Der Spiegel apologizes over fake news scandal

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Europe

Weekly German news magazine Der Spiegel published a 23-page special report on Saturday about how one of its award-winning reporters faked stories for years.

"Tell it like it is," wrote Spiegel on its latest magazine cover page, an allusion to the publication's motto by its founder Rudolf Augstein that also hangs at the entrance of its headquarters in Hamburg.

The scandal broke out when a colleague who worked with 33-year-old journalist Claas Relotius on a story about a vigilante group along the U.S.-Mexican border raised suspicions about some of the details in Relotius's reporting.

The colleague, after tracking down two alleged sources quoted extensively in the piece, found out that Relotius had habitually invented protagonists in his pieces.

Der Spiegel apologizes in a tweet. /Screenshot from SPIEGEL ONLINE English Twitter account.

Relotius had written for the magazine for seven years and won numerous awards for his investigative journalism, including CNN's journalist of the year prize in 2014. Earlier this month, he was named German Reporter of the Year for a story about a young Syrian boy.

He resigned on Thursday as the scandal brewed, admitting having made up stories and inventing protagonists in at least 14 out of 60 articles in the magazine's print and online editions.

The scam involved pieces ranging from a Yemeni prisoner in Guantanamo Bay to National Football League (NFL) star Colin Kaepernick damaged the reputation of the publication significantly.

In the 23-page special report, Der Spiegel said the deceit was the worst thing that can happen to an editorial team. It also apologized for the mistake and promised to do everything to boost its credibility again.

(With input from agencies)

(Top image: A general view of the offices of German newsweekly magazine Der Spiegel in Hamburg, December 20, 2018 /VCG Photo)