The Nation scrubs controversial article on US lawmakers after editor denies role

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 November 2024 |  JP Staff Report

The Nation removed an article regarding US lawmakers after editor Salman Masood denied any role in its publication. The article drew significant criticism for allegedly promoting conspiratorial narratives.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Nation has removed an article on the alleged sexual and religious profiling of 62 US Congress members who advocated for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The editor of The Nation, Salman Masood, denied involvement in the story’s publication, clarifying to DropSiteNews that he “was not involved in either assigning or editing this story.” Masood, also a New York Times correspondent, addressed these concerns after DropSiteNews published its story, titled "New York Times Says Partner's Antisemitism Is None of Its Business," questioning The Nation's editorial oversight.

In August, The Nation partnered with The New York Times to publish its weekend edition in Pakistan. The controversial story, published on October 26, drew criticism from DropSiteNews reporters Ryan Grim, Murtaza Hussain, and Waqas Ahmed, who argued that it promoted conspiratorial narratives targeting US Congress members, some of whom are Jewish and LGBTQ advocates.

Masood redirected DropSiteNews inquiries to Sana Iqbal, The Nation’s web editor, who clarified that the story had been highlighted across media outlets and was republished based on this context. Following the queries, The Nation removed the article from its website. However, DropSiteNews alleges that the article was published with Masood's approval, citing ex-reporter Israr Ahmed Rajpoot’s claim that no article is published in The Nation without Masood's consent. Rajpoot, reportedly dismissed after a dispute with Masood, accused The Nation of strict editorial oversight.