Beirut - Saba:
Lebanon submitted an official complaint to the United Nations concerning the martyrdom of three journalists yesterday, Friday, due to an airstrike by the Israeli enemy that targeted their residence in Hasbaya, southern Lebanon.
The Lebanese Minister of Information in the caretaker government, Ziad Makari, stated during a press conference today, Saturday, that "the aggression against journalists is evidence that the enemy is not trustworthy," noting that "the media is a key partner in the war and Lebanon is greater than everyone; it must either rise to the level of responsibility or slide into internal conflicts."
He affirmed that "media freedom disappears when it is not accompanied by current professionalism in times of poor war," adding: "Today we are not in a civil war; rather, we are facing a war waged by the Israeli enemy against Lebanon after Gaza."
Makari read a document in which he called on journalists and media outlets to verify the enemy's crimes and report them to the world to prosecute "Israel" later, urging adherence to "journalistic ethics."
He also called for respect for Lebanese law and the necessity of describing "Israel" as the enemy, and "not using the terms employed by the enemy."
He emphasized the need to "refrain from communicating with Israeli accounts to avoid falling into the trap of normalization," demanding that "enemy sources not be treated as reliable sources."
The Minister of Information, Ziad Al-Makari, called for not being drawn into rumors aimed at spreading fear among citizens.
He urged to avoid being swayed by the enemy's false news and not to engage with it on social media, calling on "television administrations to conduct self-monitoring for the national interest."
He announced that the ministry "will start refuting every false news and that there will be a platform for that, managed by a team from the ministry to monitor all fake news that threatens civil peace."
He also urged Ziad Al-Makari not to be swayed by media messages that put the displaced at risk.
The Lebanese Minister of Information in the caretaker government emphasized that "the Ministry of Information is not responsible for punitive censorship, and it will not be a police force, and that 'our responsibilities are national responsibilities.'"
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