It was almost exactly a year ago that SPIEGEL disclosed the counterfeits of Claas Relotius. Relotius was considered a great reporter talent, he was showered with prizes until it turned out that he had largely invented his stories.
More on this in SPIEGEL
Issue 52/2018
Say what is.
On our own account: How one of our reporters faked his stories and why he got away with itDigital edition Printed edition Apps | SUBSCRIPTION
Back then, we made the fraud case public in the form of a cover story and set up an independent commission to clarify how the forgeries could have occurred. And we promised to publish the Commission's final report.
Anyone who makes such a serious mistake must stand by it, no matter how embarrassing it becomes. We followed that. The report, which we published online and in the magazine, describes how our security mechanisms failed. This transparency was painful, but necessary. Because the fact that SPIEGEL, famous for its meticulous verification, had been exposed to a fraudster, would otherwise have made the case a feast for all those who suspect the media that they would spread fake news.
The case has changed us and German journalism as a whole. Firstly, because Relotius not only invented stories for SPIEGEL, but also in other media. Secondly, because he has discredited a style that is one of the most distinguished in journalism: the reportage. Much of what reporters experience on-site cannot be checked, or only partially. Relotius has now raised awareness of authenticity again. Today, there is hardly a journalist award that the jury does not look closely to see whether the narrative can be correct. Abolishing the reportage for fear of counterfeiting was not an option for us.
Download PDF
The Relotius case - final report of the Enlightenment CommissionPDF size: 472 kB
In order to prevent a second Relotius case, we have revised our journalistic standards for research, narration and verification and summarized them in a binding guide. We will set up an ombudsman office at the beginning of 2020, which will also accept anonymous reports of irregularities and, if necessary, will investigate them together with the information committee. As we currently do in the case of the roughly 26-year-old title story "Der Todesschuss" (SPIEGEL 27/1993) on the GSG-9 mission by Bad Kleinen.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Juan Moreno, our colleague who exposed Relotius. And with you, dear readers, for your loyalty to us, trusting that we will learn our lessons from this mistake.
Here you can discuss
