The Associated Press (AP) found itself embroiled in controversy this weekend over its portrayal of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The news agency's biographical article, seemingly prepared in anticipation of Nasrallah's potential demise, initially bore the headline: "Charismatic and shrewd: A look at longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah."
The characterization drew immediate criticism on social media platforms. By Saturday morning, AP had amended the headline to a more neutral "Who is longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?" The rapid edit appeared to be a direct response to the flood of criticism on X (formerly Twitter).
Notable figures across the political spectrum weighed in on the controversy. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) dismissed AP's portrayal, stating, "Nasrallah was a ruthless, murderous terrorist." Human rights activist Hillel Neuer sarcastically suggested that AP should have spoken to Nasrallah's victims instead. Even Elon Musk, owner of X, shared a post critical of the "mainstream press" in response to the incident.
Critics noted that the article went through 12 paragraphs before mentioning the word "terrorist," instead using terms like "astute strategist" and "archenemy of Israel" to describe Nasrallah.
The AP controversy is part of a larger scrutiny of media coverage surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. A recent study claimed the BBC violated its own "editorial guidelines" over 1,500 times in its coverage, showing bias against Israel.
Other major outlets have also faced criticism for avoiding terms like "terrorist" when describing Hamas and Hezbollah since the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 kidnappings.
Israel Hayom contributed to this article.