Is the national press spreading terror?

It may well be the German capital’s leading tourist attraction, but Süddeutsche Zeitung reports that until further notice the “dome of the Reichstag will be closed.” No precise reason has been given for the 22 November decision to restrict access to the building which also houses Germany’s federal parliament. However, commentators have been quick to point out that barricades were placed around the building shortly after the Interior Minister issued a terror alert. On 20 November, a Der Spiegel story about a possible attack on the Reichstag replete with hostages and a Mumbai style bloodbath sparked a storm of controversy in the media. “Hysteria prompted by fear […] has not taken hold in the population, or in politics – but in the media,” notes Süddeutsche Zeitung, which is pleased to report that the Minister of the Interior has not taken advantage of the terrorist threat to introduce more repressive legislation.