Constructions of gender stereotypes by the media in dealing with the ‚right-wing terror cell' in Germany

In November 2011 the German public was caught off guard by a case of right wing terrorism. The case disclosed a hitherto unknown extent of right wing violence. On the basis of weapon findings, two men and a woman were matched with countless burglaries and the murder of at least ten persons carried out during the last twelve years. Most of the victims were migrants from Turkey. The case was disclosed after the two suspected men presumably committed suicide in order to avoid being arrested. Subsequently, the suspected woman blew up their joint home and turned herself over to the police. In custody she refused to make any statement.

During the first days after the disclosure of the case, the public expected to be informed about the background and the details of the case. At this time the authorities conducting the investigations had very little to report.  The media was, therefore, compelled to generate extensive reports based on a very few facts.  The focus of the reporting was on speculations about the circumstances of the crime and the personalities of the suspected persons.

Based on selected print media reports, my presentation will show how the media reports of the case worked with gender stereotypes in the published pictures and statements. They also constructed offender personalities, ignoring or reinterpreting the few facts that were known about the biographical backgrounds of the suspected perpetrators.