CNN's Clarissa Ward called out for 'staged journalism' over Syrian prisoner's 'false identity' in report

DAMASCUS, SYRIA: CNN's Clarissa Ward is facing backlash after mistakenly identifying a prisoner in a video report as a long-term detainee under former president Bashar al-Assad's regime. 

The man, who was initially portrayed as a victim of the regime, was later revealed to be a former intelligence officer within Assad’s government. 

The report, which documented what CNN claimed was the rescue of the prisoner, has sparked widespread criticism, prompting the media outlet to reassess its claims.

What did CNN’s Clarissa Ward report say?

In last week's CNN report, chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward and her team visited the Syrian Air Force headquarters in Damascus, escorted by Syrian rebels. They were searching for Austin Tice, a missing American who they believed might be held in a secret prison there. 

But the team stumbled upon a man, covered by a blanket with his hands raised, repeatedly stated, "I'm a civilian. I'm a civilian." He later identified himself in the video as Adel Gharbal from Homs. 

However, according to the Syrian fact-checking platform Verify-Sy on Sunday, December 15, the man was actually revealed to be Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force intelligence.

Further, reports suggested that his identity may have been false, with online sources stating they couldn’t find any record of an "Adel Gharbal," as per The News Public.

Salama had previously told CNN that he had been detained for three months after his phone was searched and later transferred to another facility in Damascus. But, Verify-Sy reported that he had been incarcerated for less than a month on extortion-related charges.

Clarissa Ward confirms the real identity of man found in the hidden prison

On Tuesday, December 17, CNN's Clarissa Ward confirmed the man's true identity, posting on X, "We can confirm the real identity of the man from our story last Wednesday as Salama Mohammed Salama." The post quickly gained significant attention, racking up over 4.6 million views and 9,000 comments within a day.

After learning about CNN's staged report, several journalists expressed their outrage. A journalist from New Lines Magazine posted on X, "Amazing that she just drops this like a further development to the story and not an embarrassing piece of misinformation and poor reporting." 

Journalist Tariq Kenney-Shawa criticized Clarissa Ward’s response, saying, "No retraction, no apologies. The style of journalism that reporters like Clarissa Ward engage in is more about promoting themselves, their brand, & emotional narratives they believe will bolster their ratings, rather than reporting accurately & conscientiously."

Another journalist named Jacob Silverman also responded on X, writing, "You got played by a corrupt intelligence officer from a dead dictatorship."

Internet slams Clarissa Ward's staged report saying 'you lied to everyone'

CNN's Clarissa Ward's staged report quickly gained traction online, with many criticizing it as embarrassing.

One slammed, "That doesn’t sound like good journalism at all, Clarissa. You don’t vet your stories before running them?" 

One added, "Oh now you do your research." A third user commented, "You’re always doing staged segments. Embarrassing." 

One frustrated user said, "CNN should lose their license for lying to the American people over and over. You’re not a journalist you’re a straight up liar." 

One wrote, "Now you need to resign your position, what a mockery you are. @CNN fire her if she doesn't resign."

A person tweeted, "You lied to everyone and got caught. Despicable CNN." 

Another person on X said, "You staged the whole thing. You just didn't expect to get caught."

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