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The latest accusation against him is embezzlement [0]. Also, the Spiegel reporter who tried to unmask Relotius was threatened with a termination of his contract

by lqet 8y ago

The latest accusation against him is embezzlement [0]. Also, the Spiegel reporter who tried to unmask Relotius was threatened with a termination of his contract when he talked to supervisors about his findings. [1]. Also in the FAZ, there was a very good commentary on the whole case by one of the publishers [2]. He identifies the same narrative smoke-bombs ("story-telling kitsch") in the Spiegel's writeup of the whole case as in Relotius' original articles. [0] https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/betrug-beim-spiegel-claas-relotius-veruntreute-offenbar-auch-spendengelder-15955791.html https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/betrug-beim-sp... [1] https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/fall-relotius-spiegel-reporter-mit-rauswurf-gedroht-15954983.html https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/medien/fall-relotius-... [2] https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/ueber-die-faelschungen-von-claas-relotius-im-spiegel-15954144.html https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/ueber-die-fa...

the8472 8y ago
You often see complaints about this story-telling kitch here on HNs in response to many long-form articles garnished with many paragraphs of tangential location and people stories.
quonn 8y ago
I came across [2] as well, yesterday, and particularly liked the conclusion: Slightly improved Google translation: „One does not write about arguments, ideas and concerns, but about the people who supposedly have them and about how they are, how they look and how they live, where one has met them, how dangerous, or at least exotic it was to meet them at all, and that the wind lashed against the quay wall, when splendor and misery came together at night in the room no. such-and-such. But as long as one writes in such a way, because one thinks in such a way, the case of Relotius will only lead to appeals to conscience and to the condemnation of those without conscience. The underlying issue, the storytelling kitsch, will not change.“
- hopler 8y ago
  In USA this is called gonzo journalism, and artistic form that decimated journalism by replacing it with literature that is more fun to read and write but less useful.
- Fnoord 8y ago
  Could've been written about the con in general. I recently read a book about this called The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It Every Time by Maria Konnikova [1]. I can highly recommend it. [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387895-the-confidence-game https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387895-the-confidence-...
- 50656E6973 8y ago
  So basically ad hominem?

by lqet 8y ago

the8472 8y ago

You often see complaints about this story-telling kitch here on HNs in response to many long-form articles garnished with many paragraphs of tangential location and people stories.

quonn 8y ago

I came across [2] as well, yesterday, and particularly liked the conclusion: Slightly improved Google translation: „One does not write about arguments, ideas and concerns, but about the people who supposedly have them and about how they are, how they look and how they live, where one has met them, how dangerous, or at least exotic it was to meet them at all, and that the wind lashed against the quay wall, when splendor and misery came together at night in the room no. such-and-such. But as long as one writes in such a way, because one thinks in such a way, the case of Relotius will only lead to appeals to conscience and to the condemnation of those without conscience. The underlying issue, the storytelling kitsch, will not change.“

hopler 8y ago
In USA this is called gonzo journalism, and artistic form that decimated journalism by replacing it with literature that is more fun to read and write but less useful.
Fnoord 8y ago
Could've been written about the con in general. I recently read a book about this called The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It Every Time by Maria Konnikova [1]. I can highly recommend it. [1] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387895-the-confidence-game https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25387895-the-confidence-...
50656E6973 8y ago
So basically ad hominem?