Channel 13 CEO Addresses Ethics Controversy Over U.S. Correspondent
Channel 13 News CEO Tali Ben Ovadia addressed staff after U.S. correspondent Suleiman Maswadeh stayed with an American lobbyist, leading to an internal ethics review.
Channel 13 News CEO Tali Ben Ovadia addressed the newsroom on Monday following an ethics controversy involving U.S. correspondent Suleiman Maswadeh, who stayed at the home of prominent American lobbyist Jay Footlik for two weeks last month.
The arrangement sparked sharp criticism within media circles over potential conflicts of interest and journalistic boundaries. Following an internal review, Ben Ovadia stated that while Maswadeh made a grave error in judgment, management concluded it was an isolated incident.
"As a media outlet whose role is to hold others accountable, we must also examine ourselves rigorously," Ben Ovadia wrote to staff. She added that management clarified professional boundaries with the correspondent, though he will return to the evening news broadcast.
Maswadeh, a prominent young journalist who previously covered Jerusalem and Arab affairs for the public broadcaster, was recruited by Channel 13 to serve as its chief Washington correspondent covering the White House and U.S.-Israeli relations.
