Case, Claas Relotius : The truth is exciting enough

For ten days, it is under Reporter colleagues is impossible to speak about something else than about this existential vibration. It is comparable with the knowledge of Catholics about the extent of the abuse in your Church: staff, reveals the doctrine. Ironically, in the Institution of the "mirror", which has for years claimed the sovereignty of interpretation in the Interpretation of the commandments of the report, someone needs this territory miss.

The culprit Claas Relotius is from day one of his unmasking as the forger of the "mirror" as brilliantly described. This is understandable. He must be brilliant, otherwise the internal "backup system", he has to run would look like, even dumber. But irritating way, has not lost Relotius the Status as a Hero. On The Contrary. Relotius is in numerous award ceremonies have been showered with praise. And how jinxed it is, of all things, to the withdrawal or return of these prices are even better: Relotius is now a genius.

"A genius of empathy" for Thomas Assheuer, describes in a "time"article that the whole Genre of Reportage have a Problem. A "genius of swindlers" for Steffen Klusmann, the designated editor-in-chief of the mirror, the need to educate as a first order of business this scandal.

If we are not careful now, takes the newly crowned genius of all the ideas of what can be a Reportage, with in his therapy sessions. Relotius, has now declared itself to the patient, was the representative of a high-bred special form of Reportage, it is so only in the "mirror", however, some disturbing assumptions have remained in the debate for a long time the most powerful journalistic genus unchallenged, the gaffes of Individual with the Actual confuse.

Relotius was no "Idol of a Generation."

About the assumption that the truth is too boring to be told. The report is somewhere between the editorial expectation and personal ambition of the author is manifest. That, and all of the reporters until the 19.12. would want to write like Relotius, but only so slightly as to approach the values achieved. That the Ideal of Reportage to be molded in Hamburg, where Relotius as "the Idol of a Generation" that he never was. But who nurtures the idea that there is in the report only a single, unique, tight idea of what is right and "in demand", provides without Hardship, the most diverse journalistic genre of Reportage to the knife.

A good report is not the author, but lays like a well-fitting glove to your theme. You can tell not only this, but also the conditions of their emergence. This flexibility of the shape makes it so powerful, it works as an amplifier of the content and the findings of the Research more weight. Logically, this power is full tool in the hands of the Wrong more damage.

Who is wrong, can reports a counter-statement request

you can be happy days in the Newspapers of this Republic refer to very different kinds of brilliant. You need to it, because their topics are different, and thus the respective challenges, and the way that a story "can be good" and a performance. The least caused by the way in chaotic war zones, but in a tightly networked society, in which lawyers about the privacy rights of their clients, guards and conversation partner your quotes authorize want. Anyone who is incorrectly displayed, you can demand a reply.

While a meticulous attention to detail in the Team to rummage through mountains of Files and the "Panama Papers" reveal, try other to understand what it means to be as a child in a children's home traumatized. One tries to understand a social flow, while a war reporter risking his life and another against the walls of a Lobby running. These different topics require different tones, and the Reportage, you can accept all. It is the freest Form of journalism, just not in the sense of free invention, but in its representation of reality.

The scammer is not a Symptom of the supposedly susceptible genus Reportage, but your a traitor. A report, which is lying, is simply no more.

With the fixation on Relotius as the spearhead of the spearhead of journalism could be overlooked, that most of the reports their prices to Differentiate to win, not for Underline. Henning Sußebach about working for "time", is estimated by reporters at least as Relotius – for completely different properties. In 2006, he regaled the only seemingly well-Known, the life of a bottle collector, so laconic, and rich in detail, until in it is a miracle of knowledge. Nannen Price. Many authors specialize in texts in which it reverberates never POPs, but for a long time.

The "true" story is not the "good" in the way

by the Way, this is quite usual reportage method creates a more unspeakable adoption, which is repeated in the Relotius debate constantly: the truth is too boring to be told. The "true" history, unfortunately, the "good" in the way of standing (and you must do her hair so well). The opposite is the case. In fact, the reality is it would be much more amazing twists and Details as you can provide the own limited imagination. If one is only willing to engage with it.

On the day after the last Federal election, I received the order to travel to the East to different places. Berlin was under the shock of the AfD results, perhaps, would be in the country for answers on how this came about. This question should also go to the village of Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany had the highest percentage of AfD voters: 47.4 percent.

locally, there was a strange mood. From the people, the Laughter broke out constantly, suddenly: this is an prank they had all played. They laughed about the reflex arriving Reporter with your blocks and send the car. You laughed at your "record". The mayor was, what it meant for him, the idea of "right". For years, the place is solid, the CDU had been area. For the results of the election, there were concrete reasons for this, including a feud with the circle city. The village of Chemnitz did not conform to the stereotype of the bitter foreign enemies. What a stroke of luck!

Journalistic integrity is the only Deposit

The editor was happy. Contrary to the debates-an impression confirmed not to be given at the end of clichés in order. Clichéd reporting bores good editors. It happens, also in this newspaper, from a lack of ideas, care or resources, but not required. It is under a journalistic point of view is always more interesting to break a stereotype, instead of describing it once more. Because it is new.

The format of a report, so could incorrectly conclude that those who followed only the Relotius debate would be between the "expectations" of an editorial and the personal ambition of an author. The most important point: The ratio of a reporter to his subject and his interlocutors. Because it is not found, if the author is from the outset a counterfeiters, the actual story. This is what determines what are to be the people price ready for use, and whether you trust one ever again. It is no small thing, to put his life story in the hands of a journalist, and your integrity is the only thing that can give you as a pledge.

You have. confidence every Time

Often it comes to sensitive issues Since the doctor, the tightening of the law on euthanasia is considering whether he can say that he supports the "death fast". As the mother of a victim from the breitscheid square, which is several weeks in the "daily mirror" to send, before deciding to Speak. The reputation of this developed trust is the most valuable thing a Reporter. You can destroy it Once and for all.

in Front of the still closed door of a mayor, whose village has just fallen into the suspicion of being a right-wing stronghold, incidentally, it is completely irrelevant whether one has ever won a prize. You have to win the trust each Time. There it is then, at this threshold, everything that happened before. The scorched earth left by Sensational, every abuse in the past. The Reporter gets every Time there is a direct mirror of what people think of "the media" and the particular Medium for which you work.

Causa Claas Relotius Designated mirror can contracts referred to in forgery case

there is no doubt that running already somewhere, someone for the film adaptation of the Story of the fallen hero warm. If you are looking for Relotius: He is now in the way of any reporter.