Germans Grossly Misreported the Terrorist Attack

Bild, one of Germany’s most popular daily newspapers, was swift to report 11 fatalities following the terror attack in Magdeburg, despite authorities not confirming the number and the city’s leadership reporting only one death. Even after the official announcement of four fatalities, Bild did not revise its figures, which were subsequently picked up by major international media outlets after the attack.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also traveled to the scene of the Magdeburg terrorist attack (Photo: AFP)

As Magyar Nemzet highlighted earlier, shocking scenes unfolded Friday night in Germany. A man, with a migrant background, drove his vehicle into the crowds at Magdeburg's Christmas market. So far, authorities have confirmed five fatalities, with over 200 people injured in the terrorist attack, more than 40 of them seriously.

Following the attack, authorities introduced heightened security measures nationwide (Photo: dpa Picture-Alliance via AFP)

During the night, major German media outlets reported as many as 11 fatalities. Bild was the first to publish this figure, which other media outlets sharing its political stance then echoed. At that time, Magdeburg city officials reported only one fatality, with this figure lated updated by the local emergency services to three.

Bild meldt al 11 doden. Vermoedelijke dader gearresteerd.⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CHlzZQyaqB

— Jochem (@WickedWild1975) December 20, 2024

Bild - one of the most widely ready newspapers worldwide - continued to claim 11 fatalities throughout the night, even as Reiner Haseloff, the state premier, officially reported two deaths.

Később a hivatalos közlés szerint négyre emelkedett a magdeburgi terrortámadás halálos áldozatainak száma, a Bild azonban továbbra is kitartott a 11 áldozat mellett. A nagyobb német sajtóorgánumok mellett

Eventually, according to official news reports, the death toll of the Magdeburg attack rose to four, yet Bild held firm to its initial number of 11 casualties. In addition to Germany's big media outlets, 

the international press - including Reuters, France’s Le Figaro, and the UK’s Telegraph - also followed Bild's account, initially reporting 11 fatalities, only revising their figures hours after the official clarification.

 

After the terrorist attack

These erroneous reports also spread like wildfire through the Hungarian media, with many outlets citing 11 fatalities in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Public figures shared these numbers on social media, including Mr. Mate Kocsis, Fidesz's parliamentary group leader.

Later, Peter Magyar pounced on the issue with full force, sharply criticizing Mate Kocsis. However, the Tisza Party chief failed to mention that even the cream of the international press operated in complete uncertainty for hours, sticking to the figure of 11 fatalities, led by Bild, which hesitated to correct the numbers immediately, even after the official updates.

Mr. Kocsis addressed the accusations on his social media.

It promises to be an exciting debate, that the killer was in fact not Syrian, but a Saudi national,

– Mr. Kocsis began with ironic undertones. He emphasized that the perpetrator’s origin or immigration status does not change the essence of the tragedy:

The point remains the same: Europeans are dead, the killer is an immigrant. Yet again.

Fidesz's parliamentary group leader added that while the initial reports indicated a Syrian perpetrator, the confirmation of the attacker's Saudi descent does not alter the undeniable failure of integration efforts.

This only underscores the fact that integration, often hailed as a miracle weapon, is, at best, creaking,

– he wrote, reiterating Hungary’s firm rejection of Brussels’ migration policies.

Mr. Kocsis concluded by apologizing to those distressed by the erroneous reports, but strongly criticized Mr. Magyar and the Tisza Party for, in his view, obscuring the real challenges facing European communities.

 

Peter Magyar risked Hungarian people's security 

Mr. Magyar keeps shaking his fist as if he didn’t just endanger Hungarian lives days ago by spreading dangerous fake news.

Foaming at the mouth, he spread the claim - citing the Magyar Hang news outlet - that Syria’s ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, had fled to Hungary by plane, even sharing a photo as supposed evidence. However, it quickly emerged that the information he disseminated was false.

Bashar al-Assad did not come to Hungary; the deposed president fled to Russia. The photo, which was purported to show his plane landing in Hungary, was actually taken 12 years ago at a Turkish airport.

Following the case, Magyar Hang was swift to apologize to the readers for spreading misinformation, but Mr. Magyar stood by his claims: the left-wing politician still refuses to admit the obvious, that he had disseminated falsehoods.

Some have suggested that Peter Magyar might be the one who single-handedly triggered the fake news scandal, and that he colluded with Magyar Hang in spreading misinformation. The left-wing politician may have had an interest in spreading this lie in order to try and weaken the government

 

Peter Magyar's backed by the leftist-liberal media 

The leftist-liberal media paid almost no attention to Peter Magyar's role in spreading fake news. They typically only briefly reported that a national security investigation had been launched, without addressing the broader consequences of the disinformation. Telex, the flagship of the leftist-liberal media, also tried to distance itself from covering the disinformation. Similar to HVG, they only briefly mentioned in their coverage that the questionable actions of the president of the Tisza Party were also discussed by lawmakers in Parliament.

Cover photo: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also traveled to the scene of the Magdeburg terrorist attack (Photo: AFP)