AP Amends Captions Which Blamed Israel for Journalist’s Death

CAMERA’s Israel office yesterday prompted correction of Associated Press captions which stated as fact the unverified claim that Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh “was shot dead by Israeli forces.” There is no substantiation of this allegation, with the Palestinian side having blocked the necessary ballistic analysis to match the fired bullet to the weapons used by the Israeli troops. 

The problematic captions as they originally appeared follow:

Smoke rises from a home during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, Friday, May 13, 2022. Israeli troops pushed into Jenin early Friday following the death of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday when she was shot dead by Israeli forces while covering a military operation in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

 

Palestinian gunmen take aim during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, Friday, May 13, 2022. Israeli troops pushed into Jenin early Friday following the death of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday when she was shot dead by Israeli forces while covering a military operation in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

 

Smoke rises from a home during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, Friday, May 13, 2022. Israeli troops pushed into Jenin early Friday following the death of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh on Wednesday when she was shot dead by Israeli forces while covering a military operation in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

In response to communication from CAMERA, AP yesterday commendably corrected these captions, which now accurately state that “Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while covering a military operation in the occupied West Bank.” In addition, the photographs carry a prominent heading stating: “Correction Israel Palestinians” and the captions begin with the label “CORRECTS CIRCUMSTANCES.”

See also “AFP Amends Headline With Unverified Claim About Killing of Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Aqleh” and “Indy Corrects Headline Stating, as Fact, That Israel Killed Al Jazeera Journalist

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