Jutarnji Apologizes Over Fake Sanader Interview
ZAGREB - One of Croatia’s main newspapers apologized to Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Sunday after publishing an interview with him which turned out to be a fake.
“Although we had no reasons to question the authenticity of the published interview, we apologize to readers and prime minister,” the Jutarnji List independent daily said.
Saturday, the paper published a one-page interview with Sanader in which the premier answered questions related to Croatia’s bid to join the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
However, later Saturday the government issued a statement saying the interview was “completely invented” and the premier had had no contacts with editor Davor Butkovic, who was responsible for the interview.
Butkovic, a well-known Croatian political journalist and commentator, explained he had requested the interview via a mobile text message after which he received an answer to email questions. He said he published the emailed answers.
The paper said Sunday it was “conducting a thorough investigation” into the matter.
Meanwhile, another newspaper, the Vecernji List, published Sunday an interview with a 23-year-old man from Zagreb who said he was the “premier” with whom the interview was conducted.
The man said he thought the messages were a joke and answered the questions, adding that the email address from which he sent the answers was his private one.
“It all sounded so crazy. I just wanted to see how far it could go. I did not believe that they took me seriously,” he said.
The man said he was shocked when he saw the front page of the Jutarnji List announcing the interview with Sanader.
AFP
