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BELGIUM – Media site publishes crime stories assuming foreign nationality of perpetrators
The alternative media outlet Sceptr re-publishes crime stories that appeared in mainstream media in order to highlight perpetrators as foreign nationals. In most of the cases, however, they are labelled “foreigner”, just on the basis of their skin colour or foreign-sounding name. This is Belgium’s media monitoring highlight for January.
GERMANY – Is this what the country will look like in 2021?
The far-right PI-News offers a fictional account of what Germany will be in 2021, using racist slurs and false anti-Muslim conspiracy narratives. This is Germany’s media monitoring highlight for January.
La Libre Belgique and DH Publish a Video from anti-Islam Rally Under the Title – “All the Arabs, All the Muslims, All this Shit – Out”
In December 2018, the centrist francophone Belgian daily La Libre Belgique and its sister publication DH published a video from the so-called “March Against Marrakech” on their websites. This video features extreme-right protesters shouting anti-Muslim hate and threatening violence. Disturbingly, no editorial explanation contextualising the video and the decision to publish it was present alongside the footage itself.
DECEMBER - MEDIA MONITORING HIGHLIGHTS
From the publication of a list of politicians with alleged Jewish origins to the dissemination of groundless fears about terrorism over Christmas, these December highlights are an overview of the most significant results of our monitoring of traditional and new media in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.
GERMANY – Far-right news site spreads groundless fears about terrorism over Christmas
The anti-Muslim website PI-News makes preposterous speculation over an incident at a Christmas market and warns readers about unfounded impending dangers. This is Germany’s media monitoring highlight for December.
BELGIUM – Flemish nationalist politician gives inflammatory speech against migrants and Muslims
On a march against the Marrakesh UN agreement on migration, Dries van Langenhove, head of the far-right organisation Schild en Vrienden, heavily criticised the media for holding a pro-migrant bias and complotting to silence him. This is Belgium’s media monitoring highlight for December.
UK – Sputnik reporting draws undue attention to perpetrator’s religion
In an article on a femicide trial in England, the Russian media outlet Sputnik chose to lead the story with the religion of the perpetrator, even though the faith has nothing to do with the crime committed. This is the UK’s media monitoring highlight for December.
HUNGARY – Pro-government news portal spins story to fuel fears of “Islamisation” in Europe
The propaganda media Origo reports that, in Belgium, some Christian pupils have been “forced to pray in a mosque”, but provides no sources, no footage, and no context, feeding existing Islamophobic narratives on the “submission” of Europe to Islam. This is Hungary’s media monitoring highlight for December.
BELGIUM – News site contributes to feeding outrage over Toblerone’s halal certification
The Brussels-based 7sur7 reports that Toblerone chocolate has received its halal certification, but the story is framed to make it look like a secret conspiracy to please Muslim buyers. This is Belgium’s media monitoring highlight for December.
FRANCE – President of Secular Forces associates Yellow Vests with Muslim Brotherhood
On CNEWS, the founder of the Observatory on Secularism of Val d’Oise Laurence Marchand-Taillade uses dubious Egyptian sources to claim that the Yellow Vests movement has been influenced by the tactics of the Muslim Brotherhood. This is France's media monitoring highlight for December.