All a pack of lies? When news becomes a weapon

In the beginning of 2015, a video caused a massive stir. It showed how a roughly 12-year-old boy, instructed by a fighter with the terror group Islamic State (IS), shot two Russian spies close up. Experts from Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) have now labelled the film clip a staging. In the centre of this documentary by NDR-reporter Klaus Scherer, are many so-called fake news stories. These - especially due to social networks and online platforms like "youtube" achieve millions of spectators. The BND, which for the first time allowed a TV reporter access to its video analyses, assumes that foreign governments are behind other fake stories. In addition to the case descriptions, author Klaus Scherer also scrutinises how established news desks handle their diverse and often unsecured sources. In addition, the Ukrainian Information Minister, as well as the speaker for the Israeli Army, also have their say, both of whom lament online lies, while at the same time extol the distribution of their own truths in connection with social media. (Studio Hamburg)