“Lebanon Debate”
The story published by “Nidaa Al-Watan” newspaper regarding Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s failure to respond to phone calls made by “Democratic Gathering” member MP Wael Abu Faour was dropped after the Progressive Socialist Party’s Information Commission categorically denied what was reported in the newspaper.
The Commission confirmed that the published allegations are “untrue and have no connection to reality,” calling on journalists and media outlets to be accurate and obtain information from reliable sources, to avoid publishing misleading narratives that are not based on correct data.
As a journalist, this clear denial puts “Call of the Nation” facing a professional crisis that cannot be overcome by ignoring. The newspaper did not publish a marginal detail, but rather presented a political narrative related to the Prime Minister’s relationship with one of the representatives of the “Democratic Meeting,” before the official response came to completely demolish it.
When news is based on alleged communications and situations that did not happen, the problem becomes more than a passing error. It is a problem with verification, the quality of sources, and the ease of transforming unproven narratives into political material ready for publication.
It would have been better for the newspaper to confirm the two parties involved before publishing the news, rather than put its readers in front of a story that did not stand up to the first official statement. Whoever demands transparency and accuracy from others should start first from his newsroom.
