The editors of The New York Times published a statement today (Monday) in which they apologized for their coverage of the hospital explosion in Gaza last week, which caused a storm following the accusation that Israel was responsible for the hospital attack. In their statement, they admitted that they relied too heavily on Hamas's version of the event and did not clarify that the information was not verified.
"On October 17, The New York Times published a report about an explosion at a hospital in the city of Gaza, in which the claims of the Hamas government were presented that an Israeli airstrike caused the explosion and that hundreds of people were killed or injured," it was written. "Israel later denied the allegations and blamed a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad. American and international intelligence sources also said that their investigation indicated that the rocket was fired by Palestinian militants."
According to the editors, "The initial reports emphasized Israeli responsibility claims to Palestinian officials and noted that the Israeli military stated it was investigating the explosion. However, the early versions of the coverage - and the prominent headlines it received in breaking news alerts and social media - relied too heavily on Hamas' claims and did not clarify that these claims could not be immediately verified. The reporting left readers with a false impression of the information and its credibility."
"Given the sensitive nature of news during a widespread conflict, and the prominent coverage the reporting received, the editors of The Times should have been more diligent in the initial coverage and clearer about the need for information verification," they admitted. "News editors continue to examine procedures around the biggest news events, including the use of the most prominent digital headlines, to determine which additional safeguards may be justified."
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