A car driven by a Saudi man deliberately plowed into a bustling Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on Saturday, killing two people and injuring at least 60 others. The tragedy, described by authorities as a deliberate attack, shocked the nation. However, headlines by prominent publications, including the Associated Press (AP), have drawn severe backlash for their phrasing, which critics say downplays the driver’s responsibility.
The AP’s headline, “A car has driven into a group of people at a Christmas market in Germany,” was widely condemned for implying that the car acted autonomously, leaving out any mention of the driver, who was later identified as a Saudi national. The backlash intensified after verified bystander footage showed the driver being arrested at the scene.
Community note adds context
On X (formerly Twitter), the AP headline was flagged by a community note that clarified the situation: “‘A car has driven’ implies the car drove itself, which is factually incorrect. A man from Saudi Arabia intentionally drove the car into the Christmas market as a terror attack.”
JD Vance questions media narrative
US senator JD Vance joined the critics, posting on X, “Who was driving the car?” His comment fueled an ongoing debate about whether the media deliberately uses passive language to obscure facts in such cases.
Netizens react with fury
The AP and other outlets were inundated with criticism from netizens, who accused legacy media of bias and misrepresentation.
One user wrote: “Seriously @AP? Are you kidding us with this headline? If it was a white person driving, you’d scream it out on every headline. But since it’s a Saudi, you’re ignoring the driver’s identity.”
Another added: “So everyone is clear, this is what ‘a car has driven into a group of people’ looks like. Nothing close to the passive headline the AP wrote. Just another reason you don’t hate the legacy media enough!”
Some went further, accusing the AP of downplaying religious and cultural implications. A poll circulating on X asked, “Is AP deliberately avoiding mentioning the driver to downplay global hostility toward Christians?”
Elon Musk takes aim at legacy media
Elon Musk also joined the conversation, slamming not just the AP but other outlets for similar headlines. Musk posted: “You don’t hate the lying legacy media enough,” amplifying criticism against established news organizations.
Criticism extends to other outlets
The backlash wasn’t limited to the AP. The Guardian also came under fire for its headline, which described the car as a “dark BMW” without mentioning the driver. A user commented: “Hey @guardian, I’m pretty sure a ‘dark BMW’ didn’t decide to drive into a crowd enjoying their Christmas market. Stop insulting our intelligence.”
Another user added: “This headline pretty well encapsulates the last decade in journalism. It’s passive, misleading, and avoids the hard truths.”