{"id":2074794,"date":"2023-10-21T04:44:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T08:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-under-fire-after-perpetuating-hamas-claims-on-gaza-hospital-blast\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T04:48:32","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T08:48:32","slug":"media-under-fire-after-perpetuating-hamas-claims-on-gaza-hospital-blast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-under-fire-after-perpetuating-hamas-claims-on-gaza-hospital-blast\/","title":{"rendered":"Media criticized for spreading Hamas claims on Gaza hospital explosion."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmedia-under-fire-after-perpetuating-hamas-claims-on-gaza-hospital-blast%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2074794&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>As the Israel-Hamas\u200d war entered its second week, it had already\u2063 evolved beyond physical violence into\u2063 a\u2063 war of information.<\/p>\n<p>Caught in the middle of this battle for narratives are major legacy news organizations, which found themselves\u2062 under \u200dfire after they accepted \u2064information coming out of Hamas-controlled \u200dGaza without much skepticism, setting the \u2062initial tone in favor of Hamas after\u200b a deadly\u200b hospital explosion on \u200cTuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Hamas, which initiated\u200b the war with rocket strikes and mass infiltrations\u200c on Israel, immediately accused \u200dthe Israeli military of\u200d bombing the al-Ahli Arab Hospital\u2063 in Gaza City, alleging that the blast killed\u2063 at least \u200c500 \u2063people.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related\u200b Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-gaza-blood-libel-and-netanyahus-test-to-come-5513972?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">The\u200b Gaza Blood\u200d Libel and Netanyahu\u2019s\u200d Test to \u200dCome<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/20\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/the-gaza-blood-libel-and-netanyahus-test-to-come-5513972?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/musk-lashes-out-against-newsguard-censorship-5514104?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Musk Lashes Out Against NewsGuard Censorship<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/20\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/musk-lashes-out-against-newsguard-censorship-5514104?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<p>Israeli officials refuted such claims and blamed a \u2063failed rocket attack carried out by Islamic\u2063 Jihad, a terrorist group\u2063 fighting \u2064alongside Hamas, for the lives lost in \u2062the explosion. This was backed by an intelligence assessment by\u2063 the Pentagon, which put \u200dthe\u200b death number\u2063 at\u200c closer\u2062 to 50.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While we continue to collect information, our current assessment, based on \u2062analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts\u2062 and open source information, \u2064is that Israel is not\u2064 responsible for the explosion at the hospital \u2063in Gaza \u200cyesterday,&#8221; Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    But several \u2062news \u2063organizations, notably \u200bBBC, The New York Times, and CNN, already\u2063 rushed into amplifying\u2064 Hamas&#8217;\u200b side of the story, fueling emotional pro-Palestinian demonstrations across \u200cthe world, \u2063including at U.S. embassies in Lebanon, Turkey, and Tunisia.<\/p>\n<h2>BBC Coverage Likened to Blood Libel<\/h2>\n<p>    \u200c   The BBC, whose reporter admitted a lack of clarity over the situation\u200c but suggested that Israel was probably at fault, was\u200c among the first major \u200coutlets to face harsh criticism. In a\u2063 post \u2062on X, the Israeli government \u200dlikened BBC&#8217;s\u200c coverage to blood libel\u2014a centuries-old allegation that Jews \u200dkidnap and murder Christian children to use their\u200c blood for religious rituals.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Hey [BBC World],\u2064 as of this\u2062 morning, your modern blood libel about the hospital attack is still up,&#8221; the post read. &#8220;We see you,\u200d and\u200d now \u200deveryone else does, too.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    \u2063  The\u200c British outlet defended its reporting\u200b on its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/helpandfeedback\/corrections_clarifications\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">corrections page<\/a>, but ultimately agreed that it \u2063was wrong \u2063for\u2062 the reporter \u200bto\u200c jump into\u200b that speculation in his broadcast immediately after the\u200c attack.<br \/>\n\u2062\n  <\/div>\n<p>&#8220;We accept \u2064that\u200b even in this fast-moving situation, it \u2062was wrong to speculate in this way, although he did not at any point report that \u2063it was an Israeli strike,&#8221; the BBC said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    &#8220;This doesn&#8217;t represent the entirety \u200bof\u200c the BBC&#8217;s output, \u2062and anyone watching, listening \u2063to\u2062 or reading our coverage can see we have set out both \u200csides&#8217; competing claims about the explosion, clearly showing who is saying them and\u200b what we do or don&#8217;t know.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Stealth Editing<\/h2>\n<p>    \u200c The \u2062New York Times has also taken a social media \u2062humiliation, as X owner Elon \u2064Musk removed the golden verification badge for the newspaper&#8217;s official X account. The golden badge is reserved for accounts that are &#8220;official organizations.&#8221;<br \/>\n\u200d\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<p>The Times now has just a less\u200d prestigious blue badge, available to all users\u2062 willing to \u200cpay a $8 \u2064subscription fee each month.<\/p>\n<p>While Mr. Musk offered no explanation for the\u200b move,\u2062 it is widely \u200cseen as having to do with The \u200bTimes&#8217;s handling \u200dof the hospital explosion story.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after the incident, The New York Times ran a story \u200cwith \u2064the headline &#8220;Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital,\u200d Palestinians Say,&#8221; accompanied by a\u200d photo of \u200ca destroyed building located in a different part of Gaza.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063photo \u2063did have a caption saying that it\u200d doesn&#8217;t actually show\u200d the hospital \u2063in Gaza City, although \u2063the one used in the X post for the \u2064article,\u200b presumably seen by many of The\u2063 Time&#8217;s 55\u200c million followers, didn&#8217;t have \u200ba\u200b caption indicating it&#8217;s\u200d from another location.<\/p>\n<p>Editors \u2062at \u200bthe Times would later change the \u200dheadline to: &#8220;At Least 500 Dead in Strike on Gaza Hospital, Palestinians Say,&#8221; and then: &#8220;At Least 500 Dead in Blast at Gaza Hospital, Palestinians\u200c Say.&#8221; Unlike BBC, The Times didn&#8217;t issue \u200ba \u2063formal notice of correction \u200dbut instead\u200b quietly \u200caltered the wording of the original article.<\/p>\n<p>This behavior, described by some X users as &#8220;stealth editing,&#8221; was widely called out by people across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    &#8220;In the space of several hours,\u200d it went \u2062from an Israeli strike to\u2064 an ambiguous blast,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefp.com\/p\/misinformation-at-the-new-york-times-gaza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">commented<\/a> Beri\u200d Weiss, a former opinion editor and\u2063 writer for The Times. &#8220;Whatever the facts are, that breaking\u2062 news alert\u2014Israel targets a hospital, hundreds of deaths\u2014is already echoing \u2064throughout the world.&#8221;<br \/>\n\u2064\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    &#8220;[The New York Times] didn&#8217;t botch the Gaza hospital \u2064story. \u2062They did something worse,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tedlieu\/status\/1715189995168731226\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.).\u2062 &#8220;They intentionally wrote an\u200d attention-grabbing headline that falsely pointed the blame at Israel \u200bto generate clicks during breaking news, without waiting for confirmation or \u2063the actual facts.&#8221;\n  <\/div>\n<p>In response to the fallout, a spokesperson for The Times insisted that they&#8217;re applying &#8220;rigor and care&#8221; to their &#8220;extensive and \u2064continued reporting&#8221; with an explicit effort to make sure readers understands when a story is developing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>    &#8220;During any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/11-days-in-may\/\" title=\"11 Days in May\">breaking news event<\/a>,\u2064 we \u200breport what we\u200c know as we\u2064 learn it,&#8221; \u2064The \u200cTimes said in\u2064 a statement. &#8220;And as the facts on the ground become more clear, we continue reporting. Our extensive \u2062and continued reporting on \u200dthe hospital in Gaza makes explicit \u2064the murkiness surrounding the \u200cevents there.&#8221;<br \/>\n\u2062<\/p>\n<h2>CNN\u2063 &#8216;Just\u2062 Want A Story&#8217;: Israeli Official<\/h2>\n<p>    \u2064 \u2063  Meanwhile, a\u2062 CNN interview with Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for\u2063 the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), took a confrontational turn after he was \u2062asked whether he has &#8220;sufficient&#8221; material \u200bthat would &#8220;go some way to convince those who believe Israel \u200bis responsible&#8221; for the hospital tragedy.\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<p>Frustrated by \u200bthe question,\u2064 Mr. Lerner accused the network of not really wanting \u2062the proof.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We know it because we know that the IDF did not conduct operations in their area\u2014not by land, \u200bnot by sea and not by air. We know it because our radars identified \u200cthe \u200dtrajectory of the rockets, as they were being \u200claunched overhead of \u200cthe al-Ahli Hospital,&#8221; a disappointed Mr. Lerner\u200b said. &#8220;All you \u2063need to do is switch over \u2062to Al Jazeera, \u2062who\u200b broadcasted\u200b it live &#8230; they broadcasted the rocket hitting inside the \u200dGaza Strip.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So\u200c if you&#8217;re asking for proof, you don&#8217;t\u2064 really \u200bwant the proof, you just want to make\u2063 sure you \u2064have a \u2062story,&#8221; he argued, \u200dto which CNN&#8217;s Becky Anderson firmly pushed back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Please\u2063 don&#8217;t suggest that we&#8217;re not trying to identify the truth, \u200dbecause that is exactly what we are doing,&#8221; she \u200ctold the \u200cIDF member. &#8220;I am reporting what other people\u2014what the Palestinians are asking for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But \u200bit&#8217;s not the Palestinians, you are parroting what Hamas is saying,&#8221; Mr.\u200b Lerner argued, before the anchor \u2063cut short the\u200d interview and entered a break.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps can\u200c news consumers take to ensure they receive accurate and balanced reporting on complex issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nd other countries. In \u200dtheir reporting, these news organizations treated the Hamas claims as unquestionable facts \u200dwithout\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-under-fire-after-perpetuating-hamas-claims-on-gaza-hospital-blast\/\" title=\"Media criticized for spreading Hamas claims on Gaza hospital explosion.\">conducting proper fact-checking<\/a> or providing sufficient context.<\/p>\n<p>This rush to accept and promote\u2063 the Hamas narrative is \u200cnot new. It is part of\u200d a disturbing trend in which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-world-of-ubiquitous-racism-new-attack-on-game-of-monopoly\/\" title=\"\u2018A World Of Ubiquitous Racism\u2019: New Attack On Game Of Monopoly\">major news organizations<\/a> have increasingly become\u200b biased and unreliable sources of information,\u2063 prioritizing sensationalism and agenda-pushing over objective reporting.<\/p>\n<p>The consequences of \u200bthis irresponsible journalism are far-reaching. By presenting one side of the conflict\u200c without scrutiny, these news organizations contribute to \u2063the demonization of Israel \u200cand the legitimization \u2062of Hamas, a \u200bterrorist organization that\u2064 openly seeks \u2063the destruction of Israel and has launched thousands of rockets\u200d targeting Israeli civilians.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, this biased reporting undermines the principles of objectivity\u2062 and impartiality that\u200b are fundamental to journalism. It erodes public trust in media institutions and \u2064fuels polarization, making it even harder to find\u200d common ground and promote peaceful resolutions to conflicts.<\/p>\n<p>As consumers of news, we must be vigilant and \u200bskeptical. We should demand accurate and balanced reporting that provides a comprehensive view\u2062 of complex issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is\u200d crucial to\u2063 seek out multiple\u2062 sources, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/twisting-the-truth-facebook-censors-facts-on-colorados-abortion-on-demand-law\/\" title=\"\u2018Twisting the Truth\u2019: Facebook Censors Facts on Colorado\u2019s Abortion-on-Demand Law\">fact-check claims<\/a>, and be aware\u200d of the biases that may be present in certain news outlets.<\/p>\n<p>Journalists, on the \u2062other hand, have a responsibility to adhere to the principles\u2062 of ethical reporting. They \u200bmust strive for \u200bobjectivity, verify information before publishing it, and avoid the temptation of sensationalism and clickbait headlines. It is their duty to provide the public with accurate \u200cand reliable information, even in the face of intense pressure and competing narratives.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the Israel-Hamas conflict has not only \u2063become a battleground for physical violence but also for information warfare. Major news organizations have a crucial role to play in shaping public opinion and understanding of the conflict. It is imperative\u200d that they fulfill this role with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to truth. Only then can they contribute to a more informed and nuanced discussion on this complex issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Israel-Hamas war escalated beyond violence, becoming an information battle. Legacy news organizations faced criticism for accepting Gaza&#8217;s information without skepticism, as the conflict entered its second week. They played a crucial role in setting the initial tone amidst this narrative war.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":392,"featured_media":2074795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2074794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/392"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2074794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2074795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2074794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2074794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2074794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}