At a time of war, when concise, accurate, and reliable reporting is most needed, many media outlets have added further confusion to a complicated, contentious conflict. Since the Israel-Hamas war began, multiple outlets have published conflicting reports out of Gaza.
Consider outlets’ reporting on the Gaza hospital blast. Straight Arrow News covered it on Friday, Oct. 20, including where the blast occurred, how many were killed, and who was believed to be responsible for the attack.
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The details of that attack spread quickly on social media, but there was one problem; nearly all of the “facts” initially reported turned out to be false.
Experts now suggest that neither Hamas nor Israel were responsible for the blast; rather, they suggest a radical religious extremist group called Islamic Jihad bears responsibility.
Additionally, experts the blast was likely accidental, not intentional, and it primarily impacted the hospital’s parking lot, not the hospital itself. Experts and authorities have also revised the estimated death toll below the initial estimate of 500.
The New York Times was one of many newspapers to officially apologize for these errors and to acknowledge the mistakes it made in reporting the details on the ground as they occurred.
Israel has not begun its planned ground invasion of Gaza, and Americans are still being held hostage by Hamas.
RIGHT NOW – AT A TIME OF WAR – WHEN CONCISE, ACCURATE, RELIABLE REPORTING IS MOST NEEDED MANY MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE INSTEAD BEEN CREATING CONFUSION. THERE HAVE BEEN CONFLICTING REPORTS OUT OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR.
FRIDAY WE TOLD YOU ABOUT ONE SUCH INCIDENT — THE GAZA HOSPITAL BLAST THAT THE MEDIA GOT WRONG ON MANY FRONTS.
WHERE THE BLAST HAPPENED. HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED. WHO WAS TO BLAME.
TODAY THE NEW YORK TIMES PUBLISHED A LETTER FROM ITS EDITORS –
ADMITTING TO MISTAKES IN THEIR COVERAGE OF THE GAZA HOSPITAL.
WE SHOWED YOU THIS GRAPHIC ON FRIDAY – COMPARING DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF AN UPDATED HEADLINE FROM THE TIMES. THE OCTOBER 17 REPORT INITIALLY HAD “ISRAELI STRIKE” IN ITS HEADLINE. WHICH WAS LATER FOUND TO BE NOT TRUE BY U.S. INTELLIGENCE. OTHER VERSIONS READ – “AT LEAST 500 DEAD.” WHICH ALSO HAS TURNED OUT TO NOT BE TRUE – U.S. INTELLIGENCE BELIEVES THE NUMBER OF CASUALTIES IS CLOSER TO 100. IN ALL THREE HEADLINES – THE TIMES CITED “PALESTINIANS” – WHICH IS HAMAS. WHOM THE TIMES TOOK AS A CREDIBLE SOURCE.
IN ITS EDITORS’ LETTER SIX DAYS AFTER THE INACCURATE REPORTS, THE TIMES SAID,
“The early versions of the coverage — and the prominence it received in a headline, news alert and social media channels — relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified.
The report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known…Given the sensitive nature of the news during a widening conflict, and the prominent promotion it received, Times editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation.”
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WHEN THE MEDIA GET IT WRONG,
IT EXACERBATES SKEPTICISM, CAUSING DOUBTS FOR WHEN THE MEDIA GETS IT RIGHT.
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