Getting Past the Narrative

Getting Past the Narrative by Brian C. Ledbetter on 29-Dec-2008

The wire services are genuinely rallying to Hamas' support in this latest Israeli offensive. Case in point is this photo, filed by Reuters with the immediate storyline-following caption:

A student holds an Israeli flag during a protest at Hebrew University in Jerusalem against Israel's offensive in Gaza December 29, 2008. Israeli aircraft destroyed a bastion of Hamas's rule over the Gaza Strip on Monday, the third day of an offensive that has killed more than 300 Palestinians in the deadliest violence in the territory in decades. Hamas fired a rocket salvo into the Israeli city of Ashkelon, killing one person, the second such fatality since Israeli bombing began on Saturday. REUTERS/Nikola Solic (JERUSALEM)

Now, it's not too far beyond reason to suspect that muttonhead university students would be rallying against the Israeli military, but it did seem a little bit odd to see her holding the Israeli flag sans fire.

To my surprise, Reuters issued an update mere moments later:

REFILE - CORRECTING REASON FOR DEMONSTRATION A student holds an Israeli flag during a rally at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in support of Israeli troops and residents of the Gaza border December 29, 2008. Israeli aircraft destroyed a bastion of Hamas's rule over the Gaza Strip on Monday, the third day of an offensive that has killed more than 300 Palestinians in the deadliest violence in the territory in decades. Hamas fired a rocket salvo into the Israeli city of Ashkelon, killing one person, the second such fatality since Israeli bombing began on Saturday. REUTERS/Nikola Solic (JERUSALEM)

Would it be too much for me to suggest that the Reuters Middle East desk needs to slow down a bit, and stop trying to shove events into their predetermined narratives quite so fast?

Update: Soccer Dad sends along a similar Reuters photo, which has not been corrected yet, as far as I can tell.

He also sent this AFP photo over, which may help explain some of Reuters' confusion:

Israeli right-wing students hold Israeli flags (top) and left-wing students hold a Palestinian flag (bottom) during simultaneous demonstration for and against the military operation on the Gaza Strip on December 29, 2008 in front of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip has sparked protests across the occupied West Bank and the world, with demonstrations held in European capitals, Turkey, Egypt and Syria AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Again, my advice to Reuters would be to slow down. The world can wait, if it means having access to a more accurate caption.

Tags: ahmad gharabli nikola solic AFP REUTERS #Fact-checking

Comments:

#1 Hyscience 29-Dec-2008

In the way of a follow up to what we said in this post, in which we pointed out that World Public Opinion.Org reported back on March 2, 2006, that most Palestinians believe Hamas should change its position on eliminating Israel, the Palestinian girl in the below video blames Hamas for all wars (although she's likely referring to the war in the only part of the world she's ever known). And while one can't blame Hamas for all wars, one can say that Islamists throughout the world are the flash point of almost all of the world's conflicts and that Hamas is certainly responsible for the current war, having rained rockets, mortors, and bombs at Israel from the time they took over Gaza. Meanwhile, contrary...

#2 captainfish 29-Dec-2008

It would seem then that Lefty Israelis do not believe in self-defense or LIVING. How can one protest their duly elected gov't protecting its citizens from near-daily barrages from an entity that even wants the leftys dead.

in other words,
"Stop killing those who want to kill me!"

insanity. I think they have now taken the top insanity mark away from America's Left.

#3 Cletus 29-Dec-2008

Of course they gotta throw in the obligatory "right-wing", (left code for "nazi") like they do to anyone who protests against terrorists and jihadis

The Ghost of Snapped Shot

Or, welcome to my low-maintenance heck.

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