[mqsiuser]

1. No, there are a lot of sources, that report the same. SPON (Spiegel Online) turned from being a good source for news into click-bait (~beginning 2014). The editorial staff changed: Didn't the editor in chief come from Germany's most famous yellow press gazette (die Bild) [1]?

2. You have a basically American audience on HN. I underpinned "kind of left" with the "basic income discussion", which -with no doubt- the Spiegel has a (very) positive stance for it (just search Google, the German terminology is "(bedingungsloses) Grundeinkommen").

3. No, it's not my opinion v.s. your's (that would be deficient)

[1] It's the co-editor ... and his appointment "was received with great controversy within der Spiegel": http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaus_Blome

He is also the one responsible for "the online-resort", so the articles on their web site.

[badname]

I admit that I didn't know about the Bild connection (and yes it does speak volumes). Btw, Bild editors can be accused of anything but leftism and you said that there was significant controversy with Spiegel. Maybe there is still hope for the medium.

Still this particular piece is well written and (seems) quite well researched.