Reuters Faces Backlash Over Hot Mic Footage Removal
When world leaders Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China were recorded on a hot mic discussing organ transplantation for life extension during a Victory Day Parade on September 3, Reuters recognized it as a significant story. The conversation raised eyebrows as it hinted at ideas surrounding immortality.
However, just two days after releasing the footage, Reuters pulled the video from its website, retracted it from their wire service, and removed clips from their social media accounts. The decision followed a takedown request from China Central Television (CCTV), the Chinese state-controlled broadcaster that licensed the footage to Reuters.
CCTV’s lawyer, HE Danning, demanded that Reuters take down the video, arguing it misrepresented the facts within the licensed material. In compliance, Reuters acknowledged the request and confirmed that it removed the video from its platforms, including a ‘kill’ order to clients who rely on Reuters for news content.
The original article from Reuters now carries a note indicating that the “story has been corrected to withdraw videos, with no changes to text.” This includes not only the full four-minute video but also a 38-second clip that had been shared across social media channels like TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Despite the retraction, a podcast episode featuring a short audio clip from the exchange remains available online.
While the original footage has been deleted, it continues to circulate elsewhere, albeit with varying clarity. CCTV’s YouTube version of the event plays over the announcer and music, which somewhat obscures the crucial discussion between Xi and Putin about life extension. In the earlier TikTok post, the two leaders appeared friendly while discussing claims of “immortality.” Xi remarked, “In the past, people rarely lived beyond 70 years, but today they say that at 70 you are still a child.”
Following the removal, an English-dubbed video recorded by RT, a Russian state-funded outlet, surfaced online, featuring similar translations of their comments. Putin confirmed, “Human organs can be continuously transplanted. The longer you live, the younger you become and even achieve immortality.” Xi added that some predict humans may reach up to 150 years of age in this century.
Reuters maintained its commitment to journalistic integrity, stating, “We stand by the accuracy of what we published,” despite the legal reasons prompting the removal of the footage. The company, while actively engaging in business operations in China, remained reticent about whether these interests influenced their compliance with the takedown request. Critics argue that yielding to such demands undermines press freedom, emphasizing the need for international news organizations to remain steadfast against censorship.
