und schaue taggesschau jeden Tag, aber oft genug verstehe ich nur 60-80% was die Nachrichten sagen. Es klingt nicht wie Fernseher für Kinder und ich fühle mich respektiert.” “As a foreigner, I love this. I’ve lived here for almost 10 years and watch taggesschau every day, but often enough I only understand 60-80% of what the news says. It doesn’t sound like TV for kids and I feel respected.”

Not if, but how

One year after the launch of the Tagesschau in simplified language, we analysed how the format was discussed on the Reddit platform. Six recurring topics stood out in our analysis: comments on the size and composition of the target groups, comments on inclusion and integration, comments on linguistic complexity and simplification, on scenarios of decline, comments on intelligence and education, and associations with childishness.

The Reddit comments analysed provide insights into the diversity of opinions expressed on the topic and the associated public negotiation processes. We see continuous ‘social listening’ (=digital listening) as an opportunity to further develop formats in plain and/or simple language to suit the target group.

As the target audience of the simplified news programme is very diverse, it is difficult to do justice to everyone equally. However, it can be assumed that linguistic reduction alone is not enough to produce a socially accepted simplified news format. It is the appropriate tonality and presentation as well as non-stigmatising language that contribute to the acceptance of accessible formats. It is definitely desirable that a format such as the Tagesschau in simplified language is perceived as something new. However, categorising it as ‘abnormal language’ fails to achieve inclusion goals: “I like it because I can test my vocabulary and grammar, but I know what you mean about not really being normal speech.”

Based on the Interstate Media Treaty, however, the question for public broadcasters is not ‘whether there should be simplified media formats’, but ‘how?’ The extent to which simplification conventions for written language texts can be appropriately transferred to audiovisual formats still needs to be researched.

We would like to thank Silvia Schmidt for her support in annotating the data. In line with the Reddit Public Content Policy we cannot publish the dataset.

Authors

Anne-Kathrin Berg works as a research assistant at the university of cologne and at Hochschule Darmstadt, University of Applied Sciences. She is working on her PhD on the subject of acceptance and rejection of public news in Einfache and Leichte Sprache.

Freya Hewett is an associated researcher in the AI & Society Lab at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. Her research is focused primarily on text complexity and simplification, and computational methods in this context.