NEW YORK: NBC News said Monday that it had changed 11 articles written for its website over the past year after they were found to contain information taken from other news organizations without attribution.
The reporter involved, Teaganne Finn, is “no longer employed with the company,” a spokesman said Monday.
NBC News informed readers in an editor’s note posted Monday. Separate notes were placed on each of the stories to say the plagiarized information, in each case background material not central to the article, had been removed from the pieces.
For example, a Feb. 8 story about child tax credit negotiations in Congress contained information about child tax payments and Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to a proposal that “were not properly attributed to their original source and did not meet our standards for original material,” NBC said.
NBC News discovered the plagiarism during a review of the reporter’s work and had not been tipped by an outside source, the spokesman said.
NBC says it found 11 instances of plagiarism in web articles
https://arab.news/c4hva
NBC says it found 11 instances of plagiarism in web articles
Saudi content creator is among 50 chosen for new TikTok Change Makers program
- 4 creators from region chosen for 6-month initiative spotlighting users who use TikTok to ‘create meaningful change in their communities’
DUBAI: A content creator in Saudi Arabia is one of 50 from around the world chosen by TikTok to take part in its new Change Makers program, which the company said will spotlight creators and non-profit organizations “who create meaningful change in their communities” through their use of the short-form video platform.
During the six-month initiative, TikTok will support selected creators by helping them reach wider audiences and build greater engagement on the platform. It will also offer them assistance with real-world opportunities in the form of dedicated tools and by providing resources and donations.
The platform has chosen 50 creators from around the world, including four from the Middle East and North Africa region, to participate in the new program. Abdullah Al-Alawi, a dentist in Saudi Arabia who uses TikTok to share health-related information in a fun and lighthearted manner, is one of them.
“I’m passionate about spreading content about health, giving back to the community and the environment,” he told Arab News.
Social media “has broken down old barriers, making it easier to reach more people, quickly” and “become a bigger part of our lives,” he added.
Al-Alawi said his main purpose when creating content is “delivering an impactful and positive message that can be beneficial to the community.”
Ensuring such helpful information gets noticed among the mass of content on social media is a challenge, he added, but creators nevertheless have a “big role and responsibility” to provide it and try to make sure it reaches as wide an audience as possible.
“The way people learn has changed and they rely a lot more on social media for updates and getting answers,” Al-Alawi said.
“It’s part of my responsibility, as a content creator, to share my experiences and provide reliable information.”
The other creators in the region chosen for Change Makers are: UAE-based Dr. Jana Bou Reslan, a university lecturer who teaches educational psychology; Abdullah Annan from Egypt, known as “The Arab Science Guy” on TikTok, who makes videos that explain scientific concepts in simple terms; and Mai Gamal, also from Egypt, who is a certified nutritionist and health coach.
As part of the program, TikTok has launched the Change Makers Grant, through which it will donate over $1 million to more than 30 global and local non-profit organizations. The company will also make a $25,000 direct donation on behalf of each of its chosen Change Makers to a non-profit of their choice.
“We’re proud to launch the TikTok Change Makers program to help social-impact creators and non-profit organizations reach more communities, unlock real-world opportunities, and bring about lasting, meaningful change,” said Kim Farrell, the platform’s head of creators.
Riyadh Season’s ad campaign wins Sports Emmy award
- “Battle of the Baddest: Rumble” has been recognized in the Outstanding Promotional Announcement category
LONDON: The Riyadh Season “Battle of the Baddest: Rumble” advertising campaign has scooped a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Promotional Announcement category.
The 45th awards took place on Tuesday at the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in New York City, US.
The promotional campaign, crafted by creative agencies Droga5 and Accenture Song, was created for last year’s boxing match between former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
The event, which took place in October, was one of the highlights of Riyadh Season and garnered 12 awards from 32 nominations at international creative festivals.
The campaign was developed in collaboration with the General Entertainment Authority, Saudi Media Group, American sports channels ESPN and ESPN+, and production company Park Pictures.
Scott Bell, chief creative officer at Droga5 NY, described the project as “a labor of love.”
“It’s deeply gratifying to see it resonate so profoundly,” he said during the ceremony. “Our team at Droga5 and Accenture Song, along with our amazing partners, poured their hearts into creating something truly special.
“This win is a testament to the power of creative collaboration and the enduring appeal of storytelling in sports.”
He also thanked the team at Riyadh Season, SMG, and Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the GEA, for their support.
Alalshikh’s Instagram account shared a link to the advert on YouTube and described the Sports Emmy achievement as “exceptional.”
The 90-second film is inspired by an old boxing saying, “Living rent-free in your opponent’s head,” which depicts the intense psychological and physical preparations by contenders before a fight.
The campaign’s creators and the GEA have won several other accolades, including from The One Show, the ADC Awards, The Clios, The Andys, the Shots Awards, and at Dubai Lynx, where they won three Grand Prix, two golds, five silvers and three bronzes.
Telly Awards names Asharq Network the ‘Telly Company of the Year!’ for 2024
- Asharq Network wins over 100 awards across gold, silver, and bronze categories
RIYADH/DUBAI: Asharq Network, the leading multi-platform Arabic news provider, has once again been recognized for its commitment to excellence, winning 117 awards, including 12 gold, 49 silver, and 56 bronze, at the prestigious ‘Telly Awards’. Notably, the network was named “Telly Company of the Year”.
Established in 1979 in the United States, the ‘Telly Awards’ celebrate excellence across a wide range of categories, from traditional cable television commercials to cutting-edge digital content. Major international brands and companies such as CNN, Fox News, HBO, and Time Warner, also actively participate in these prestigious awards.
The prominent awards recognize Asharq Network’s ingenuity in covering the biggest stories that go ‘Beyond the Frame’.
Since its launch in 2020, Asharq Network has established itself as a leading Arabic multi-platform, earning over 150 global and regional awards for its high-quality programming and content.
In 2023, Asharq Network significantly expanded and diversified its portfolio by adding new audio and video platforms to meet the evolving demands of Arabic-speaking audiences. This included the launch of Asharq QuickTake, Asharq Podcasts, Asharq Documentary, Radio Asharq with Bloomberg, and Asharq Discovery in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. This expansion has further solidified the network's position as the fastest-growing news platform on social media.
Asharq Network competed against a record-breaking 13,000 entries from 5 continents.
In addition to being named the “Telly Company of the Year”, the network’s brands won several other prominent awards. Asharq Business with Bloomberg received a Gold, a Silver and three Bronze Awards in the Video Journalism category for the “Asharq Business with Bloomberg Tech+” show. The “Asharq News Conflict in Darfur Story” won three Silver Awards in the Explainers category, and its coverage of ‘COP 28’ earned two Silver Awards in the Show Opening Segment category.
Asharq Documentary, Asharq Discovery and Asharq Podcasts also won prestigious ‘Telly Awards’. Moataz Aziaza’s documentary promo on Asharq Documentary and the idents on Asharq Discovery were both recognized for their excellence. Additionally, ‘Asharq Podcasts Launch Promo’ won multiple awards in the Promotional Video Editing category.
Nabeel Alkhatib, General Manager of Asharq News, commented: “Being named the ‘Telly Company of the Year’ is a testament to the dedication and creativity of the entire Asharq Network team. This achievement reaffirms our commitment to delivering in-depth analysis and insightful perspectives on the stories, people and events shaping the world today. Our mission is to set a new industry standard by providing content that truly resonates with our diverse audience.”
Steven Cheak, Director of Creative & Branding Services at Asharq News, said: “Being recognized by the prestigious Telly Awards is a great honor for our team. And to be able to compete against such a distinguished lineup of network brands, advertising agencies, and production companies only serves to motivate us to go even further.”
Cheak added: “This honor reflects our tireless efforts to push the boundaries, and ultimately create content that captivates, informs, and inspires audiences worldwide. I would like to congratulate the creative team, who works every day to enrich the way we provide content across all our platforms.”
Arab News takes home 18 Society for News Design awards
- Honors continue newspaper’s winning streak
LONDON: Arab News secured 18 awards at the prestigious 45th edition of the Society for News Design’s competition, continuing its streak of recent accolades.
Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily won awards of excellence in several categories, including page design for “Spotlight regional year-end collection” and “Events that shook the Arab world.”
The newspaper also received awards for infographics such as “The Kingdom vs. landmines” and the business year-in-review page design for “Beating the global financial turbulence.”
Other awards were received for: “Diriyah E-Prix: New teams, new brand” page design; “New era of Saudi football kicks off” page design; “Hajj 2023: The fast track to Makkah” page design; “Hajj 2023: The step-by-step guide to Hajj” infographics; “A defense industry trailblazer” Spotlight page design; “Egypt feels shark attack’s bite” Spotlight page design; “The ice menace” Spotlight page design; “Opinion Year-End Collection” Opinion page design; “Onions’ tears and inflation fears” Spotlight page design; “Douglas Okasaki” portfolio award; “Saudi Arabia Founding Day 2023” front page design; “King Charles III coronation” front page; “Accession to the British throne” page design; and “Saudi National Day: Why Riyadh?” cover wrap design.
The last two also received Awards of Excellence at the sixth Newspaper Design competition earlier this month.
Omar Nashashibi, head of design at Arab News, said: “Having had the privilege of serving as a judge at SND’s 44th Annual Creative Competition, I’ve seen the exceptional quality of entries firsthand.
“Winning 18 awards, doubling our tally from last year’s competition, is a remarkable achievement for Arab News and our design team, who should be very proud. These awards wouldn’t be possible without their talent and dedication, the world-class illustrators we collaborated with for our Opinion Year-End Collection, and Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas’ support and unwavering commitment to excellence in all aspects of our coverage.”
Founded in the US in 1979, SND annually recognizes the best examples of visual journalism worldwide across graphic design, illustration, web design, and infographics.
This year’s competition included entries from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, South China Morning Post, and Bloomberg.
The total number of accolades now won by Arab News has reached 143 under the leadership of Abbas.
Past recognition encompasses a range of special projects, including multiple international awards for “Saudi’s animal kingdom,” “The Kingdom vs. Captagon” deep dive, and the “FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022” special edition.
For more information about Arab News and its award-winning projects, visit https://www.arabnews.com/greatesthits.
Video of Israeli soldier burning Qur’an sparks outrage
- Israeli authorities launch investigation into incident
LONDON: A video of an Israeli soldier burning a Qur’an has emerged on social media, sparking a wave of criticism.
The video, shared by Israeli Army Radio on Thursday, shows the soldier standing in the ruins of a mosque in East Rafah, Gaza, throwing the Qur’an with its pages open into a fire.
According to Israeli broadcaster Kan, the soldier posted the footage on his personal Instagram account a few days ago.
The incident was condemned by Israeli authorities, who announced the launch of an investigation.
“The soldier’s behavior is not in line with the IDF’s values,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
“The IDF respects all religions and condemns such behavior. An IDF investigation has been opened regarding the incident.”
Palestinian writer and activist Adham Abu Selmiya criticized the act on social media, warning that similar actions have often gone unpunished.
“This is not an isolated incident. The Israeli army has destroyed and bombed over 200 mosques in Gaza in the ongoing genocide, with countless videos of soldiers bragging about these acts,” he said on X.
“This is not limited to Gaza! Settlers in the West Bank have burned Qur’ans in Hebron, facing no repercussions from the Israeli government.”
The following video shows an Israeli soldier burning the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, in Gaza. The Israeli occupation army has confirmed the authenticity of the video. This is yet another example of the occupation's blatant disrespect for humanity, assaulting the beliefs of… pic.twitter.com/d48gFzLvus
— أدهم أبو سلمية Adham Abu Selmiya (@adham922) May 23, 2024
Another user criticized the conduct, expressing frustration over the lack of condemnation from the international community and Israel’s allies.
“This is the conduct and the morals of Israeli warfare that’s backed by the democratic West,” the post read.
Video of an Israeli soldier burning a Qur'an in a mosque they destroyed in Gaza
— Palestine and MENA Info Center (@PALMENA_IC) May 21, 2024
This is the conduct and the morals of Israeli warfare that's backed by the democratic West. pic.twitter.com/1O5fN2VgeK
Since the launch of the war on Gaza, Israeli soldiers have posted videos documenting acts of looting, burning, and destruction of homes, assaulting detainees and writing hate graffiti on the walls of houses.
The Israeli army has not announced measures against these soldiers, only stating that their actions “contravene the army’s values.”
In a similar incident in March, an Israeli soldier appeared to have posted a video of himself tearing apart a copy of the Qur’an in a mosque in Gaza.
Some experts have said that the desecration of religious and private places in Gaza is part of a policy of humiliation carried out by Israeli soldiers.
