Slaves, Lies and Videotape

We reveal how, in 2016, Sky News broadcast false content about a possible sale of arms from a gun-running gang in Romania. The UK broadcaster claimed the weapons were being trafficked from Ukraine and could be used in terrorist attacks in Western Europe. In fact, the weapons were of no use to terrorists, and one was even marked 'Made in Romania'. The 'smugglers' included a landlord and part-time hunter, and an account manager for the British phone company Vodafone. They thought they were acting in a documentary.

We also disclose the fact that Sky News broadcast a false interview in Russia with a supposed mercenary for a Kremlin-backed paramilitary force that undertook an offensive on the city of Palmyra in Syria. In fact, he was a hired actor who informed us that he had told the Russian crew many falsehoods, which they understood and found amusing. He also stated that he had never been to Syria.

Another Sky News broadcast from 2015 showed a supposed ex-Jihadist in Syria who witnessed the killing of a Japanese journalist by ISIS, which also caused us concern.In Turkey, we found a journalist who had interviewed the same man and believes it is highly likely that he was fabricating the story for financial gain.The journalist told us: "He could be a family member of the person who was arranging the interview for large sums of money. Any Syrian could say those things after getting that much money."

Our strategy was to forensically analyse media with false content, and then interview every person involved in the creation of the articles or broadcasts, wherever possible.

The evidence gathered calls into question the veracity and ethical standards of the satellite TV station's major exclusives.

However, if the media group is not taken to court and the British media watchdog finds no wrongdoing, the status quo will remain.

We also examined other UK media outlets.In November 2016, British tabloid The Sun published an investigation into the alleged presence of "child slaves" assembling Kinder Egg toys in Romania.We travelled to the town where the alleged "slavery" took place and spoke to the accused family, the labour inspectors, the social workers and the council leaders. Our findings revealed no evidence of "slavery". The family has since faced persecution and ostracism, but feels that it cannot take on the might of a British media empire to seek a right of reply or justice in court.

The Sun's journalism is part of a post-revolutionary media narrative that plagues Romania, portraying it as a source of prostitution, labour and human trafficking, exploitation and slave work. This narrative contributes to a media agenda that believes EU expansion is a failure.

Romanian journalists have reported numerous instances of unprofessional behaviour on the part of their British counterparts, including the distortion of interviewees' voices to reflect personal biases, the sensationalist presentation of non-relevant footage of slums and poverty, and the failure to verify the authenticity of interviews arranged by local fixers. This behaviour suggests a coordinated effort to create a negative impression of the country.

As a former tabloid journalist explains: In relation to stories about issues in foreign countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, tabloid newspapers are free to write what they want. The question of whether Romanians and Bulgarians will complain or take legal action is irrelevant. Standards of verification have dropped to a lower level than at home, and Romanians and Bulgarians are treated more poorly than anyone else because they are so far away.