In a statement on its website, the newspaper said it launched an “investigation into the work of reporter Gabriella Miranda” after receiving a request to correct an article written by the journalist and published by USA Today.
An internal investigation revealed that “some of the individuals mentioned were not affiliated with the institutions mentioned (in the articles) and they (the journalist) appeared to be fictitious,” the American newspaper reported.
USA Today also found that it was “not able to independently verify other people’s claims, and some articles contained claims that should have been attributed to other people.”
As a result, the newspaper removed 23 articles from its website and other platforms for “not meeting our editorial standards”, emphasizing that it does everything in its power to provide accurate and reliable content ”and expressing“ regret about the current situation ”.
“We will continue to strengthen our principles and methods of investigating and disseminating information,” the newspaper added. He published some basic policies for the press, including reviewing sources and facts.
USA Today published the titles of the removed articles on its website, stating that the said journalist had “resigned from a position as a reporter” for a newspaper affiliated with Garnet Group, the leading local newspaper in the United States. United.
In November 2019, Garnett sold $ 1.2 billion to another American media group, New Media Investment Group, to form a giant media organization with more than 250 different publications.
After becoming prosperous and highly diversified, the regional and local daily press in the United States paid a heavy bill due to successive crises, especially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. .
Also, scandals about plagiarism and fabrication of information in the last decade have rocked well-known newspapers, including the Washington Post and The New York Times, which culminated in the resignations of their respective journalists.
Source: Al-Akhbar
