Published SourceSource / Evidence Document

Likely Mirror Source Forwards Confidential CEN Editorial Queue Material To BuzzFeed

This 31 March 2015 email chain shows Tom Phillips obtaining CEN story material from a redacted contact who appears likely to have access to internal Mirror editorial or picture-desk material, given that the examples supplied are Mirror stories. The document is significant because the contact forwards CEN-supplied copy and picture notes for several stories, while saying they are doing it manually because “it’ll probably look a bit dodgy if I just forward you all of them from here”, and Phillips replies that BuzzFeed is “keen to get as many stories they put out as possible” and that the contact could “mass-forward everything” so BuzzFeed could sort through it. This matters because the material being passed on was not merely public web content, but confidential agency copy and editorial-queue material, including CEN contact details, picture notes and story text. The chain also shows Phillips identifying particular stories where BuzzFeed was “particularly keen on proving they supplied copy”, including the naked snow shoot, the Lucita Sandoval story, the Chinese backpacker story and other examples. It should be read alongside the late-March screenshot/source-request documents and the rival-publisher contact strategy, because it helps document BuzzFeed using confidential material from inside a rival publisher’s workflow to build a case against CEN and against publishers that had used CEN material.

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

BuzzFeedCENMike LeidigTom PhillipsMirrorDaily Mirrorredacted sourcelikely Mirror sourceconfidential editorial queuepicture deskCEN copyCEN picturesmass-forwardsource materialrival publisherpublisher contactleaked materialLucita SandovalChinese backpacker storynaked snow shootsource verificationproof gaporiginal copyclient use contradictioncompetitor issuefake news narrativeinvestigation methodologylibel case evidence

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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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