DW News follows news happening around Germany. The news source offers full-length news bulletins, every hour, on the hour. DW News provides key stories from Europe, as well as around the world.
As of today, March 5, a new amendment was passed by the German parliament, allowing wolves to be hunted again, according to an article published on DW News. From July 1 to October 31, hunters will be allowed to kill wolves, although it will depend on individual states and their wildlife management plans.
This amendment is being implemented after the government said about 4,000 livestock animals killed or injured in around 1,000 wolf attacks in the past year. The costs of protecting them is becoming too much, which is being used to justify the amendment.
Although this law has sparked controversy among groups, farmers as a whole are generally on board, seeing this as necessary to protect livestock. On the other hand, wildlife organizations argue that this decision is actually disrupting the population instead of helping.
Looking at this news story from a PR angle shows the importance of sharing all sides of the story. This news article seems to be neutral, sharing the important facts from every angle. The writer shares both environmental facts and statistics within the article, as well as the human side.
As a communicator, or spokesperson on behalf of a company, it is important to understand and frame information in a way that stays fact-based. Especially in a controversial situation like this one, with different sides and opinions, realizing that the words we put out there are important. News writing should be catered to all groups of people, knowing that what we say can influence public opinions.