CNN has been accused of hiring a freelancer in Gaza named Abdel Qader Sabbah, who allegedly has ties to Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group considered a terrorist organization by many countries. This comes amid growing concerns about the infiltration of terrorist-linked individuals in the news industry.
According to Honest Reporting, a watchdog website, Sabbah was found to have ties to Hamas after a thorough investigation. The website reported that Sabbah had taken a photograph with a senior Hamas leader, had worked for a Hamas-run organization, praised terrorists, and shared anti-Israeli propaganda online.
Throughout the Israel-Hamas war, CNN has given a prominent platform to news reports by Sabbah, who has also worked for the Associated Press, and the exposure of his links to the terror group casts a long shadow over the network’s vetting procedures and journalistic standards.
– Honest Reporting
Honest Reporting has called on state-level attorneys general to investigate CNN’s hiring practices and journalistic standards in light of this development.
The watchdog group has been at the forefront of exposing the infiltration of terrorist-linked individuals in the news industry, having previously uncovered similar cases involving the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Reuters.