Nine’s Domain reporter sacked for fabricating quotes

Nine’s property listings company dismissed a junior journalist after investigation revealed she made up quotes in her articles.

Following an investigation, Domain found other articles by the journalist that did not meet the company’s “editorial standards”, said a spokeswoman for Domain. Picture: Domain

Nine Entertainment-controlled online property listings company Domain has sacked a junior lifestyle reporter after discovering she made up quotes as it continues to investigate hundreds of articles written over 18 months.

The Australian understands that the reporter is Kate Bartels, whose work appeared in Nine’s metropolitan mastheads, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, under a content sharing agreement.

A Domain spokeswoman said it had recently been alerted that two articles, which were published on July 18 and August, quoted Melbourne-based clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Barker. However, Dr Barker wasn’t interviewed for the articles and didn’t provide quotes, a Domain spokeswoman said Monday.

Following an investigation, Domain found that it wasn’t an isolated incident and has subsequently deleted all her work on its sites.

“The investigation has since found other articles by the journalist that did not meet our editorial standards,” she said.

“While the investigation is ongoing all articles by the journalist have been taken down.”

The journalist has since left Domain, and a retraction and apology was published on September 1, according to the spokeswoman.

However, Domain only issued a statement on Monday after it was reported by Nine’s metropolitan masthead in Sydney.

Domain’s editorial director Adrian Lowe issued an apology to its readers on Sunday.

“We were recently alerted that two lifestyle articles misrepresented someone as a source. When this became clear, we removed these articles and the journalist involved has since left Domain,” Mr Lowe said on Domain‘s site.

“Unfortunately, it soon became clear that this was not an isolated incident and the journalist had in fact misrepresented other people and their professions.”

Mr Lowe said it has started a “full investigation into all of the journalist’s work”.

The Australian has attempted to contact Bartels, who is in understood to be in her mid-20s.

During her final year at Deakin University in Geelong in 2017, Bartel was editor of its journalism student publication Dscribe, according to her resume, which can be found online. She also undertook some freelance writing for pop-culture news site Junkee Media, which is owned by outdoor advertising group oOh!media, and student discount website UNiDAYS.

Domain’s disclosure comes less than a month after the group’s net loss widened to $227.7m for the year to June 30 as its print and digital advertising revenue dropped during the coronavirus crisis.

Its underlying revenue dropped 10.5 per cent, with the group recording a $256.1m non-cash goodwill impairment charge related to its core digital division.

Nine owns a near 60 per cent stake in Domain, which is run by chief executive Jason Pellegrino.

Domain shares dropped 2.4 per cent to $3.62 on the ASX on Monday, while Nine shares closed 0.3 per cent lower at $1.64.