US broadcaster recants exposé on Apple assembly plants in China

A high-profile US radio show has recanted an exposé on conditions in plants assembling Apple products in China.

"This American Life," syndicated to 500 public radio stations in the US, caused a global sensation when it made allegations of under-age labour and toxic working conditions at a Foxconn operation in Shenzen.

But today the show's producers said the report contained a series of fabrications.

The original story was based on the experience of Mike Daisey who was "shaken" by a visit to Shenzen, and included a description of conditions there in a guest opinion piece about Apple he wrote for The New York Times on his return. (The paper today edited the piece, with an explanatory note on its website).

The situation was coloured by the fact Mr Daisey is a performance artist rather than a reporter.

His revelations about alleged life at Foxconn were made as part of his one-man two-hour New York stage show,  "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs."

This American Life decided to include the comments in a broadcast, which became the most-listened to in its 16-year history (and, ironically, its most downloaded podcast on Apple's iTunes).

Media worldwide - including TVNZ, which interviewed Mr Daisey on Close-Up, followed the US radio show's lead (a Mark Sainsbury interview with Mr Daisey is still online, as NBR types, here).

Mr Daisey's story began to fall apart when a rival radio station questioned his Chinese interpreter, who dispute elements of the performer's account.

Subsequently, Mr Daisey told This American Life producers that "In the theater, our job is to create fictions that reveal truth - that's what a storyteller does."

The producers did not take such a poetic line, instead releasing a statement saying the Apple report contained "substantial fabrications."

A special episode of the programme will air this weekend dedicated to detailing the report's errors.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook disputed the original report. However, his company did move to appoint outside inspectors to its Chinese partners for the first time.