fact finder
Status: 04/19/2022 10:52 a.m
A tweet, an undated picture, false media reports: the tricky relationship between the SPD and the Ukrainian ambassador Melnyk is a chapter richer.
A report by the dpa news agency appeared in various German media this morning about a meeting between the SPD leadership and the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin.
It said that after “another sharp criticism from the Ukrainian ambassador Andriy Melnyk of the Social Democrats’ Russia policy, the SPD leadership met with the diplomat.” The dpa referred to a tweet by SPD leader Saskia Esken, which said:
Especially in times when our hearts are heavy and the debates sometimes heated, it is all the more valuable to cultivate open and trusting dialogue.
The SPD chairwoman tweeted a picture that shows her and co-party leader Lars Klingbeil at Melnyk’s side.
In addition to many positive comments, there were also questions and criticism: “Bild” reporter Paul Ronzheimer tweeted that the meeting should still take place according to information from the newspaper. The photo was from April 6, reported the “image”.
A reverse search with various search engines brought no hits for the photo. However, a tweet from the Ukrainian ambassador indicates that the meeting has apparently not yet taken place. Melnyk thanked for the invitation and wrote that he was looking forward to meeting on Wednesday.
SPD leader Esken’s spokesman has not yet been available for comment.
The example clearly shows how easily photos without context or date information – even unintentionally – can lead to misleading assumptions. In the case of targeted disinformation, old pictures and videos are used willfully again and again in order to mislead the public.