Top German news magazine Der Spiegel has fired one of its most successful journalists after it was discovered he had made up facts and sources in at least 14 articles he published over a seven-year period. (TVNewser)
The magazine’s disclosure, which came after a colleague raised concerns about a recent piece on supporters of President Trump in rural America, was made as Europe’s established media faces attacks by populist forces at home and abroad. (WSJ)
Der Spiegel said on Wednesday that reporter and editor Claas Relotius “falsified his articles on a grand scale and even invented characters, deceiving both readers and his colleagues.” (HuffPost)
Relotius, 33, contributed almost 60 articles published in print or online to the magazine since 2011. Before being hired by Der Spiegel, he worked for other German and Swiss publications and won the CNN Journalist of the Year award in 2014. (Business Insider / AP)
A spokesman for CNN said Thursday that the 2014 awards jury held a meeting after Der Spiegel went public with its investigation, and voted unanimously to strip Relotius of both awards. Forbes identified Relotius as a top reporter last year, including him on a “30 Under 30” list for European media. (CNN)