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Broadcasters / ARD (WDR) / Ard Monitor

ARD (WDR)

Ard Monitor

Format

Political magazine / investigative

Length

30 min

Timeslot

Thursday 21:45 (Monitor)

Exposé length

1–2 pages

Editorial tone

Hard-hitting research, occasionally satirical edge. Monitor doesn't pull punches. Investigative down to the detail, with clear editorial stance. Abuses not just named but documented with evidence. Sometimes unexpectedly pointed — the desk doesn't shy from ironic framing.

What this format covers

  • ●Corruption and lobbying in politics and business
  • ●Domestic policy failures and structural problems
  • ●Corporate scandals and corporate power
  • ●Technology, data protection, surveillance
  • ●Social inequality and labour market policy
  • ●Environmental policy and industrial interests
  • ●Democracy and rule of law

What this format does NOT want

  • ●Soft reportage or portraits
  • ●Entertainment formats
  • ●Natural history documentaries
  • ●Historical documentaries without contemporary political relevance
  • ●Topics without investigative core
  • ●Pure foreign reporting without domestic policy angle

Visual expectations

Magazine aesthetic with investigative character: soundbites, documents, graphics, confrontational interviews. Undercover research where needed. Satirical elements can be supported graphically or through editing. Clarity and evidentiary weight over visual opulence.

Expected exposé structure

  1. Working title (pointed, sharp)
  2. Thesis / central revelation in 2–3 sentences
  3. Research findings and evidence base
  4. Protagonists / affected parties / responsible parties
  5. Planned confrontations and soundbites
  6. Author, contact

Example productions

  • Monitor: Die Macht der Algorithmen
  • Monitor: Steuervermeidung — Wie Konzerne den Staat betruegen
  • Monitor: Pflegebetrug — Milliarden fuer Phantompatienten
  • Monitor: Klimapolitik — Versprechen und Wirklichkeit

Editorial notes

In-house production by the Redaktion, external contributions only by prior arrangement/commission. Monitor (since 1965) is one of the most high-profile ARD political magazines. Programme consists of multiple segments per episode (approx. 8–12 minutes each). Strong focus on domestic policy, business, and technology. External journalists can pitch topics, but research and production typically remain with the Redaktion.

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