Wolfgang Herles (pictured) claims Germany's news agenda is 'laid down by the government'

A former news boss in Germany has claimed the country's media is told what to report on by Chancellor Angela Merkel's government.

His admission comes as the country grapples with accusations media ignored hundreds of sex attacks committed by migrants during Cologne's New Year celebrations.

Dr Wolfgang Herles, the former head of a public broadcaster Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), said journalists are instructed to write news reports that are to 'Ms Merkel's liking'.

Dr Herles labelled the situation a 'scandal' during a radio panel discussion on media and freedom of the press, Breitbart reported.

Asked if the media landscape had 'got out of whack', he replied: 'Today, one is not allowed to say anything negative about the refugees.

'This is government journalism and that leads to a situation in which people no longer trust us.'

He elaborated by saying the topics that should be reported on are 'laid down by the government', with instructions passed down to news executives that they should frame issues in a way that is for the 'public good' of Europe.

'We have the problem that... we have a closeness to the government.

'Not only because commentary is mainly in line with the grand [elected political] coalition, with the spectrum of opinion, but also because we are completely taken in by the agenda laid down by the political class.'

German media is grappling with a disillusionment stemming from its delays in reporting the migrant sex attacks in Cologne.

Many news outlets were accused of avoiding publicising what occurred due to concerns it would stoke anti-immigrant fears and fuel the far-right agenda.

ZDF even issued an apology for its delays in reporting on the hundreds of sexual assaults, amid accusations of media self-censorship of the inflammatory issue.

The rash of sex attacks and thefts in a New Year's Eve crowd in the western city of Cologne saw woman being forced to walk a 'gauntlet' through packs of drunk and aggressive men.

Many described being groped and touched while their possessions were stolen and police reports showed authorities were overwhelmed by the chaos taking place at the city centre.

The attacks were only widely covered by national media several days into January after police had initially reported no major incidents.

Dr Wolfgang Herles, the former head of public broadcaster ZDF, claimed instructions are passed down to journalists from the government to report news in a way that would be to 'Ms Merkel's liking'

Germany media, and in particular ZDF, were roundly condemned for failing to immediately report on the wave of sex attacks that occurred in Cologne during the city's chaotic New Year's Eve celebrations (pictured)

The sluggish media response to the incident has played into the hands of right-wing groups such as PEGIDA, which claims politicians and media are colluding to mislead the public. Pictured is a far-right rally in Cologne

News editors of ZDF's flagship 'heute' [today] evening news programme later apologised on social media for not reporting on the incidents in its Monday evening bulletin, four days after the attacks.

'The news situation was clear enough. It was a mistake of the 7pm "heute" show not to at least report the incidents,' wrote deputy chief editor Elmar Thevessen on the show's Facebook page.

Editors had decided to postpone the news segment to Tuesday, the day Cologne's city hall and police held a crisis meeting on the attacks, he wrote, admitting this was 'a clear misjudgement'.

Furious right-wing commentators have blamed the attacks on Chancellor Angela Merkel's government and its welcome to asylum seekers, 1.1 million of whom arrived last year.