Network apologizes for 'gay shame' list which included Daniel Radcliffe, Cameron Diaz
Mon. September 29, 2014 10:30 AM by OnTopMag.com
An Arabic network has apologized for publishing a "gay shame" list of celebrities which incorrectly included Daniel Radcliffe and Cameron Diaz.
The Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) reaches roughly 150 million Arabic speakers worldwide.
Radcliffe, who is not gay, and Diaz, who has only said she's attracted to women, are listed among openly gay celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres and Ricky Martin in a so-called "list of gay shame" from a show called Scoop with Raya, which is hosted by Raya Abirached.
The article also incorrectly claimed that Elton John wore a wedding dress when he married David Furnish.
MBC apologized in a statement, saying the story "by no means was reflective of the site's editorial policy nor point of view," according to the UK's The Independent.
"[W]ithout prior verification of the facts of the story [a junior editor] plagiarized from another official site," the broadcaster explained.
"Regretfully, the editor in question had plagiarized the news off another Arabic website without factual verification of the article, therefore going against two of the major pillars of journalism: cross checking the validity of the news; and discrediting and not attributing the actual site from which the news was retrieved, causing a ripple effect of disciplinary action and investigative measures from the website's end towards the employee in question, who is now on probation, and continues to investigate any other source that reflects the same with such irresponsible behavior."
The Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) reaches roughly 150 million Arabic speakers worldwide.
Radcliffe, who is not gay, and Diaz, who has only said she's attracted to women, are listed among openly gay celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres and Ricky Martin in a so-called "list of gay shame" from a show called Scoop with Raya, which is hosted by Raya Abirached.
The article also incorrectly claimed that Elton John wore a wedding dress when he married David Furnish.
MBC apologized in a statement, saying the story "by no means was reflective of the site's editorial policy nor point of view," according to the UK's The Independent.
"[W]ithout prior verification of the facts of the story [a junior editor] plagiarized from another official site," the broadcaster explained.
"Regretfully, the editor in question had plagiarized the news off another Arabic website without factual verification of the article, therefore going against two of the major pillars of journalism: cross checking the validity of the news; and discrediting and not attributing the actual site from which the news was retrieved, causing a ripple effect of disciplinary action and investigative measures from the website's end towards the employee in question, who is now on probation, and continues to investigate any other source that reflects the same with such irresponsible behavior."
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine