US Ambassador Richard Grenell has criticized SPIEGEL over the Claas Relotius case and expressed "concern" that SPIEGEL's leadership "is forcing this type of reporting and the reporters are clearly delivering what management requires". He accuses the House of anti-Americanism, claiming that reporters and editors "regularly published information and reports that would have been untrue if the facts had been checked first with the help of the US embassy." Unfortunately, SPIEGEL journalists would "not even call us" before they write. We document the letter of the ambassador to the future editor-in-chief Steffen Klusmann and the answer of the house.
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Protest letter from Grenell to the SPIEGELPDF size: 384 kB
Dear Ambassador,
thank you for your letter. I answer you, because the allegations refer to a period in which Steffen Klusmann was not editor-in-chief of SPIEGEL. He will take over the business on January 1, 2019. For the past four years I have been deputy editor-in-chief and will answer you on behalf of the editor-in-chief, who retires on December 31.
In fact, one of our reporters has largely invented reports, including reports from the US. We apologize to all American citizens who have been insulted and vilified by these reports. We are very sorry. That should never have happened.
Here our security and control systems have failed. We work hard to clarify these issues and improve our procedures and standards.
Nevertheless, I would like to contradict you on one point. If we criticize the American president, it is not anti-Americanism, but criticism of the White House's policies. Anti-Americanism is deeply alien to me and I am fully aware of what Germany has to thank the United States: very much. There is no institutional bias against the US at SPIEGEL.
They suggest that there have been other reports of incorrect reporting on your country. Please tell us these cases, we'll go right to it.
Sincerely
Dirk Kurbjuweit, Deputy Editor-in-Chief DER SPIEGEL