Published SourceSource / Evidence Document

Silverman CEN Memo Labels KFC Story “Confirmed Fake” And Builds “Pattern Of Behaviour” Case

This document is the printed version of the “CEN memo” attached to BuzzFeed_001485, prepared by Craig Silverman under the subheading “pattern of behaviour” as part of BuzzFeed’s investigation into Central European News and Journalism Without Borders. It is included in the Source Library as source/evidence material connected to the BuzzFeed/CEN case, the development of BuzzFeed’s allegations against CEN, and the attempt to connect disputed viral stories with Michael Leidig’s wider charity/public-interest project. The memo treats the Chinese KFC story as a “confirmed fake” and uses that conclusion to argue that the quoted material must also be fake, highlighting phrases such as “stop off” and “off sick” as supposed red flags because Silverman considered them unlikely wording for a Chinese woman in her twenties. It is relevant because it shows Silverman building a broader “pattern of behaviour” case from online debunking assumptions, translation/language judgments and selected Chinese-story examples, while later material in the same evidence chain shows the KFC story had not in fact been securely resolved as fake and that Alan White later thought the KFC woman’s quotes looked legitimate.

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 NewsCraig SilvermanCEN memopattern of behaviourJournalism Without BordersJWBKFC storyChinese storiesTan ShenJiang Li Lungfake storydisputed quotesstop offoff sicktranslation issuelanguage assumptionssource 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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