We decided to analyse the German and Polish media to find out what the countries think about the temporarily reintroduced border controls at the German border with Poland. Border controls were introduced on 16 October 2023 and have since been extended until mid-June 2024. We analyzed various articles. In the German media, we used well-known…
After spending weeks researching the Neptun Deep gas project, we kept returning to the same question: Why is Romania investing billions in fossil fuels when it could lead in clean energy instead? At first glance, Neptun Deep looks like progress: a huge offshore project, promising jobs, growth, and “energy independence.” But when you look closer,…
In June 2024, during public communications about the Neptun Deep offshore gas project, Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom, stated that “the Neptun Deep project does not induce a significant impact on environmental and socio-economic factors” and “is a strategic project for Romania and the EU, it will contribute to the country’s energy independence and…
On March 25th of 2025, Patrice Onwuka wrote an article for the Independent Women’s Forum entitled “To close the pay gap, make different choices.” In this article, she claims: “There is no gender pay gap. This is a simple truth hidden from generations of women because it contradicts the Left’s narrative about victimhood in the…
The gender wage gap remains one of the most persistent indicators of inequality in the global labor market. According to a report by OECD, “Gender gaps in paid and unpaid work persist”, women are less likely than men to be employed, to work part-time, to put in fewer hours at paid jobs, and to put…
During a public hearing at the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) on 6 February 2025, Dutch Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra claimed that only 20% of companies are responsible for around 97% of the emissions. His claim turns out to be mostly false. Public hearing at the Committee on Tax Matters (FISC)…
An American’s comparative analysis on Germany and the United States’ climate policies to see the different ways we are coming together to reach climate neutrality and curb climate change. As an American studying abroad in Germany, there are many similarities and differences I have seen in the cultural day-to-day life. One thing that is vastly…
In addition to critically questioning the source, journalists must also learn to interpret statistics correctly. A basic knowledge of statistics is usually enough. Fake statistics At the beginning of April, a graphic relating to the Russian recapture of the Kursk region appeared on the messenger service Telegram. The supposed graphic from Statista shows how many…
“Only around 3% of all CO₂ emissions are man-made, i.e. they come from the economy, heating and transportation. Around 97% of CO₂ emissions are of natural origin.” This is a claim made by Karsten Hilse, a climate spokesperson for Germany’s far-right party AfD, on his website. It’s a claim regularly used to downplay human responsibility…
Populism thrives on simple messages in complex times. Political scientist Andreas Klee explains to Sophie Hecker and Nike Tecklenborg why populist strategies—provocative, oversimplified, and emotionally affirming—resonate so strongly, and what they mean for the future of democracy. The Definition of Populist Communication Tecklenborg: Let’s start with a basic question: What are typical features of populist…