German police quash Breitbart story of mob setting fire to Dortmund church
German media and politicians have warned against an election-year spike in fake news after the rightwing website Breitbart claimed a mob chanting “Allahu Akbar” had set fire to a church in the city of Dortmund on New Year’s Eve.
After the report by the US site was widely shared on social media, the city’s police clarified that no “extraordinary or spectacular” incidents had marred the festivities.
The local newspaper, Ruhr Nachrichten, said elements of its online reporting on New Year’s Eve had been distorted by Breitbart to produce “fake news, hate and propaganda”.
The justice minister of Hesse state, Eva Kühne-Hörmann, said that “the danger is that these stories spread with incredible speed and take on lives of their own”.
The controversy highlights a deepening divide between backers of German chancellor Angela Merkel’s liberal stance toward refugees and a rightwing movement that opposes immigration, fears Islam and distrusts the government and media.
The local newspaper said Breitbart had combined and exaggerated unconnected incidents to create a picture of chaos and of foreigners promoting terrorism.
Stray fireworks did start a small blaze, but only on netting covering scaffolding on the church and it was put out after about 12 minutes, the paper reported. The roof was not on fire and the church is not Germany’s oldest.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily said Breitbart had used exaggerations and factual errors to create “an image of chaotic civil war-like conditions in Germany, caused by Islamist aggressors”.
It said the article “may be a foretaste” of what is to come before parliamentary elections expected in September as some websites spread “misinformation and distortion in order to diminish trust in established institutions”.
Justice minister Heiko Maas warned in mid-December that Germany would use its laws against deliberate disinformation and that freedom of expression did not protect “slander and defamation”.
Bild, Germany’s top-selling daily, also predicted trouble ahead – pointing to the fact that Breitbart’s former editor Steve Bannon had been appointed as US president-elect Donald Trump’s chief strategist.
It warned that Breitbart – which plans to launch German and French language sites – could seek to “aggravate the tense political climate in Germany”.
Breitbart has declined to comment.
Source: The Observer
Herein lies the danger of just believing anything you read on social media or even some press – Always double check the facts. Do you believe that too many of us are all too willing to believe online stories ?
Yes, action should be taken against anyone spreading false news (if proven). Nobody should be allowed to misuse freedom of speech.
Yes, i remember reading that in the papers .. The Pakistani Minister was made to look foolish .. Always double check the facts :O)
True. People have become very gullible these days to online stories and propaganda. And when it comes to issues with regards to hating Islam and the Muslims, such news get all the more ears.
Recently, one such fake news reported at AWD News claimed former Israel Defense Minister Ya'alon stating "Israel Defense Minister: If Pakistan send ground troops into Syria, we will destroy this country with a nuclear attack." The fake news prompted the Pakistan's Defense Minister to tweet "Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming pak role in Syria against Daesh. Israel forgets Pakistan is a Nuclear state too AH."
Thankfully, a swift fact-checking was provided by Israel's defence ministry that directly tweeted a clarification to the Pakistani minister.
The issue is "falsehoods" and sensationlist reporting.. Should governments act against such sites / papers
These right-wing Islamophobes have gone nuts. They are fueling anti-Muslim sentiments in Europe.