Divorse of German Democratic Republic, as reported by journalist Julia Ruhs, sparks debate
In the world of German television, a new debate show has been making waves - "Klar", produced by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) and Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR). The show, which aims to address controversial societal issues and present different perspectives, has been broadcast on classic television, Tagesschau24, and is available in the ARD media library, as well as on YouTube.
The show's first episode, about asylum policy in Germany, has been viewed over 550,000 times on YouTube and received over 130,000 clicks in the ARD media library. The second episode, about problems in agriculture, has been viewed over 250,000 times on YouTube and received around 30,000 media library clicks. The third episode, about the societal consequences of the Corona crisis, has been viewed nearly 50,000 times on YouTube and received approximately 14,500 media library clicks.
However, the show has not been without controversy. The pilot episode caused a stir and was criticized by some as right-wing populist nonsense. This criticism has continued, with politicians such as Jens Spahn, the leader of the Union faction, describing NDR's decision to part ways with Julia Ruhs, the original host of "Klar", as "very problematic." Daniel Günther, the Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein, also spoke of an "extremely bad signal" regarding Ruhs' dismissal.
Markus Söder, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, wrote on the platform X that Ruhs' dismissal sends "no good signal for freedom of opinion, pluralism, and tolerance in the public NDR." Ruhs herself has reacted critically to NDR's decision, stating that the format has won back a lost audience for the public broadcasting service.
Despite the controversy, NDR and BR aim to continue the format "Klar" in the coming year and expand it with more episodes featuring several moderators and thus several perspectives. The future moderator of the show will be journalist Tanit Koch starting in 2026, with Julia Ruhs continuing only for episodes produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Julia Ruhs is a journalist at the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation who also writes a column for "Focus Online" and is often described as a new conservative voice. Thilo Mischke was originally set to become the new co-moderator of "ttt" in February of this year, but allegations surfaced, including those of sexism, relating to his past. As a result, ARD backtracked on their decision to hire Mischke, and he subsequently criticized ARD sharply.
In a representative online study, 63% of respondents gave the show a grade of 1 or 2, indicating high acceptance rates. Despite the controversy, it seems that "Klar" has found an audience willing to engage with its challenging and sometimes contentious topics. The future of the show remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - it will continue to spark debate and provoke thought among viewers.
