The GDR border troops' actions were being portrayed as legitimate border defense and the people who were killed while trying to escape were defamed both in official statements as well as in reports of the state-controlled media.
Tindakan pasukan perbatasan RDJdigambarkan sebagai pertahanan perbatasan yang sah dan orang yang tewas saat berupaya untuk melarikan diri dicerca baik dalam pernyataan resmi serta dalam laporan dari media yang dikontrol negara.