US Ambassador in Berlin Richard Grenell has sent a letter to the editorial team of German magazine Der Spiegel, in which he expressed concerns over the media's "anti-American bias," accusations that have been swiftly challenged by the magazine.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd December, 2018) US Ambassador in Berlin Richard Grenell has sent a letter to the editorial team of German magazine Der Spiegel, in which he expressed concerns over the media's "anti-American bias," accusations that have been swiftly challenged by the magazine.Earlier in the week, Der Spiegel announced that one of its reporters, Claas Relotius, falsified his articles and distorted facts in his stories for years. The magazine extended its apologies to the readers.
"The recent revelations of completely fabricated stories, fictional people and fraudulent details in Spiegel over the last seven years are very troubling to the U.S. Embassy. These fake news stories largely focused on U.S. policies and certain segments of the American people. It is clear that we were targeted by institutional bias and we are troubled by the atmosphere which encouraged this recklessness," Grenell's letter, which was dated December 21 and published by the magazine on Saturday, said.
According to the ambassador, "while Spiegel's anti-American narratives have expanded over the last years, the anti-American bias at the magazine has exploded" since President Donald Trump took office.
Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dirk Kurbjuweit, in turn, thanked Grenell for the letter and apologized "to all American citizens who were insulted or denigrated" by fabricated articles produced by one of the reporters.
"I would, however, like to counter you on one point. When we criticize the American president, this does not amount to anti-American bias -- it is criticism of the policies of the man currently in office in the White House," Kurbjuweit replied in a letter, published by the magazine.
He stressed that "anti-Americanism is deeply alien to me and I am absolutely aware of what Germany has the U.S to thank for: a whole lot," and assured the diplomat that the magazine "harbors no institutional bias" against his country.
