A journalist admits having committed a “ unforgivable fault », as he writes himself, and draws the consequences. Denis Clerc, columnist for the monthly Economic alternativeshas decided to stop writing its monthly column, feeling that it has lost all credibility, after having made several errors in the last edition in January.
At the start, there is the auction of a barrel of wine, a grand cru from Burgundy, the proceeds of which must be donated in equal parts to the Institut Curie, which fights against cancer, and to Solidarité Femmes, which fights violence against women.
Amount of the sale: 800,000 euros.
There is then a donation of 5,774 euros to each of the two organizations. Two separate actions reported in two articles in the local press.
Except that the distinction escapes Denis Clerc, columnist for Economic alternativeswho makes a first error of assessment, thinking that the two operations are one and that this sale brought a lot to the seller, the prestigious Hospices de Beaune, and very little to the two associations.
The columnist did not fail to make fun of a charity sale that he considered very uncharitable.
But as Denis Clerc nicely writes, ” the vindicator was wrong “. Each of the two associations would receive 400,000 euros from the sale, to which were added donations of 5,774 euros.
And this error, Denis Clerc could have avoided it, he says, by checking his sources with a simple phone call to the director of Solidarité Femmes, whom he knew. He didn’t and mentions ” unpardonable professional misconduct “.
Not looking for an excuse, the journalist therefore chose to stop his column, in this magazine which he launched more than 40 years ago.
#ASIalu Yesterday, the founder of @AlterEco_, Denis Clerc, announced in his weekly column that it would be his last. Why ? He had made a significant and damaging factual error in the previous column, he explains.https://t.co/tW1XMI1a6j
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