Feb 20, 2026, 12:33 p.mFeb 20, 2026, 12:33 p.m
The German public TV broadcaster ZDF has dismissed its New York correspondent Nicola Albrecht with immediate effect after an incorrect report. Among other things, she reportedly used material generated with artificial intelligence (AI).
Since January 1, 2025, Nicola Albrecht has been head of the ZDF correspondent office in New York.Image: ZDF/Svea Pietschmann
The review concluded that “the violations of ZDF guidelines and journalistic standards are so serious,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
According to the information, the correspondent reported for the editorial teams “Mittagsmagazin” and “heute journal” about the fear of children in New York, among other places, about arrests by the US immigration authorities ICE. The article for the “Mittagsmagazin” was not objectionable, but was adapted by the correspondent for the “heute journal”.
“In the new version she used two video scenes from the internet,” the statement said. One scene came from a completely different context, the other scene was AI-generated.
ZDF: “The final editors should have noticed it when it was accepted”
ZDF explained that the AI-generated material should not have been used without journalistic justification and without classification. “A review of the other video scene and its origin, as required by journalistic standards, was not carried out,” it said. The final editorial team of the “heute journal” should have noticed this when the article was approved.
According to the announcement, ZDF editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten said that the core issue was the credibility of ZDF reporting. “We are currently developing a catalog of measures to ensure that the high journalistic standards to which we are committed are adhered to at all times and without restrictions.” (sda/dpa)