The ZDF has edited images related to the terrorist attack in Halle into a major, verified Twitch stream of DreamHack for CS:GO. This has caused outrage. A clip of the attack was broadcast on Twitch, but not on this channel. In the meantime, the ZDF has admitted a mistake and regrets it.
On Wednesday, a terrorist attack occurred in Halle. Two people lost their lives in the attack.
The perpetrator spread the attack via the streaming service Twitch. Live, 5 people are said to have followed the attack on Twitch. This information comes directly from Twitch via Twitter.
According to a statement from Twitch, approximately 2200 people viewed the recording of the attack before it was deleted. Twitch regrets this incident.
The clip itself is largely kept out of the public eye.
Image montage gives a completely false impression
What did the ZDF do? The ZDF used the Twitter channel of the news program Heuteplus as part of its reporting on the attack. A report on the attack was created and distributed there.
Images of the attacker were edited into the context of the Twitch stream of “DreamHack” for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This channel “DreamHackCS” has over 1.5 million followers on Twitch.
The channel had absolutely nothing to do with the attack.
Due to the montage, it appeared as if the rampage was broadcast live on this large, established Twitch channel. It seemed that 545 were watching.
The number 170,499,266 appears directly below the video.
For outsiders, it is unclear what this number means. It seems as though over 170 million people have already viewed this clip. The impression was created that this clip had spread like wildfire across the internet and Twitch.
On the Dreamhack channel, a replay of a CS:GO match between G2 ESports and Renegades was actually running. The clip is also still marked as such.
“Abominable” – “Ill Intent”
These are some reactions: The head of G2, Carlos “Ocelote” Rodriguez, is appalled by this montage by the ZDF. He considers it to be ill-intentioned. One must be truly foolish to do something like this.
He says: “Our lawyers are already on the case.”
Other figures from the eSports scene express criticism: The eSports caster Paul “Redeye” Chaloner called it “abominable.”
Even in the German-speaking part of reddit, the clip is viewed critically and colorfully commented on.
ZDF admits mistake – regrets it
This is what the ZDF says: They acknowledged this mistake today on October 11. They state that they indeed edited this. They regret that this led to the impression that the livestream of the attack in Halle was aired on the Twitch channel of DreamHack. That was not the case.
They have now deleted the video.
The ZDF does not explain how the mistake came about.
In the meantime, there is a new version of the report on the Twitter channel of heuteplus.
