Forbes removes a defamatory article about UOC support action in Washington

Forbes headline before the article was edited and then completely removed. Photo: UOJ-USA

Forbes has removed a publication in which participants in a Day of Action on Capitol Hill in the United States were called “Kremlin agents.” The UOJ-USA editorial office reported this.

Initially, the Forbes piece was published under the headline “Russian Orthodox Church Brings Kremlin Propaganda Campaign to Capitol Hill.” After the email from the Society of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco to Forbes' editorial team, the title was changed to "The Russian Orthodox Church Wants a Ukrainian Law Repealed."

However, much of the distorted information contained in the article prompted a follow-up email from the Society of St. John demanding a retraction, correction, and apology. In the end, the publication was deleted altogether.

The Society pointed out a misleading photo used with the article depicting Moscow Patriarch Kirill and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had no connection to the organizers. In their letter to the Forbes editors, the Christians emphasized that all participants in the meeting on Capitol Hill are U.S. citizens from jurisdictions of the Orthodox Church in America, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and the Antiochian, Serbian, and Greek archdioceses.

Moreover, there was no one sent by the Russian Orthodox Church – which is headquartered in Moscow – to attend the Day of Action. There was not even a single person who traveled from outside of the United States.

“We appreciate that Forbes has removed its defamatory article; however, this action alone is insufficient," the Society of St. John said in a statement. "If Forbes intends to uphold the standards of a reputable news organization, it must take responsibility by correcting the record, issuing a formal apology to the Society of St. John for the defamatory claims, and acknowledging to its readers that they were misled by false and inflammatory rhetoric. The American public deserves better.”

As the UOJ previously reported, a lobby tied to Ukraine’s authorities in the United States called actions in defense of the UOC a threat.

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