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| Far-Right Trolls, Not Grannies, Drive Outrage Over German Satire | Far-Right Trolls, Not Grannies, Drive Outrage Over German Satire |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| BERLIN — The spoof on a classic German children’s song was intended to poke fun at the generation gap between climate-conscious young Germans and their purportedly gas-guzzling grandparents. | BERLIN — The spoof on a classic German children’s song was intended to poke fun at the generation gap between climate-conscious young Germans and their purportedly gas-guzzling grandparents. |
| But after one of the nation’s largest public broadcasters posted the song on its Facebook page, some offended grandparents complained. The far right caught on, and its online trolls fomented a controversy to promote their own agenda. The broadcaster took down the item and apologized. Its journalists accused their bosses of caving in and said that they themselves had become targets of death threats. | But after one of the nation’s largest public broadcasters posted the song on its Facebook page, some offended grandparents complained. The far right caught on, and its online trolls fomented a controversy to promote their own agenda. The broadcaster took down the item and apologized. Its journalists accused their bosses of caving in and said that they themselves had become targets of death threats. |
| Those events over the last two weeks in Germany are verging on a national scandal centered around, of all things, a satirical ditty called “Granny Is An Old Environmental Swine.” | Those events over the last two weeks in Germany are verging on a national scandal centered around, of all things, a satirical ditty called “Granny Is An Old Environmental Swine.” |
| Observers note the controversy is similar to others in recent years fanned by a small number of right-wing trolls seeking to disrupt public consensus on the fight against climate change and the country’s mainstream media. | Observers note the controversy is similar to others in recent years fanned by a small number of right-wing trolls seeking to disrupt public consensus on the fight against climate change and the country’s mainstream media. |
| Small though its beginnings may be, the fight has added to concerns about the breakdown of the country’s social fabric, as well as about the growing ability of right-wing networks online to sow discord over social issues. | Small though its beginnings may be, the fight has added to concerns about the breakdown of the country’s social fabric, as well as about the growing ability of right-wing networks online to sow discord over social issues. |
| “In the same way that the Nazis were quick to use the radio for their propaganda purposes, the extreme right was very quick in learning how to use the internet to promote their agenda,” said Miro Dittrich, an analyst of far-right activity online for the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which promotes pluralism and human rights. | “In the same way that the Nazis were quick to use the radio for their propaganda purposes, the extreme right was very quick in learning how to use the internet to promote their agenda,” said Miro Dittrich, an analyst of far-right activity online for the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which promotes pluralism and human rights. |
| To do so, a relatively small number of right-wing trolls tweeted and retweeted comments condemning the broadcaster, WDR, making the issue appear more important than it was. As a result politicians weighed in and WDR felt it had to respond. | To do so, a relatively small number of right-wing trolls tweeted and retweeted comments condemning the broadcaster, WDR, making the issue appear more important than it was. As a result politicians weighed in and WDR felt it had to respond. |
| Earlier this week, the director of WDR, Tom Buhrow, held a closed-door meeting with journalists to reassure them that it stood behind their independence and would continue to support satirical productions as it had in the past. | Earlier this week, the director of WDR, Tom Buhrow, held a closed-door meeting with journalists to reassure them that it stood behind their independence and would continue to support satirical productions as it had in the past. |
| But the incident has exposed Germany’s steep learning curve when it comes to social media. | But the incident has exposed Germany’s steep learning curve when it comes to social media. |
| Unlike in the United States, where President Trump uses Twitter consistently as his megaphone, in Germany less than half of the country’s 82 million people are active on social media, according to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center. | Unlike in the United States, where President Trump uses Twitter consistently as his megaphone, in Germany less than half of the country’s 82 million people are active on social media, according to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center. |
| Users include many politicians and journalists, especially on Twitter, who may jump on a trending topic without knowing how it rose to the top of their lists, said Philip Kreissel, of the #Iamhere organization, which tracks and counters hate speech on social media. | Users include many politicians and journalists, especially on Twitter, who may jump on a trending topic without knowing how it rose to the top of their lists, said Philip Kreissel, of the #Iamhere organization, which tracks and counters hate speech on social media. |
| The far right has quickly learned that it can have an outsized impact by maintaining a hyperactive presence on social platforms. | The far right has quickly learned that it can have an outsized impact by maintaining a hyperactive presence on social platforms. |
| “This is a strategic decision by the far right to use social media in this way,” said Mr. Kreissel, who studied the case, which trended under the German term #Umweltsau. “They know they can make us believe they are a lot of people when they post a lot. Pretty simple, but many people don’t expect that kind of thing.” | “This is a strategic decision by the far right to use social media in this way,” said Mr. Kreissel, who studied the case, which trended under the German term #Umweltsau. “They know they can make us believe they are a lot of people when they post a lot. Pretty simple, but many people don’t expect that kind of thing.” |
| Tracing the history of the song and its response online shows how a small group of actors seized upon it to grab headlines and push it to the forefront of public discussion. | Tracing the history of the song and its response online shows how a small group of actors seized upon it to grab headlines and push it to the forefront of public discussion. |
| In November, a version of the tune was performed by actors in a live comedy show on a WDR station and posted online without generating much attention or objection, as Luca Hammer, a social media analyst, pointed out on Twitter. | In November, a version of the tune was performed by actors in a live comedy show on a WDR station and posted online without generating much attention or objection, as Luca Hammer, a social media analyst, pointed out on Twitter. |
| In the original children’s song, a granny is praised as “clever” for her ability to drive her motorcycle in a chicken coop and attach a steering wheel to her cooking pot. | In the original children’s song, a granny is praised as “clever” for her ability to drive her motorcycle in a chicken coop and attach a steering wheel to her cooking pot. |
| The satirical version stands this portrayal on its head, decrying the grandmother’s love of her gas-guzzling motorbike and piling it on with the suggestion that she swaps her bike for an SUV that she uses to plow over a couple of grandfathers. | The satirical version stands this portrayal on its head, decrying the grandmother’s love of her gas-guzzling motorbike and piling it on with the suggestion that she swaps her bike for an SUV that she uses to plow over a couple of grandfathers. |
| But when another of the broadcaster’s stations, WDR2, picked up the song, they had a children’s choir sing it. They posted a video to their Facebook page on Dec. 27, comments were posted and calls came in from people, many of them grandparents who felt offended. | But when another of the broadcaster’s stations, WDR2, picked up the song, they had a children’s choir sing it. They posted a video to their Facebook page on Dec. 27, comments were posted and calls came in from people, many of them grandparents who felt offended. |
| One woman, Karin Sohrt, who identified herself as a grandmother, born in 1950, now living in Berlin, pointed out the contrast between her childhood and children today. | One woman, Karin Sohrt, who identified herself as a grandmother, born in 1950, now living in Berlin, pointed out the contrast between her childhood and children today. |
| When she grew up, riding the bus was considered a luxury, apartments were heated with coal and clothes were constantly recycled and reused. It was today’s youth who should be ashamed. “You are the environmental swines,” she wrote. | When she grew up, riding the bus was considered a luxury, apartments were heated with coal and clothes were constantly recycled and reused. It was today’s youth who should be ashamed. “You are the environmental swines,” she wrote. |
| WDR deleted the post of the song on the same day, citing the uproar. | WDR deleted the post of the song on the same day, citing the uproar. |
| But members of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, had already picked up the topic, and started circulating it to accounts that anti-hate speech groups have identified as belonging to right-wing extremists, Mr. Kreissel said. | |
| The following day, the station issued a statement expressing regret for having offended anyone, saying that was not their intention. | The following day, the station issued a statement expressing regret for having offended anyone, saying that was not their intention. |
| “It was much more about using satire to address the generational conflict created by the Fridays for Future movement,” it said, referring to protests by young people against climate change. | “It was much more about using satire to address the generational conflict created by the Fridays for Future movement,” it said, referring to protests by young people against climate change. |
| Armin Lashet, governor of North Rhine-Westphalia and a member of the conservative Christian Democrats, condemned the song as an unacceptable manipulation of young people, who were being pitted against older generations. | Armin Lashet, governor of North Rhine-Westphalia and a member of the conservative Christian Democrats, condemned the song as an unacceptable manipulation of young people, who were being pitted against older generations. |
| The song “crossed the boundaries of style and respect of older people,” he said in a post to Twitter. | The song “crossed the boundaries of style and respect of older people,” he said in a post to Twitter. |
| By that time, the number of hateful postings had escalated and the broadcaster responded by hosting a call-in show for listeners addressing the controversy. | By that time, the number of hateful postings had escalated and the broadcaster responded by hosting a call-in show for listeners addressing the controversy. |
| Among them was Mr. Buhrow, the director, who said, “It was a mistake, I apologize for it without ifs, ands or buts.” | Among them was Mr. Buhrow, the director, who said, “It was a mistake, I apologize for it without ifs, ands or buts.” |
| Instead of calming the situation, his comments only inflamed it. | Instead of calming the situation, his comments only inflamed it. |
| In an open letter to Mr. Buhrow, dozens of journalists working for the broadcaster called his decision to delete the clip of the song “negligent,” saying it was no more an affront to grandparents than the alcoholic father in The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” was to dads. | In an open letter to Mr. Buhrow, dozens of journalists working for the broadcaster called his decision to delete the clip of the song “negligent,” saying it was no more an affront to grandparents than the alcoholic father in The Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” was to dads. |
| “The outrage over the song follows well-known patterns used by far-right trolls, who know their allegations are absurd,” the letter said. “They abuse our society’s meaningful reflex of wanting to harm no one to ‘hack’ the debate, attract attention and shift what is considered acceptable to think and say to their advantage.” | “The outrage over the song follows well-known patterns used by far-right trolls, who know their allegations are absurd,” the letter said. “They abuse our society’s meaningful reflex of wanting to harm no one to ‘hack’ the debate, attract attention and shift what is considered acceptable to think and say to their advantage.” |
| In the wake of the dispute, some of the journalists said they had received death threats online. | In the wake of the dispute, some of the journalists said they had received death threats online. |
| Two days later, in a video statement, Mr. Buhrow pledged to “do everything possible to protect our employees.” “I ask myself what is wrong with our country when an unsuccessful video can lead to death threats,” he said. | Two days later, in a video statement, Mr. Buhrow pledged to “do everything possible to protect our employees.” “I ask myself what is wrong with our country when an unsuccessful video can lead to death threats,” he said. |
| The uproar over the satire is not the first time journalists in Germany have been the target of online hate campaigns, which started with the arrival of more than 1 million migrants in late 2015 and has grown since. But those who track online activity of right-wing groups worry the public still underestimates their reach. | The uproar over the satire is not the first time journalists in Germany have been the target of online hate campaigns, which started with the arrival of more than 1 million migrants in late 2015 and has grown since. But those who track online activity of right-wing groups worry the public still underestimates their reach. |
| “I think there is still not enough awareness about the power of right-wing mobilization on the internet and how it has developed,” said Mr. Dittrich of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. | “I think there is still not enough awareness about the power of right-wing mobilization on the internet and how it has developed,” said Mr. Dittrich of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. |
| “The phenomenon is nothing new,” he added, “but the question is whether the broadcaster learned from it.” | “The phenomenon is nothing new,” he added, “but the question is whether the broadcaster learned from it.” |