While on Friday, /5 February, FAZ still speaks on page 1 of "Suspicion of tax evasion
against Klaus Zumwinkel", Bild's headline reads: "One million in taxes evaded!" and "The
height of hypocrisy" on page 2. The entire German-speaking coverage is characterized by the
"tax raid" against Klaus Zumwinkel the previous day. The Zumwinkel case is also already
considered prelude to a series of additional searches ("Secret accounts may be exposed: Only
the prelude for a whole series of searches", Handelsblatt, 1) and as a case study for tax
evasion. Background information on how the secret data was obtained is only discussed at the
margins. There are initial political reactions.
Over the course of Friday, 15 February, the Principality of Liechtenstein enters the media
agenda and, hour-by-hour, comes more and more into the focus of online reporting and
TV/radio coverage.
This is also taken up by the print media on Saturday, /6 February ("This is why everyone
hides their money in Liechtenstein", Bild, 3). At the same time, more and more information
on the scope of the investigations becomes public via the media. According to FAZ on
Saturday, 16 February, Minister of Finance Peer Steinbrück recommends "turning oneself in"
(page 1). A headline in Handelsblatt Online cites an investigating officer with the world:
"Next week the furore will continue."
More background on LGT and the "acquisition of data" is now provided. The afternoon
headline of SPIEGEL Online reads: "BND paid five million for secret tax data."
In general, the focus of the reports is no longer on the Zumwinkel case, but rather on the topic
of tax evasion in Germany and potentially affected persons. Moreover, background on
acquisition of the data and other cases and raids dominate the coverage. The media no longer
focus primarily on LGT, but rather on the Government and the Principality of Liechtenstein in
general. While the person of Zumwinkel already recedes into the background on Saturday, 16
February, the "tax morality debate" is gaining momentum.
The headlines of the Sunday media on /7 February are also dominated by this topic. "The
nasty tricks of the millionaires" is the headline in Bild am Sonntag, and Welt am Sonntag
writes "The failure of the elites". Welt am Sonntag calls tax evasion a "popular sport". At the
same time, the media take up political demands for tougher penalties for tax offenses. The
topic 1s already called "the greatest financial scandal in history" by various media on Sunday,
17 February.
In the international media, in contrast, there is only little reporting through Sunday, 17
February.
6.3 . Phase 3 (18.2. — 29.2.2008) — Expansion of Zumwinkel affair into tax affair
On Monday, /5 February, SPIEGEL's cover pictures Zumwinkel with the caption "Enemy of
the state: Tax evader" and reports on "tax havens". SPIEGEL TV on the evening before, 17
February, already discussed the topic. The article clearly influences subsequent media
coverage. Several media refer to the research by SPIEGEL magazine. Due to the increase of
political pressure and statements of the investigating authorities to the media ("Nobody can
clean house so thoroughly that we can't find anything," FAZ of 18 February, title page), the
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