The magazine “Sports Illustrated” is the subject of controversy after having published, then deleted, articles signed and accompanied by photos of authors… which do not exist.
“We have learned (that a third party) had asked authors to use a pseudonym in certain articles to protect the authors’ privacy – actions we do not tolerate – and we are removing the content while our internal investigation continues,” said a spokesperson for The Arena Group, which has operated “Sports Illustrated” magazine since 2019, according to CNN.
The company announced Monday that it had ended its partnership with the company AdVon Commerce, which created content for their platforms, after an investigation by the media Futurism revealed that certain articles were published under the name and photo of a non-existent author.
The fake authors were even accompanied by a description, describing them for example as someone who grew up on a farm, or as a “fitness guru, who loves trying different foods and drinks”.
“We continually monitor our partners and were in the middle of an investigation when these allegations were raised. AdVon assured us that all the articles in question had been written and edited by humans,” the spokesperson told the American media.
For the magazine’s employees, the publication of the investigation would have had the effect of a gut punch, while several staff members were said to have been “horrified” by the allegations, which could undermine the journalistic credibility of the publication, a raised the Union of “Sports Illustrated,” according to CNN.
“If true, these practices violate everything we believe in when it comes to journalism. We deplore being associated with something so disrespectful to our readers,” insisted the Union.
“In addition to the basic principles of honesty, trust, journalistic ethics, etc., I take seriously the weight of a Sports Illustrated byline (…) This report was horrifying to read,” stressed for her part Emma Baccellieri, editor of the magazine, on X.
Contacted by CNN, AdVon Commerce did not comment. The company had already found itself in hot water last October for similar allegations, this time on the Reviewed website, which is part of “USA Today”, according to the American media.
