In Germany the accusation of lying press (Lügenpresse) is now known but also controversial.
The accusation marks the loss of confidence in the press.
Most the time the charge is rejected but with increasing time the debate about trust in the press becomes heated.
Now the 33-year-old journalist Claas Relotius from the Spiegel has admitted to have falsified at least 14 of his reports.
He has invented conversations, encounters and even persons.
Relotius wrote for the Spiegel, the taz, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the Welt, Zeit Online, Zeit Wissen, the Cicero, the NZZ am Sonntag and the Weltwoche.
For his work he received the Swiss Media Prize for Young Journalists, the Austrian Journal Prize, the German Reporter Award, the Liberty Award, the European Press Prize, the Peter Scholl Latour Prize, CNN awarded him as a Journalist of the Year and at the award ceremony for the Catholic Media Prize called his work was called a must read for all politicians.
Or in short it hit one from the very top.
[1]
[2]
Relotius was catched because of the article Jaegers Grenze (Jaegers Border) a report about a vigilante group in the US against immigrants. Relotius has worked with his Spanish colleague Juan Moreno to report on the people who are on their way through Mexico to enter the US and those in the US who are against it. Moreno accompanied the migrant caravan on the Mexican side while Relotius was investigating the border guards. The article leaves out no cliche on both sides. On the one hand the trigger-happy xenophobes who can not distinguish Hungary from Honduras and on the other side are the needy and well-meaning migrants. Relotius was catched because Moreno noticed inconsistencies in the article. Relotius wrote of mountains where everything is flat, a media shy patrol leader who a few years ago was at the center of the documentary Cartel Land and an article beginning first with no alleged shots then with. After Moreno checked the inconsistencies he found out that allegedly conducted discussions never took place. Moreno risked his job with his behavior. All the more impressive is his effort. But even if the article were not manipulated it would still be biased and tendentious. The article could have dealt with the legitimate concerns of US citizens or mentioned that Mexico is already a safe country. But it did not. [3]
Relotius did not work with the stereotype of the hillbillys for the first time. In 2017 Relotius wrote an article about the small town of Fergus Falls in the United States. In it he serves the readership various fairy tales of the same kind. Allegedly the movie American Sniper has been running in the local cinema for two years, at the entrance to the town there is a sign saying Mexicans Keep Out, a school is protected with a metal detector and three armored glass doors and much more. None of that is true. In short the article mainly serves the prejudices about rural America. [4] [5] [6]
From 2016 to 2018 Relotius has written several articles about the war in Syria. In it he confirms how many of his colleagues the image of Bashar al-Assad as a barrel bomb-throwing dictator and the explanation of how the war broke out. One young boy in Syria painted a graffiti against the government one day and was arrested for it. In detention the boy was then tortured and the ensuing demonstrations became a civil war. A little boy in Syria had thus started a war with a graffiti. According to Relotius the rebels in Syria fight for freedom and justice. Relotius repeatedly wrote that al-Assad is recklessly murdering his own people and that's why people are suffering. However he does not provide an explanation for the rise of the IS. In his articles Relotius repeatedly cried crocodile tears. The immigration of Syrians as in the wake of the migration crisis of 2015 is therefore presented without any alternative and criticism of immigration was portrayed by him as illegitimate. [7] [8] [9] [10]
Relotius has adjustet his reports to fit the opinion of the majority of the press. Comprehensive reporting would at least have revealed the interests and actions of third parties. Even though Sunni Islam provides a fertile ground for religiously motivated violence there is more. Relotius or his colleagues could have reported on the project The Day After of the Foundation for Science and Politics (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik/SWP), Operation Timber Sycamore or the South Pars gas field. The SWP in Berlin is a foundation that advises the German Bundestag, the Federal Government and political decision-makers in Germany on questions of foreign and security policy. The SWP was founded on January 21, 1965 by the Bundestag and is funded by the Federal Government. The project The Day After is a strategy paper written by the SWP that provides a blueprint for the change of government in Syria. Operation Timber Sycamore was a covert operation to support rebels in Syria by the US, Saudi Arabian and Qatar governments. By it weapons, money and education were provided. And South Pars is a gas field in the Persian Gulf in the territory of Qatar and Iran. The South Pars gas field could be connected to Europe and make big profits because of the high purchasing power of Europe. However this would be to the detriment of Russia that currently supplies Europe with gas and oil and Syria is an ally of Russia. Interests against al-Assad tend to come from the anti-Russian lobbies in Europe and the US as well as some of the transit countries of a potential pipeline. And interests for al-Assad therefore come from Russia in order not to lose Europe as a customer. [11] [12] [13]
The narrative on Syria which is also used by Relotius continues in the reporting on the migration crisis. Relotius sympathetically reported with his colleagues on the ship Lifeline from Captain Claus-Peter Reisch. The crew of the Lifeline allegedly consists of respectable and unselfish rescuers who saved people who were in maritime emergency on their way to Europe. Relotius thus confirms the narrative of the righteous rescuers off the Libyan coast with out any alternative . However this is not a complete picture. The shortest route from the Libyan coast is over 200 km (125 miles) to the Italian island of Lampedusa. However Lampedusa can hardly be found without a tracking system and the next route from the Libyan coast is over 500 km (300 miles) to the coast of Sicily. In addition to the people the boats have to transport water, food and fuel for the entire crew. The boats that drive the people to Europe are always fully loaded with the crew and such a full boat can no longer carry water, food and fuel. But people are not rescued in the Mediterranean but collected directly off the coast. And instead of driving to the nearby coast people are brought to Europe. As a result ships like the lifeline of Claus-Peter Reisch behave more like people smugglers. Consequently the question arises as to how many people are lured to the open sea and thus to certain death because such people run out of water, food and fuel. Meanwhile it was revealed that Relotius has faked a call for donations for the protagonists of his articles. He has apparently encouraged readers to donate money to the protagonists of his articles. The money however landed in his private account. [14] [15] [16] An editorial office can not verify everything. The human effort would probably be doubled. An editorial board can either check whether it is a biased or incomplete report as in the case of its reports from Fergus Falls or Syria. Or an editorial staff checks whether the events are possible as described as in the case of Lifeline or his interview with Traute Lafrenz. Relotius interviewed Traute Lafrenz on August 26, 2018 the last surviving member from the resistance organization Weiße Rose (White Rose). Lafrenz now lives in South Carolina and has spoken to Relotius about the events after the murder of Daniel H. on August 25, 2018 in Chemnitz. In the interview Lafrenz was reportedly shocked over the demonstrations in Chemnitz. This is implausible. It is absurd to assume that a 99-year-old woman in the US is informed about the regional events in Germany on the very next day. Meanwhile it is confirmed that these and many other passages of the interview are invented. [17] [18] [19]
Relotius has thus repeatedly written according to the opinion of the majority of the press. But by now only Relotius has been catched manipulating reports. So the questions remains as to how the press has become so biased and how many are still manipulating. According to a study on the views and voting behavior of journalists in Germany a quarter of the journalists choose the vote for the Green-Party. And almost half of the journalists choose the left-wing and Green parties. The conservative CDU/CSU and the marcet-liberal FDP account for only 9 and 7.4 percent respectively. Left and Greens are thus over-represented while other parties are dramatically underrepresented. So the opinion is already set. Relotius has also manipulated for this corresponding narrative. His colleagues Anja Reschke and Georg Restle from public broadcaste also suggest this. Both criticize the neutrality requirement for journalists. Both have called for journalism to report oriented on values and demonstrate their attitude. [20,S.18] [21] [22] Criticism of the press is therefore not just serving the wrong people. Because of the Relotius-affair it is even more important to say what is. If the truth supposedly serves the wrong people then something is odd about the right people.
see also:
[Commentary] Claas Relotius is no exception
[1] Der Spiegel 52 2018-12-22
http://www.spiegel.de/media/media-43950.pdf
[2] Laudatio von Patricia Riekel, ehemalige Chefredakteurin Bunte, für Claas Relotius 2017-10-16
https://www.dbk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/diverse_downloads/presse_2017/2017-171b-Preisverleihung-Kath-Medienpreis_Laudatio-Riekel.pdf
[3] Bürgerwehr gegen Flüchtlinge - Jaegers Grenze 2018-11-16
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/buergerwehr-gegen-fluechtlinge-in-arizona-jaegers-grenze-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000160834460
[4] Fans des US-Präsidenten - Wo sie sonntags für Trump beten 2017-03-29
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/fergus-falls-in-minnesota-in-der-kleinen-welt-der-waehler-von-donald-trump-a-1140600.html
[5] Fergus-Falls-Bewohner zum Fall Claas Relotius - "Zu perfekt, um wahr zu sein" 2018-12-21
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-fergus-falls-bewohner-im-interview-a-1245033.html
[6] Der Spiegel journalist messed with the wrong small town 2018-12-19
https://medium.com/@micheleanderson/der-spiegel-journalist-messed-with-the-wrong-small-town-d92f3e0e01a7
[7] Schicksale - Königskinder 2016-07-09
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-145742868.html
[8] Kinder aus Aleppo - Die Geschichte von Ahmed und Alin 2016-07-11
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/syrien-krieg-schicksal-von-waisenkindern-aus-aleppo-reportage-a-1102372.html
[9] Schicksale - Wie der IS aus zwei Kindern Attentäter machte 2017-02-22
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/islamischer-staat-wie-der-is-aus-zwei-kindern-attentaeter-machte-a-1135424.html
[10] "Bei Gott, ich hätte das nie schreiben dürfen" - Der Junge, mit dem der Syrienkrieg begann 2018-06-22
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/mouawiya-syasneh-der-junge-mit-dem-der-syrienkrieg-begann-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000158024647
[11] The Day After. Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria 2012-08-28
https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/the-day-after-democratic-transition-in-syria/
[12] US-Waffenlieferungen - Heikle Fracht aus Ramstein 2017-09-12
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/us-waffenlieferungen-heikle-fracht-aus-ramstein-1.3663289
[13] The Pentagon's $2.2 Billion Soviet Arms Pipeline Flooding Syria 2017-09-12
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/the-pentagon-s-2-2-billion-soviet-arms-pipeline-flooding-syria-09-12-2017
[14] Rekonstruktion der Irrfahrt von Rettungsschiff "Lifeline" - Der Kapitän weint 2018-06-06
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/lifeline-rettungsschiff-im-mittelmeer-der-kapitaen-weint-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000158265097
[15] people trafficking 2016-12-03
https://youtu.be/TbIc1LZqIAw
[16] Fall Claas Relotius - Reporter täuschte Leser offenbar mit Spendenaufruf 2018-12-22
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-reporter-taeuschte-leser-offenbar-mit-spendenaufruf-a-1245226.html
[17] Die letzte Überlebende der "Weißen Rose" im Interview - "Wir hatten keine Ahnung, wie allein wir waren" 2018-09-21
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/weisse-rose-die-letzte-ueberlebende-im-gespraech-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000159547649
[18] Kujau Relotius 2018-12-20
https://www.publicomag.com/2018/12/kujau-relotius/
[19] Letzte Überlebende der "Weißen Rose" - Lafrenz-Interview vom Fall Relotius betroffen 2018-12-20
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-weisse-rose-ueberlebende-traute-lafrenz-betroffen-a-1244756.html
[20] POLITIKJOURNALISTINNEN UND -JOURNALISTEN 2010-05
https://www.dfjv.de/documents/10180/178294/DFJV_Studie_Politikjournalistinnen_und_Journalisten.pdf
[21] Anja Reschke: "Dagegen halten - Mund aufmachen" NDR 2015-08-05
https://youtu.be/i9kv-rmvGKg
[22] Georg Restle 2018-07-03
https://twitter.com/georgrestle/status/1014133298245853184/photo/1
Relotius was catched because of the article Jaegers Grenze (Jaegers Border) a report about a vigilante group in the US against immigrants. Relotius has worked with his Spanish colleague Juan Moreno to report on the people who are on their way through Mexico to enter the US and those in the US who are against it. Moreno accompanied the migrant caravan on the Mexican side while Relotius was investigating the border guards. The article leaves out no cliche on both sides. On the one hand the trigger-happy xenophobes who can not distinguish Hungary from Honduras and on the other side are the needy and well-meaning migrants. Relotius was catched because Moreno noticed inconsistencies in the article. Relotius wrote of mountains where everything is flat, a media shy patrol leader who a few years ago was at the center of the documentary Cartel Land and an article beginning first with no alleged shots then with. After Moreno checked the inconsistencies he found out that allegedly conducted discussions never took place. Moreno risked his job with his behavior. All the more impressive is his effort. But even if the article were not manipulated it would still be biased and tendentious. The article could have dealt with the legitimate concerns of US citizens or mentioned that Mexico is already a safe country. But it did not. [3]
Relotius did not work with the stereotype of the hillbillys for the first time. In 2017 Relotius wrote an article about the small town of Fergus Falls in the United States. In it he serves the readership various fairy tales of the same kind. Allegedly the movie American Sniper has been running in the local cinema for two years, at the entrance to the town there is a sign saying Mexicans Keep Out, a school is protected with a metal detector and three armored glass doors and much more. None of that is true. In short the article mainly serves the prejudices about rural America. [4] [5] [6]
From 2016 to 2018 Relotius has written several articles about the war in Syria. In it he confirms how many of his colleagues the image of Bashar al-Assad as a barrel bomb-throwing dictator and the explanation of how the war broke out. One young boy in Syria painted a graffiti against the government one day and was arrested for it. In detention the boy was then tortured and the ensuing demonstrations became a civil war. A little boy in Syria had thus started a war with a graffiti. According to Relotius the rebels in Syria fight for freedom and justice. Relotius repeatedly wrote that al-Assad is recklessly murdering his own people and that's why people are suffering. However he does not provide an explanation for the rise of the IS. In his articles Relotius repeatedly cried crocodile tears. The immigration of Syrians as in the wake of the migration crisis of 2015 is therefore presented without any alternative and criticism of immigration was portrayed by him as illegitimate. [7] [8] [9] [10]
Relotius has adjustet his reports to fit the opinion of the majority of the press. Comprehensive reporting would at least have revealed the interests and actions of third parties. Even though Sunni Islam provides a fertile ground for religiously motivated violence there is more. Relotius or his colleagues could have reported on the project The Day After of the Foundation for Science and Politics (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik/SWP), Operation Timber Sycamore or the South Pars gas field. The SWP in Berlin is a foundation that advises the German Bundestag, the Federal Government and political decision-makers in Germany on questions of foreign and security policy. The SWP was founded on January 21, 1965 by the Bundestag and is funded by the Federal Government. The project The Day After is a strategy paper written by the SWP that provides a blueprint for the change of government in Syria. Operation Timber Sycamore was a covert operation to support rebels in Syria by the US, Saudi Arabian and Qatar governments. By it weapons, money and education were provided. And South Pars is a gas field in the Persian Gulf in the territory of Qatar and Iran. The South Pars gas field could be connected to Europe and make big profits because of the high purchasing power of Europe. However this would be to the detriment of Russia that currently supplies Europe with gas and oil and Syria is an ally of Russia. Interests against al-Assad tend to come from the anti-Russian lobbies in Europe and the US as well as some of the transit countries of a potential pipeline. And interests for al-Assad therefore come from Russia in order not to lose Europe as a customer. [11] [12] [13]
The narrative on Syria which is also used by Relotius continues in the reporting on the migration crisis. Relotius sympathetically reported with his colleagues on the ship Lifeline from Captain Claus-Peter Reisch. The crew of the Lifeline allegedly consists of respectable and unselfish rescuers who saved people who were in maritime emergency on their way to Europe. Relotius thus confirms the narrative of the righteous rescuers off the Libyan coast with out any alternative . However this is not a complete picture. The shortest route from the Libyan coast is over 200 km (125 miles) to the Italian island of Lampedusa. However Lampedusa can hardly be found without a tracking system and the next route from the Libyan coast is over 500 km (300 miles) to the coast of Sicily. In addition to the people the boats have to transport water, food and fuel for the entire crew. The boats that drive the people to Europe are always fully loaded with the crew and such a full boat can no longer carry water, food and fuel. But people are not rescued in the Mediterranean but collected directly off the coast. And instead of driving to the nearby coast people are brought to Europe. As a result ships like the lifeline of Claus-Peter Reisch behave more like people smugglers. Consequently the question arises as to how many people are lured to the open sea and thus to certain death because such people run out of water, food and fuel. Meanwhile it was revealed that Relotius has faked a call for donations for the protagonists of his articles. He has apparently encouraged readers to donate money to the protagonists of his articles. The money however landed in his private account. [14] [15] [16] An editorial office can not verify everything. The human effort would probably be doubled. An editorial board can either check whether it is a biased or incomplete report as in the case of its reports from Fergus Falls or Syria. Or an editorial staff checks whether the events are possible as described as in the case of Lifeline or his interview with Traute Lafrenz. Relotius interviewed Traute Lafrenz on August 26, 2018 the last surviving member from the resistance organization Weiße Rose (White Rose). Lafrenz now lives in South Carolina and has spoken to Relotius about the events after the murder of Daniel H. on August 25, 2018 in Chemnitz. In the interview Lafrenz was reportedly shocked over the demonstrations in Chemnitz. This is implausible. It is absurd to assume that a 99-year-old woman in the US is informed about the regional events in Germany on the very next day. Meanwhile it is confirmed that these and many other passages of the interview are invented. [17] [18] [19]
Relotius has thus repeatedly written according to the opinion of the majority of the press. But by now only Relotius has been catched manipulating reports. So the questions remains as to how the press has become so biased and how many are still manipulating. According to a study on the views and voting behavior of journalists in Germany a quarter of the journalists choose the vote for the Green-Party. And almost half of the journalists choose the left-wing and Green parties. The conservative CDU/CSU and the marcet-liberal FDP account for only 9 and 7.4 percent respectively. Left and Greens are thus over-represented while other parties are dramatically underrepresented. So the opinion is already set. Relotius has also manipulated for this corresponding narrative. His colleagues Anja Reschke and Georg Restle from public broadcaste also suggest this. Both criticize the neutrality requirement for journalists. Both have called for journalism to report oriented on values and demonstrate their attitude. [20,S.18] [21] [22] Criticism of the press is therefore not just serving the wrong people. Because of the Relotius-affair it is even more important to say what is. If the truth supposedly serves the wrong people then something is odd about the right people.
see also:
[Commentary] Claas Relotius is no exception
[1] Der Spiegel 52 2018-12-22
http://www.spiegel.de/media/media-43950.pdf
[2] Laudatio von Patricia Riekel, ehemalige Chefredakteurin Bunte, für Claas Relotius 2017-10-16
https://www.dbk.de/fileadmin/redaktion/diverse_downloads/presse_2017/2017-171b-Preisverleihung-Kath-Medienpreis_Laudatio-Riekel.pdf
[3] Bürgerwehr gegen Flüchtlinge - Jaegers Grenze 2018-11-16
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/buergerwehr-gegen-fluechtlinge-in-arizona-jaegers-grenze-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000160834460
[4] Fans des US-Präsidenten - Wo sie sonntags für Trump beten 2017-03-29
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/fergus-falls-in-minnesota-in-der-kleinen-welt-der-waehler-von-donald-trump-a-1140600.html
[5] Fergus-Falls-Bewohner zum Fall Claas Relotius - "Zu perfekt, um wahr zu sein" 2018-12-21
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-fergus-falls-bewohner-im-interview-a-1245033.html
[6] Der Spiegel journalist messed with the wrong small town 2018-12-19
https://medium.com/@micheleanderson/der-spiegel-journalist-messed-with-the-wrong-small-town-d92f3e0e01a7
[7] Schicksale - Königskinder 2016-07-09
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-145742868.html
[8] Kinder aus Aleppo - Die Geschichte von Ahmed und Alin 2016-07-11
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/syrien-krieg-schicksal-von-waisenkindern-aus-aleppo-reportage-a-1102372.html
[9] Schicksale - Wie der IS aus zwei Kindern Attentäter machte 2017-02-22
http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/islamischer-staat-wie-der-is-aus-zwei-kindern-attentaeter-machte-a-1135424.html
[10] "Bei Gott, ich hätte das nie schreiben dürfen" - Der Junge, mit dem der Syrienkrieg begann 2018-06-22
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/mouawiya-syasneh-der-junge-mit-dem-der-syrienkrieg-begann-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000158024647
[11] The Day After. Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria 2012-08-28
https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/the-day-after-democratic-transition-in-syria/
[12] US-Waffenlieferungen - Heikle Fracht aus Ramstein 2017-09-12
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/us-waffenlieferungen-heikle-fracht-aus-ramstein-1.3663289
[13] The Pentagon's $2.2 Billion Soviet Arms Pipeline Flooding Syria 2017-09-12
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/the-pentagon-s-2-2-billion-soviet-arms-pipeline-flooding-syria-09-12-2017
[14] Rekonstruktion der Irrfahrt von Rettungsschiff "Lifeline" - Der Kapitän weint 2018-06-06
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/lifeline-rettungsschiff-im-mittelmeer-der-kapitaen-weint-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000158265097
[15] people trafficking 2016-12-03
https://youtu.be/TbIc1LZqIAw
[16] Fall Claas Relotius - Reporter täuschte Leser offenbar mit Spendenaufruf 2018-12-22
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-reporter-taeuschte-leser-offenbar-mit-spendenaufruf-a-1245226.html
[17] Die letzte Überlebende der "Weißen Rose" im Interview - "Wir hatten keine Ahnung, wie allein wir waren" 2018-09-21
http://www.spiegel.de/plus/weisse-rose-die-letzte-ueberlebende-im-gespraech-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000159547649
[18] Kujau Relotius 2018-12-20
https://www.publicomag.com/2018/12/kujau-relotius/
[19] Letzte Überlebende der "Weißen Rose" - Lafrenz-Interview vom Fall Relotius betroffen 2018-12-20
http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/gesellschaft/fall-claas-relotius-weisse-rose-ueberlebende-traute-lafrenz-betroffen-a-1244756.html
[20] POLITIKJOURNALISTINNEN UND -JOURNALISTEN 2010-05
https://www.dfjv.de/documents/10180/178294/DFJV_Studie_Politikjournalistinnen_und_Journalisten.pdf
[21] Anja Reschke: "Dagegen halten - Mund aufmachen" NDR 2015-08-05
https://youtu.be/i9kv-rmvGKg
[22] Georg Restle 2018-07-03
https://twitter.com/georgrestle/status/1014133298245853184/photo/1
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