Theme: Great Britain Media Focus

Text: The Mirror invades Berlin (Mirror June 24, 1996) by JUSTIN DUNN (in Berlin)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CALLING LONDON...THIS IS AGENT DUNN REPORTING. THE FIRST STAGE OF OUR MISSION IS COMPLETE. WE HAVE REACHED THE GERMAN CITY OF BERLIN, DEEP IN ENEMY TERRITORY.

Now that England is at war with Germany, the Daily Mirror has infiltrated behind enemy lines, past road blocks and dog patrols, to perform a task of national importance. We have decided to teach the Hun a lesson. We have to put the wind up these chaps and warn them of the terrible danger that awaits them at Wembley on Wednesday.

Just minutes after David Seaman secured England's place in the Euro 96 semi-finals, photographer Andy Stenning and I took off from an airfield somewhere in England. We headed for the enemy coast and landed under cover of darkness with surrender terms.

Judging by the atmosphere over here, they may already have a whiff of things to come.

There is a strange smell in Berlin...and it's not just their funny sausages. It's the smell of fear because they know, deep down, that we're going to beat them again.

This is why the Daily Mirror has penetrated the Fatherland. To shake the nerves of the so-called indomitable Jerries.

We have come fully armed with a special St George flag and thousands of leaflets bearing the warning: "Achtung! Surrender! Remember 1966!"

The Germans hate being reminded of their failures. Like eating well-matured cheese for breakfast. Or nicking all the sun loungers in the Mediterranean. But what they hate most is being reminded of that glorious day in 1966 when England made them the sourest of sour-krauts.

So the paper that brought Geoff Hurst's ball back to Britain (after they nicked it) thought we would give  Germany something in return — a few memories of that lovely year.

First stop on our daring mission was Checkpoint Charlie, once the Berlin Wall crossing between West and East, now a tatty little museum on a street corner. It used to be manned with trigger-happy guards prepared to shoot on sight accompanied by savage alsatian hounds.

But, cleverly disguised, we were able to sneak around and pose for pictures without a murmur from the hordes of heavily-armed police.

Next was the once-formidable Brandenberg Gate, now a sad and rather dirty-looking monument in the middle of an equally dreary city. Again, the green-jacketed polizei were everywhere. They pretended it was for the Pope's visit yesterday but the fear was in their eyes, too. They are frankly terrified of losing  and they don't want any outsiders getting wind of the fact.

The police were out in their thousands. Hundreds of polizei cars, vans and motorbikes lined the streets with hundreds more officers on foot. They had handguns hanging from their belts and spoke rapid fire into their walkie-talkies.

The tense atmosphere got to everyone...except the Daily Mirror, of course.

465 w

Annotations: The article was published 2 days before the semifinals, in which England and Germany drew 1:1; Germany eventually won the finals against the Czech Republic

Daily Mirror – British tabloid 11 whiff – trace, impression 15 indomitable – unconquerable; Jerries – Germ. soldier 16 –St. George flag - The cross of St George is the flag of England, not the Union Jack. It is a red cross on a white field. 17 In the 1966 championship England beat West Germany 4:2 (overtime) 19 nick (slang) – cheat 21 nick – here: steal; Geoff Hurst – scored 3 of the English team's goals (a hat trick) 24 tatty – shabby 25 alsatian – Germ. Schäferhund

Assignments:

1.Work on the stereotypes that are used in this article. [Contents]

2.What effect is the message and the style of the article meant to have on its British readers? [Analysis]

3.Write a letter (from a German perspective) to the editor of The Mirror in which you comment on the paper's reporting (in the above article). [Comment]