CNN issued a formal correction two weeks after it reported on the explosion that took place at a Gaza hospital, initially blaming Israel for the blast.
(Video Credit: CNN)
A large number of media outlets rushed to blame Israel for the explosion. However, US and Israeli intelligence stated that they believed it was a misfired rocket that was launched by the terrorist group Islamic Jihad. Weeks after that information came out, CNN finally backtracked on its original, incorrect reporting.
“This article on the Gaza hospital blast initially did not clearly attribute claims about Israel’s responsibility to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. Israel later said a ‘misfired’ rocket by militant group Islamic Jihad caused the blast and produced evidence to support its claim. US President Joe Biden said the Israeli position is backed by US intelligence. CNN’s forensic analysis of images and videos suggests a rocket fired from within Gaza caused the blast, not an Israeli airstrike,” the corrective note stated.
“An earlier version of this story also misidentified the embassy protesters attempted to reach in Amman. It was the Israeli embassy,” it added.
The blast in the parking lot of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital sparked protests in the United States and elsewhere with Palestinian advocates accusing Israel of war crimes. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health immediately blamed an Israeli airstrike for the loss of life and media outlets such as the AP, CNN, and the New York Times ran with it. They claimed the strike resulted in approximately 500 casualties.
CNN issued a correction to its blood libel falsely blaming Israel for the hospital bombing in Gaza. CNN’s own forensic analysis later determined that Israel was not responsible for the hospital strike. https://t.co/Uzd4vFW96o pic.twitter.com/OGyG1qMt31
— James Lynch (@jameslynch32) October 25, 2023
The media is walking back its accusatory headlines against Israel after being called out for taking Hamas at its word without verifying what actually happened. The New York Times has also put out an editor’s note admitting that it “relied too heavily” on the word of Hamas.
Leftist CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy even called out his own network’s coverage on the blast in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter. He asserted that CNN blamed the airstrike on Israel reflexively with no proof.
“Not only did the outlet amplify Hamas’ claims on its platforms at the outset of the story, but its initial rolling online article definitively stated — with no attribution to any party — that Israel was responsible for the lethal explosion,” Darcy wrote.
“The story was later edited, but the error was never acknowledged in a correction or editor’s note. While it is common for news outlets to update online stories as new information becomes available, when errors are made, standard practice is to acknowledge them in formal corrections. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment specifically on the online story when reached Monday,” he added.
Unfortunately, these corrections can’t repair the significant damage that was done.
— pixie mosswood (@mosswood_pixie) October 26, 2023
Irresponsible journalism that caused a lot damage around the world.
— Sann Diamond (@smndiad) October 26, 2023
Other than displaying gross inaccuracy, negligence, journalistic incompetence and misleading the world, CNN was just great.
— William B Stahl (@WStahl09) October 26, 2023
“In response to my larger inquiry on the network’s broader coverage, the CNN spokesperson pointed me to the forensic analysis it published over the weekend indicating the explosion was inconsistent with an Israeli strike. Like Reuters, CNN admitted no fault in its coverage of the blast,” Darcy contended.
The original headline from CNN on the hospital explosion read, “Israel hits hospital and school in Gaza as blockade puts healthcare system in state of ‘collapse.’”
“A school and a hospital in Gaza were among the places lethally blasted by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday as humanitarian concerns mount over ongoing deprivation of food, fuel, and electricity to the isolated population,” CNN charged initially.
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