Los Angeles Times

July 12, 2004

Hague Ruling Front Page News; Palestinian Attack Takes Second Place

Most major print media outlets covered the Hague's court ruling in front page articles, but did not accord the same attention to the subsequent Palestinian terrorist attacks--the reason for Israel's security barrier. The major newspapers varied in the amount of context given and in the emphasis of articles about the Palestinian attack. Some portrayed the bombing as an excuse for Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's to defy international law.

May 21, 2004

CAMERA Column: The LA Times Swerves Off the ‘High Road’

As word of Los Angeles Times Editor John S. Carroll's address on journalistic ethics spread across the Internet, critics were riled by his assertion that the Times is committed to taking the "high road" in comparison to other media outlets nationwide, which are engaging in "pseudo-journalism." What so incensed Carroll's detractors is the abundant evidence that the Los Angeles Times itself is derelict in getting the facts right, as well as in correcting factual errors.
May 19, 2004

Journalists Fall Prey to Palestinian Booby-Traps

In the labyrinth of concrete homes and competing claims that mark Israel's operation in Gaza, the Los Angeles Times' Ken Ellingwood loses his way, straying from the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics in reporting a Palestinian claim as fact. He is joined in this by the Guardian's Chris McGreal on NPR.
April 29, 2004

Los Angeles Times Corrects One Laura King Error, Leaves the Other Standing

CAMERA staff and members prompted a Los Angeles Times correction on correspondent Laura King's April 24 article which grossly overstated the number of Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war. Editors, however, declined to correct a second error in King's article that day, in which she misrepresented the Israeli army description of West Bank raids

March 24, 2004

CAMERA Seeks Clarification from Los Angeles Times on ‘Terror’ Terminology

CAMERA awaits a response from the Los Angeles Times concerning the paper's usage of the word "terrorist." Articles dealing with Iraq and Spain repeatedly refer to the attackers, or suspected attackers, as "terrorist/s," while coverage of Palestinian perpetrators of attacks on civilians did not use the word "terrorist."
March 18, 2004

Coverage of Unwitting Palestinian Boy-Bomber

The exploitation of Palestinian children in attacks against Israel is a troubling trend which deserves media coverage. Yet, some news outlets did not even cover the story of 11-year-old Abdullah Quran. Others, most notably the Boston Globe and MSNBC's "The Abrams Report," gave the incident the prominence it deserved.
December 17, 2003

CAMERA Obtains Correction at LA Times

CAMERA has obtained the following correction from the Los Angeles Times:

Jewish settlements - An article in Saturday's Section A about the Israeli foreign minister's visit to Washington misstated a commitment Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made at a June summit in Aqaba, Jordan. Sharon agreed to dismantle some illegal outposts of Jewish settlements; he did not agree to begin dismantling settlements themselves.

November 14, 2003

The Los Angeles Times’ Unreal Reality

In an article Nov. 10 about Israeli youth traveling to India, the Los Angeles Times' Megan Stack inserted unsubstantiated and hostile editorializing ("Israel's Dose of Unreality"). She made erroneous statements about the number of students studying in America and Israeli public support for the government's policies vis-í -vis the Palestinians.
October 22, 2003

Palestinian Leadership Committing the “Unthinkable”

In their Oct. 17 Los Angeles Times article entitled "U.S. Shifts From Ally to Target in Gaza Strip," Megan Stack and Henry Chu wrote: "Presidents such as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton remain icons of American friendship, and the idea of attacking an American has been unthinkable to the Palestinian leadership, akin to throwing away one's last, best hope." How do the reporters know what Palestinian leaders have historically found thinkable or unthinkable? Perhaps such speculation would be better left to the editorial pages.