AKEED, Anwar Ziadat
On 5-6 May, many newspapers and websites published a story that carried inaccurate headlines about the first liver transplant operation in Jordan. As a matter of fact, the first liver transplant operation in Jordan was carried out in 2004. 
News websites circulated the story, using headlines that lacked accuracy and credibility, such as "First Liver Transplant in Jordan," "Jordan Witnesses World's First Liver Transplant," and "Success of World's First Liver Transplant." 
This headline is contrary to many stories published by news websites previously. These stories could have been found by conducting a simple search on the Internet. In 2004, several stories were published under the following headlines: "For First Time in Jordan: Two Liver Transplant Operations Carried Out at Medical Center," and "Success of First Liver Transplant in Jordan." In June 2016, a story was published under the headline "Fastest Liver Transplant in Jordan." In February 2016, the following story was published: "Breizat: Liver, Kidney Transplant Achieves Qualitative Leap." 
Some media outlets published stories that reflected the medical achievement, using headlines that maintain credibility and accuracy, including "Qualitative Liver Transplant Operation at Jordan Hospital" and "Jordanian Medical Team Succeeds in First-of-Its-Kind Liver Transplant Operation." 
The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) contacted Jordan Hospital and the head of the medical team that carried out the operation. Dr. Aiman Obed, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, and transplant surgeon, said: "What the press reported on carrying out the first liver transplant in Jordan is inaccurate. Liver transplant operations have been taking place in Jordan since 2004." He said that "what makes this operation unique worldwide is that it was the first liver transplant for a patient with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (blood coagulation with total occlusion of hepatic veins) from a live donor to a patient with this syndrome."   
He said that "this operation was announced after it was published in refereed medical journals in the United States. The operation was carried out a while back, but was only announced after its success." He pointed out that "liver transplant operations have been taking place at the Royal Medical Services and Jordan Hospital in the private sector since 2004. More than 220 liver transplant operations have been carried out in both sectors since then." 
Dr. Abdel Hadi Breizat, director of the Jordan Center for Organ Transplant, told the Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) that this operation was not the first liver transplant in Jordan. The first such operation in Jordan was carried out in June 2004 at the Royal Medical Services. Also, the first such operation was carried out in the private sector in the same year. Over 200 transplant operations have been carried out so far.
He said that this headline "First Liver Transplant in Jordan" is "contrary to the truth. The details of the story are the responsibility of the person who provided the information. To be completely accurate, one has to contact all centers operating in this field."
He adds that journalists use inaccurate headlines and do not consult relevant parties. He asked journalists to contact concerned entities when publishing such news to confirm the accuracy of information. He said: "The mistakes committed by journalists are like those of doctors and engineers. Sometimes, their negative effects could be wider. We do not know if some mistakes are due to lack of knowledge or for other reasons." 
Dr. Hanan Kiswani, member of the World Federation of Science Journalists who is specialized in health media, had told AKEED in a previous interview that there were no journalists who are specialized in covering the health sector in most local media. It is a sensitive sector that affects the lives of people. She called for training media persons and giving them a chance to specialize in each sector so that the media product would contain accurate information and figures. She noted that in some European countries, there are journalists who are specialized in a particular field of medicine, such as cancer, diabetes, etc. 
AKEED maintains that there is a flaw in some headlines that violate the standards of clarity and accuracy, which must apply to both the story and its headline. The headline is part of the story. Article 9 of the Press Code of Honor states that the mission of journalism requires accuracy and objectivity, and its practice requires confirming the accuracy of information and news before publishing it. In this context, journalists shall see to it that the headline must accurately and faithfully convey the content of the published press material.