After the discovery that fake videos were used in a segment of the “Heute‑Journal” the ZDF announced personnel action. An internal review found that the violations of the network’s guidelines and journalistic standards were grave enough to warrant the immediate dismissal of New York correspondent Nicola Albrecht, the broadcaster said Friday.
Albrecht had produced a piece for the “Mittagsmagazin” and “Heute‑Journal” teams reporting on children’s fears-particularly in New York-about detentions carried out by the ICE authorities. In the version destined for “Heute‑Journal” she inserted two clips sourced from the internet: one taken from a wholly unrelated context, the other created by artificial intelligence.
According to ZDF, the AI‑generated clip should not have been used without proper journalistic justification or labeling, in violation of the network’s internal rules governing AI‑derived content. The required editorial check of the other clip and its origins was not performed. The “Heute‑Journal” editorial team should have flagged the AI‑generated sequence when approving the segment.
“The damage caused by ignoring journalistic rules is substantial” Chief Editor Bettina Schausten said. “Ultimately, this is about the credibility of our reporting. We are developing a comprehensive action plan to ensure, with full force, that the high journalistic standards to which we are committed are upheld at all times and without exception”.