Published SourceSource / Evidence Document

March 2015 CEN Draft Still Built Around Justin Bieber Bear Story

This document is a 13 March 2015 BuzzFeed email with the subject “CEN Draft”, attaching an early draft of BuzzFeed’s planned article about Central European News. It is included in the Source Library as source/evidence material connected to the BuzzFeed/CEN case and the examination of how BuzzFeed’s article was built before publication. It records that, even at this advanced stage of the investigation, the Justin Bieber bear story still appeared to be the central evidential example around which BuzzFeed was trying to build its wider narrative against CEN. It is relevant because it helps show that, despite months of work by BuzzFeed staff, informants and outside contacts, the team still appeared to have found nothing stronger than the original Bieber story that had brought Craig Silverman into the process, raising questions about the evidential basis for the much wider fake-news narrative later published.

Source

Part of Central European News & Mike Leidig v BuzzFeed (US Second Circuit Libel Case) – BF Case Documents

Europe Media Published 1 May 2026 at 21:09 Source: 1 November 2016

Tags

BuzzFeedCENCentral European NewsCEN Draft13 March 2015Justin Bieber bear storyCraig SilvermanAlan WhiteTom PhillipsHeidi Blakeevidential basisnarrative developmentsource evidencedisclosurefake news narrative

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Reference / Evidence Only — not licensed for reuse

Credit: newsX

These documents are made available as source material connected to the Central European News and Mike Leidig v BuzzFeed libel proceedings and the related book. They are provided for reference, research, and evidential context only. No reuse licence is granted by the uploader, and any further use is the responsibility of the person using the material.

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