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Der Spiegel reporter Claas Relotius sacked over 'invented' stories | Der Spiegel reporter Claas Relotius sacked over 'invented' stories |
(about 5 hours later) | |
German news magazine Der Spiegel has sacked an award-winning staff writer after accusing him of inventing details and quotes in numerous stories. | German news magazine Der Spiegel has sacked an award-winning staff writer after accusing him of inventing details and quotes in numerous stories. |
Claas Relotius "falsified articles on a grand scale and even invented characters", Der Spiegel said. | Claas Relotius "falsified articles on a grand scale and even invented characters", Der Spiegel said. |
Among the articles in question are major features that had been nominated for or won awards, the magazine added. | Among the articles in question are major features that had been nominated for or won awards, the magazine added. |
Relotius, 33, admitted deceiving readers in some 14 stories published in Der Spiegel, the magazine said. | |
In a statement on Wednesday, the German publication said it was working to establish the full extent of Relotius' "fabrications" after a colleague who worked with him on a story raised suspicions about his reporting. | |
After initially denying the allegations, Relotius confessed last week to inventing entire passages of text in several instances, Der Spiegel says. | |
In some articles, he is said to have included individuals he had never met or spoken to, "telling their stories or quoting them". | In some articles, he is said to have included individuals he had never met or spoken to, "telling their stories or quoting them". |
"By his own admission, there are at least 14 articles," the magazine said, adding: "Could that figure actually be considerably higher?" | "By his own admission, there are at least 14 articles," the magazine said, adding: "Could that figure actually be considerably higher?" |
Der Speigel said the reporter's actions were committed "intentionally" and "methodically". | Der Speigel said the reporter's actions were committed "intentionally" and "methodically". |
An investigation into a story by Relotius about immigration and the US-Mexican border revealed that he had fabricated information about seeing a hand-painted sign in a town in Minnesota that read: "Mexicans Keep Out." | |
Fraudulent information appeared in other stories including one about inmates at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay and another about the US NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. | Fraudulent information appeared in other stories including one about inmates at the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay and another about the US NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. |
Relotius, who joined the publication as a freelancer in 2011, told the magazine he regretted his actions and was deeply ashamed. | |
He has written some 60 articles for the magazine, many of which he has said are accurate. | He has written some 60 articles for the magazine, many of which he has said are accurate. |
The Hamburg-based publication, which has apologised to its readers, said it was "shocked" by the revelations, describing them as "a low point in Spiegel's 70-year history". | The Hamburg-based publication, which has apologised to its readers, said it was "shocked" by the revelations, describing them as "a low point in Spiegel's 70-year history". |