"Twice in the past few weeks we've been caught out by fake interviews. One involved a bogus Al-generated case study provided by a dubious PR outfit, the other a fake email purporting to come from a high-profile figure in US politics. The first hoax (which others fell for too) prompted not just ridicule but calls for the press regulator to launch a full investigation into standards. The second (our own exclusive, alas) led to a widely reported retraction and apology."
"There were red flags. An unknown PR company with no telephone number offering to put us in touch with an unknown expert who could be interviewed only via email was one. A well-known public figure expressing a view completely at odds with his previous statements, and doing it from a personal Gmail address, was another. We should have been on our guard."
Two recent incidents involved fake interviews: an Al-generated case study supplied by a dubious PR outfit and a fabricated email claiming to be from a high-profile US political figure. The first hoax prompted ridicule and calls for the press regulator to investigate standards; the second triggered a high-profile retraction and apology. Associate editor Ian Brunskill described both episodes as humiliating and said they caused serious damage to reputation. Identified red flags included PR companies with no telephone numbers, experts reachable only by email, and public figures using personal Gmail addresses to make statements inconsistent with prior positions. Staff were urged to apply basic verification questions and stricter due diligence.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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