The News on the front foot against Axact

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 19 May 2015

A New York Times report has accused Axact of selling fake degrees, prompting The News to prominently feature the story. The backlash against Axact, led by CEO Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, has drawn widespread attention and criticism from rival media sources.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: The New York Times story claiming that software compay Axact was involved in selling fake degrees was front page news in most national dailies Tuesday but bitter rivals The News massively played it up all.

The English-language paper of the Jang Group, The News ran a lead headlined: "Fake degree business - Pak company Axact cons billions: NYT."

The paper also devoted a full inside page to the story by Declan Walsh that caused quite a stir all day Monday.

Observers pointed out the kind of space given to The New York Times report went to show the bitterness that exists against Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, founder and CEO of Axact, who is on the verge of launching BOL, one of Pakistan's biggest media networks.

The Express Tribune of the Express Media Group, that Axact accused of being behind the NYT story, reproduced the news on the front page.

Dawn was measured in its display of the news while Daily Times ran a front page anchor.

Axact on Monday vowed to take legal action against The New York Times for the story it said was "baseless, substandard, maligning, defamatory and based on false accusations and merely a figment of imagination published without taking the company’s point of view."

KEY POINTS:

• The New York Times implicated Axact in a fake degree scandal.
• The News featured the story prominently on its front page.
• Axact plans to pursue legal action against the New York Times.
• Rival publications have varying responses to the allegations.
• Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh is launching a major media network called BOL.