The DOC Research Institute has filed a complaint about two recent articles on Der SPIEGEL that paint a false and defamatory picture of the DOC and the people involved with the organisation. The complaint was submitted by DOC CEO Jean-Christophe Bas, and details a number of factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations in the articles, which also present a number of baseless allegations as though they were fact.
The DOC engaged with Der SPIEGEL in good faith when approached by the outlet, providing substantive and detailed information against a tight deadline requested by the journalists. Regrettably, the final articles that were produced failed to reflect the DOC’s position or give an accurate picture of the think tank’s activities. The journalists also ignored supportive comments regarding DOC activities provided by informed third parties, preferring instead to rely on gossip and insinuation from “experts” who have had zero engagement with the DOC.
The DOC believes that the articles fall far short of the standards of fair and ethical journalism enshrined in the German Press Code and Der SPIEGEL’s own Standards. As Der SPIEGEL has consistently demonstrated a lack of good faith and no intention of abiding by commonly accepted rules of fair reporting, the DOC has taken the decision to make public a copy of its letter to the Press Council.
The full text of the DOC´s complaint to the German Press Council can be read here:
DOC Research Institute complaint regarding SPIEGEL articles_25.08.2020
