Curbing Controversy: Austrian Newspaper Parts Ways with Clint Eastwood Interviewer
Austrian publication ends partnership with Clint Eastwood's authorship
In the midst of a stir, the Austrian "Kurier" bid adieu to Elisabeth Sereda, their freelance journalist, following a questionable interview with Hollywood icon, Clint Eastwood. Eastwood himself debunked the interview, branding it as a "pure fabrication." Although the quotes weren't entirely fabricated, they were woven together from past interviews Eastwood had given to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), an organization where Sereda was a member.
On the eve of Eastwood's 95th birthday, the "Kurier" published an interview, which swiftly circulated across various media outlets. However, Eastwood didn't recognize the interview or the medium where it was published. The "Kurier" conducted an investigation posthaste and confirmed Eastwood's claim. As a response, they decided to sever ties with Sereda.
In a declaration posted on their website, kurier.at, the newspaper acknowledged, "At the KURIER, we strive for unparalleled quality. Upon learning the allegations against Elisabeth Sereda on Tuesday, we sought clarification from her. Sereda holds decades of experience in Hollywood, having interviewed the biggest stars for ORF, Kronen Zeitung, and KURIER as a freelancer for a decade. She is also part of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Therefore, we had no reason to doubt Sereda's interview with Eastwood."
A Prolific Past
The statement further elaborated, "Interviews with the stars are often conducted in a group format by foreign journalists, allowing for each journalist to convert the conversation into their respective medium or sell it to multiple outlets. Sereda has convincingly claimed that she has spoken to Eastwood 18 times in round-table discussions." However, no such interview or round-table discussion occurred this time. Instead, the journalist pieced together a purported new interview using data from past interviews.
Although it wasn't an issue as a birthday profile, the lack of a disclaimer for a question-and-answer interview created an impression of a new interview. This didn't align with the quality standards maintained by the KURIER. "Even though the quotes were not invented, and the interviews are documented, we will no longer collaborate with Elisabeth Sereda in the future because transparency and our stringent editorial standards are our top priority," the statement concluded.
Though the newspaper rejects the accusation of fabrication, as no specific quotes were invented and the interviews are well-documented, they've decided to discontinue their relationship with Sereda due to concerns about transparency.
How It Unfolded
Sereda herself addressed the accusations in an interview with ORF. "Clint Eastwood has openly denied giving an interview to the 'Kurier' and being unfamiliar with the medium. That's accurate," she affirmed in the early-morning interview. Instead, Eastwood has given numerous interviews to the HFPA, for which Sereda works. Conducting a 'best-of' compilation for special occasions is not uncommon.
When confronted with the charge of insufficient transparency, Sereda acknowledged it could have been the underlying problem. However, she emphasized that the interview was never marketed as "new" or "exclusive." Sereda shared that she had formally interviewed Eastwood on 14 occasions, the last one before the pandemic.
The separation by the "Kurier" is unfortunate, asserts Sereda, expecting more loyalty after decades of collaboration and for them to acknowledge their oversight, given that they were aware she hadn't conducted an interview with Eastwood close to the deadline. Furthermore, there are now allegations that sections from earlier interviews of Sereda with stars like Ben Affleck and Jude Law were borrowed from other interviewers' conversations. When queried about this, Sereda reminded that questions frequently repeat during a promo day and that, during roundtables and press conferences, several journalists are present, all equally entitled to the same content.
Sources: ntv.de, nan
- Clint Eastwood
- Hollywood Foreign Press Association
- Austria
"Despite their long-standing relationship, the 'Kurier' has chosen not to collaborate with Elisabeth Sereda anymore due to concerns over transparency, even though her interviews with celebrities, including Clint Eastwood, are well-documented from past events."
"In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the Clint Eastwood interview, there are now allegations that Sereda may have borrowed sections from other interviewers' conversations with celebrities like Ben Affleck and Jude Law, raising questions about the originality of her entertainment journalism."
