THE Sarawak Tribune has heard, loud and clear, the concerns and disappointment expressed by members of the public, advocacy groups and non-governmental organisations regarding our report on the death of Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif.
Before anything else, we want to say this from the heart: we extend our deepest condolences and heartfelt apology to the family of Anas Al Sharif – one of Gaza’s bravest journalists. His courage, dedication and sacrifice in bringing the truth to the world will always be remembered with the deepest respect. We are truly sorry if our report, in any way, added to the pain of his loved ones or to those who honour his work.
We acknowledge that the initial apology issued on August 13 did not go far enough in addressing the depth of the concerns raised and for that, we are deeply sorry. We sincerely and unreservedly apologise for any ambiguity in our original news publication or in our earlier statement that might have been interpreted as downplaying the circumstances of his death or as appearing to support any party responsible for violence against journalists and civilians. Such interpretations go against everything the Sarawak Tribune stands for.
For the record, the article was immediately removed from our e-paper on August 13. It was never uploaded to our website or any of our social media platforms and appeared only in the print edition.
Let us be clear: the Sarawak Tribune does not, and will never, support or endorse the actions of Zionist occupiers nor any entity or individual that violates human rights, targets civilians or endangers journalists.
Our goal has always been to inform our readers truthfully and responsibly. In this case, weaknesses in our editorial process resulted in wording and sourcing that could be perceived as biased or incomplete. We recognise that this caused hurt, disappointment and concern – particularly among those who expect and deserve honest, accurate reporting in times of humanitarian crisis.
We have taken immediate steps to ensure this never happens again:
- Editorial Accountability – The editor responsible has been suspended from duty and disciplinary measures have been taken.
- Process Strengthening – Stronger fact-checking and editorial review protocols have been introduced, especially for sensitive conflict-related stories.
- Staff Training – All editorial staff will undergo refresher training on conflict-sensitive and ethical journalism.
We stand in solidarity with all journalists who risk their lives to bring truth to light. We know trust must be earned, and we are committed to rebuilding that trust through accuracy, fairness and integrity in everything we publish.
To our readers, to the wider community, and especially to the family of Anas Al Sharif – thank you for reminding us of the responsibility we carry. We have heard you, we have acted, and we promise to do better.
