Attorney Naoum Farah, representing the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International and its chairman Pierre El Daher, regretted an article published by al-Akhbar newspaper targeting a media company such as LBCI and its chairman over assuming its duties as a media platform and covering the popular protests in accordance with the rules of media, norms and standards regulating the work of media institutions, under the law on television and radio broadcasting 94/382 and other applicable laws.
In a letter addressed to al-Akhbar daily, Farah noted that “a review of the journey of LBCI and its coverage of news and events over 27 years and everything that it had been subject to all these years up until today, including lawsuits from all rival political sides and parties, is a guarantee in itself to prove the institution’s objectivity and professionalism that characterizes its work in delivering the news without bias or distortion.”
“The accusation launched by your daily that the company is receiving funds from countries not only forms an insult but also shows a deliberate ignorance of the modus operandi of live TV coverage and its costs, thinking that it would cost large sums and expenses that exceeds the capabilities of the media and its financial potential, while in fact the reality is the contrary, since these expenses are less in a live coverage than broadcasting programs,” he added.
The lawyer continued, saying that to further prove that the news published is not true, a statement was issued earlier on Monday by PM Saad Hariri’s office, denying such claims.
“In conclusion, we hoped that your newspaper would have fact-checked the information before publishing them to avoid launching accusations and spreading rumors,” he stated.