Mostly True: “Never before have rents been raised as much as during your term of office”

During a government survey in the German Bundestag on December 4, 2024, politician Caren Lay (Left Party) claimed that rents had never risen as sharply in the history of the Republic as they did during the term of the previous government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The claim turns out to be mostly true. Record rents…

Blog: Fact-checking contradictory numbers – between confusion and (misleading) correction

Verifying numerical data is a significant challenge for many people. It requires time and effort, which are often in short supply in everyday life. Especially in areas that are outside one’s personal expertise, there is a tendency to trust the accuracy of media reports – often without questioning whether a so-called fact-check is actually correct.…

Mostly false: Russia spends $130 billion less annually on defence than European NATO states

In numerous media appearances, Jan van Aken, co-chair of German party Die Linke, has expressed his opposition to increasing Germany’s defence budget. He argues this point by highlighting the superiority of the European NATO states over Russia, citing a yearly difference of $130 billion in defence spending. This statement turned out to be mostly false.…

True: “Number of asylum applications declined notably in February”

On March 7, 2024 the German news program “Tagesschau” released an article about the current number of asylum applications, revealing a notable decline in first-time applications for asylum in February. This claim is true. The article states that the number of first-time applications for asylum have decreased in comparison to last year. There were 19.494…

Transidentity: clearing up common myths to promote acceptance and equality

Germany’s Self-Determination Act is an example for the increase in visibility and discussion surrounding transgender identity within the EU. However, discrimination against transgender individuals persists, highlighting the ongoing need for greater acceptance and equality. To address misconceptions surrounding trans identity, we explore common myths with insights from experts and those directly affected. The topic Transidentity…

Blog: Global warming affects both: Nature and human beings

Experts warn of the consequences of rising seas due to climate change. Our reporter Lennart Platz travelled to a place where future generations will soon be getting their feet wet – the Wadden Sea World Heritage. RESEARCH | ARTICLE – Lennart Platz and Moritz Orth, Jade University of Applied Sciences, Germany Leave your comments, thoughts,…

Mostly false: “Trans is a dangerous trend – Gender-affirming surgeries in Germany have increased from 120 in 2005 to 2.598 in 2021”

In the documentary “Trans is a Trend: How an Ideology is Changing Our Country”, published on the German news website NIUS.de, authors Judith Sevinc Basad and Jan A. Karon claim that gender-affirming surgeries in Germany have increased from 120 in 2005 to 2.598 in 2021. They also argue that being trans is a dangerous trend…

Blog: Looking Behind the Headlines – Media Ethics and Seniors’ Driving Ability

In today’s fast-paced media landscape, discussions about older people’s ability to drive often drift into tricky territory, rife with stereotypes and prejudice. But is there more to the stereotypes than meets the eye? In this blog post, we have a closer look at how senior citizens are portrayed in the media and what responsibility the…

Mostly False: After novice drivers, older people have the highest accident rate p/km

In an interview with the German news agency “RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland” (RND), Stefan Gelbhaar, transport policy spokesman for the German political party “The Greens”, said: “After novice drivers, older people are the most likely to cause accidents per kilometre driven”. According to our research, this statement is mostly false. In the RND article “Driving in old…