CAMERA Staff Prompts Correction on AP Photo Caption

This May 15, 2009 AP photograph appeared prominently in the blogosphere earlier this week, including on CAMERA’s Snapshots, as bloggers speculated that the image of a “passed out” Palestinian demonstrator holding up a symbolic key was staged.

The original caption read:

A Palestinian passed out from tear gas fired by Israeli troops, holds a key sumbolizing the keys to houses left by Palestinians in 1948, during a demonstration marking the 61st anniversary of ‘Nakba,’ Arabic for catastrophe, in the West Bank village Bilin, near Ramallah, Friday, May 15, 2008 [sic]. The rally marked the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who either fled or were driven out of their homes during the 1948 war over Israel’s creation. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

As CAMERA observed in its May 17 blog entry, “how many people pass out with their hands up in the air? Lucky for this peaceful protestor, it’s the hand holding the ubiquitous key to boot.” CAMERA contacted AP pressing for corrective action on this obviously flawed image. As a result of CAMERA’s correspondence with the wire service, AP yesterday resent the photograph to its subscribers with the following correction:

** CORRECTS CONDITION OF PROTESTER TO OVERCOME BY TEAR GAS IN BA103 OF MAY, 15, 2009 ** A Palestinian protester lies down after being overcome by tear gas fired by Israeli troops, holds a key symbolizing the keys to houses left by Palestinians in 1948, during a demonstration marking the 61st anniversary of “Nakba,” Arabic for catastrophe, in the West Bank village Bilin, near Ramallah, Friday, May 15, 2008 [sic]. The rally marked the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who either fled or were driven out of their homes during the 1948 war over Israel’s creation. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) (Emphasis added.)

Thus, according to the correction, the protester is not in fact “passed out” or unconscious. Nor did he faint or fall. CAMERA has checked AP’s usage of the term “overcome by tear gas” in photo captions accompanying images from other parts of the world, and accepts this correction. CAMERA applauds AP for clarifying the circumstances of this photograph.
 
It’s worth noting that even while in apparent discomfort, the media-savvy Palestinian protester is aware of the accomodating photographer’s presence, and accordingly holds up the symbolic key to send his desired message.

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