Die Zeit · März 2026

• neutral reporting of actions and statements
• critical framing in opinion pieces
• use of distancing verbs in some headlines
• occasional sympathetic or ironic framing

The bundle includes a mix of neutral news reporting (e.g., #1, #3, #11) and opinion pieces that are critical (#6, #8) or ironic (#19). The outlet's own stance is not consistently positive or negative; it varies by article type. Headline #6 ('Der Appetit auf Appeasement ist ihm vergangen') and #8 ('Sie begehen politischen Kreditbetrug, Herr Merz!') are clearly critical, while #19 ('fast schon ein Feminist') is ironic but not hostile. Overall, the editorial stance toward Merz is balanced, with no clear pattern of favour or hostility.

• reports actions without evaluative framing
• uses neutral attribution for statements
• occasional critical framing of political strategy
• mixed coverage includes both positive and negative angles

The entity is a country (DE), not a person; coverage is mostly factual reporting on German politics and policy. Headline 19 ('Der Erfolg des Parteichefs ist ein Problem für den Kanzler') shows critical analysis of internal dynamics, but not hostility toward Germany itself. Headline 1 quotes Spain criticizing Merz, which is a third-party stance, not the outlet's. Overall stance toward the country is neutral.

• reports EU actions and decisions factually
• covers internal conflicts without taking sides
• uses neutral institutional language
• includes critical voices but does not endorse them

Coverage is predominantly factual and institutional, with no consistent evaluative language toward the EU as an entity. Headlines 2 and 13 report frustration with Orbán, but that reflects the outlet's reporting of conflict, not a stance against the EU itself. Headline 18 uses a mildly ironic tone toward von der Leyen, but it is a single outlier and not directed at the EU as a whole.

• uses neutral factual language for military actions
• frames Iran as actor in conflict (attacks, confirms, wants revenge)
• occasional use of 'Regime' label for government
• reports both Iranian and international perspectives

Coverage is predominantly factual reporting of war events; 'Regime im Iran' (headline 19) introduces slight distancing but not consistently hostile. Entity is a country, not a person, so stance is measured toward the state; no strong positive or negative editorial voice detected.

• foregrounds conflicts and controversies involving the US
• uses neutral or factual framing for US actions, but selects negative topics
• quotes US officials with distance or in adversarial contexts
• highlights US government failures and internal dissent

The outlet does not use overtly hostile language toward the US as a country; many headlines are factual reports of US government actions or internal affairs. However, the selection heavily emphasizes conflicts, scandals, and criticisms (e.g., lawsuits, right-wing extremism, Epstein files, Tesla safety doubts), creating a skeptical overall framing. The entity is 'US' as a country, not a specific administration, so some headlines about Trump's policies are critical of the administration rather than the nation itself.

• portrays Trump as aggressive and confrontational
• uses distancing and evaluative language ('droht', 'kritisiert', 'leidet an der Siegeskrankheit')
• frames Trump's actions as problematic or contradictory
• highlights opposition to Trump from other leaders

Some headlines report Trump's statements neutrally, but the overall editorial selection and framing are consistently critical, with evaluative headlines like 'Der rechte Aufstand gegen Trump' and 'Der Kriegspräsident, der nicht von Krieg sprechen will' indicating a skeptical stance.