Reuters controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2021
Reuters deletes and corrects tweet, apologizes
Company response
In November 2021, Reuters deleted and corrected a tweet that promoted a story. The tweet had used a photo of Chinese soldiers that was unrelated to the story and prompted outrage in China. Reuters apologized for the offense the tweet caused. The incident is recorded as a controversy note concerning the news agency's social media posting.
After its tweet promoting a story used a photo of Chinese soldiers that was unrelated to the story and prompted outrage in China, Reuters deleted and corrected the tweet and apologized for the offense it caused.
Company response
Apology — Reuters
“As soon as we became aware of our mistake, the tweet was deleted and corrected, and we apologize for the offense it caused,” Reuters said in a statement to the Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper.
Clarification — Reuters
“As soon as we became aware of our mistake, the tweet was deleted and corrected, and we apologize for the offense it caused,” Reuters said in a statement to the Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper.
Source excerpt
“As soon as we became aware of our mistake, the tweet was deleted and corrected, and we apologize for the offense it caused,” Reuters said in a statement to the Global Times, China’s state-run newspaper.
The tweet prompted outrage in China, with people calling it racist on social media. Reuters responded on Friday night by deleting the original tweet because the photo of Chinese soldiers was unrelated to the story and “could have been read as offensive.”
2020
Myanmar army lawsuit against Reuters
Lawsuit filed
Myanmar police said the army had filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against Reuters over its report on the deaths of two Rohingya women. The army had disputed the report's account of responsibility for the deaths.
Source excerpt
Myanmar’s police said the army had filed a lawsuit against Reuters news agency and a local lawmaker for criminal defamation
2018
Myanmar imprisonment of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo
Two Reuters journalists were convicted under Myanmar's official-secrets law while investigating a massacre involving Rohingya civilians. Their convictions were widely criticized as an attack on press freedom, and both were released by presidential pardon in 2019.
2013
Dispute over climate-change coverage
Former Reuters climate correspondent David Fogarty said his specialist role had been abolished and criticized the organization's treatment of climate reporting. Reuters responded that it maintained dedicated climate coverage and had not changed its editorial policy.
1977
Allegations of cooperation with the CIA
Rolling Stone and The New York Times reported allegations, attributed to CIA officials, that Reuters had cooperated with the agency. Reuters rejected the allegation and said supporting evidence had not been provided.