The News clarifies on headline of its staffer's story

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 29 January 2017

The News has clarified a headline that was disowned by journalist Ansar Abbasi. This incident reflects a broader issue in handling sensitive political matters.

Summary

ISLAMABAD - In a bizarre response, The News clarified Sunday a headline of a story disowned by the journalist who filed it, reflecting a trend of making public matters which should have been handled internally.

Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations at the paper, did not agree with the headline of his story “Maryam Nawaz emerging as potential threat to PML-N rivals”, claiming in a tweet someone had tried to please the government by adding “flavor” to it.

The clarification stands by the headline but vaguely. It does concede that the story “misses attribution to PML-N leaders, who are quoted as saying this in the story” adding that the fact the Prime Minister’s daughter emerging as potential threat to political rivals “had better mention in the headline.”

The front page clarification informs readers that the “Editor” edited few parts of the story “according to the policy of the newspaper”.

Both Abbasi’s story and the clarification were published on the front page, indicating the seriousness of power play with which an internal matter has been made public. The clarification makes no mention of the allegation by Abbasi that “someone added flavor to please the rulers”.