World

Danish TV Fires Star Reporter for Iraq War "Manipulation" Broadcasts

by PEP | September 4, 2007 at 06:32 am

471 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

The reliability of journalists is a key component of professional journalism. In this case, the reporter, Jeppe Nybroe, mis-reported troop locations and also added in repeating sound effects.

Was the first a mistake or deliberate? In the second incident, was the sound editing deceptive?

His employer nixed both actions, and also said that Nybroe denied editing when questioned.

Now he's out of a job.

False TV broadcasts from Iraq have led national broadcaster DR to terminate its contract with its up-and-coming star, Jeppe Nybroe.

Growing evidence revealed that on two separate occasions, Nybroe had manipulated his reports from Iraq to make them more dramatic.

DR first reprimanded Nybroe in August for a misleading report in which the 34-year-old reporter said he could see the last Danish troops withdrawing from Iraq. In reality, the troops were on their way back into Iraq on a patrol.

While DR was investigating the case, Jyllands-Posten newspaper caught wind of another occasion in which Nybroe edited the same background explosion so it sounded three times to create additional effect.