Argentine journalist loses job over fake news of Messi's father's death

Argentine TV presenter Florencia Peña has come under fire for spreading fake news about Lionel Messi's father's death. She claimed on live broadcast that Messi's father, Jorge Messi, had died. Later, when Messi's family called the matter a rumor, a huge controversy arose. In the end, she stepped down from the TV channel due to the incident.

The incident began after Argentina's first match in the World Cup. Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Algeria. He was seen getting emotional after scoring a goal in the match. After that scene, Peña spread the news of Messi's father's death on her show. However, it was later revealed that the news was not true.

Messi's family said that Jorge Messi is in physical condition and is under the care of doctors. However, the news of his death is completely false. The family also said that it was very painful for them to spread the news without verification at such a sensitive time.

Later, Florencia Peña publicly apologized. She said that she had broadcast the information given by the production team during the live broadcast, believing it to be verified information. However, she took responsibility for the mistake and decided to step down from Luzu TV. The channel authorities also said that broadcasting such sensitive news without verification is not in line with their policy.

This incident once again reminded how much damage can be caused by broadcasting any information without verification in the competition of breaking news. Especially when it comes to matters such as someone's family, illness or death, journalism needs to be more careful and humane.