The Guardian, Politico (Australia) and the German newpapers report on a news story on
Breitbart of Islamic extremist setting fire to “Germany’s oldest church” on new year’s eve. The story was manufactured from sparse facts engineered to inflame.
“It said the men had “chanted Allahu Akbar (God is greatest), launched fireworks at police and set fire to a historic church”, while also massing “around the flag of al-Qaida and Islamic State collaborators the Free Syrian Army.”
What happened really?
“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,Ruhr Nachrichten, reported. The roof was not on fire and the church is not Germany’s oldest.”
The police said that It was actually a quieter night than the year before with about a fourth of the
incidents of the previous year.
Facts conveniently arranged to suit a familiar narrative.
What happens now? German press laws are different than ours. Breitbart could very well be sued
for libel.