The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum

A young woman suddenly finds herself in the crosshairs of the police authorities after a dance evening, and suddenly nothing remains private, as tabloid journalism quickly finds its victims. Circulation numbers rise, while morality declines: defamation, insinuations, and prejudgment dominate Katharina's everyday life, and ultimately she loses all control over her life to the rumors and images that are created and spread about her. Katharina indeed becomes a perpetrator and shoots a journalist. Heinrich Böll's narrative from 1974 depicts a journalism that has sold any ethics for high circulation numbers. Nowadays, polarizing media and aggressive opinion-making have become even more powerful and often not only tip the scales but also significantly influence societal developments. Are we really ready to believe every defamation, to participate in every incitement, as long as it confirms our prejudices?