The Washington Post issued an editor’s note Tuesday after the newspaper faced backlash for a front page which included a photo of mourners at the funeral of an 11-year-old girl killed by a Hezbollah rocket strike with a headline about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.
The original article, which appeared in Monday’s paper, was titled “Israel hits its targets in Lebanon,” and was accompanied by a photo of mourners over the coffin of Alma Ayman Fakhr al-Din, one of 12 children killed by a Hezbollah rocket strike in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.
In Tuesday’s editor’s note, the Washington Post wrote “The headline and subheadline that accompanied a July 29 Page One photo and article about Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon did not provide adequate context.”
“The headlines should have noted that the Israeli strikes were a response to a rocket strike from Lebanon that killed 12 teenagers and children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights,” the correction continued. “The photo depicted mourning for one of those victims as the caption noted.”
The initial story saw significant backlash from those who pointed out the inconsistencies in the headline and the photo used.
The @washingtonpost is an embarrassment to journalism — how has @murraymatt not been terminated for bias and incompetence?
— Rich Greenfield, LightShed 🔦 (@RichLightShed) July 30, 2024
Not sure what is worse – printing yesterdays biased anti-Israel, antisemitic cover headline or todays pathetic editor’s note https://t.co/xdKn3ZU6hB
The front-page image of today’s Washington Post is that of a child murdered by Hezbollah.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) July 29, 2024
Yet the front-page headline—“Israel Hits Targets In Lebanon”—portrays Israel, not Hezbollah, as the aggressor. pic.twitter.com/qPoFzfP827
Next time The Washington Post wants to twist the narrative, I suggest not illustrating your article with a picture of the Druze community mourning after Hezbollah killed 12 Israeli children on a football pitch. https://t.co/8RTijBRrFs pic.twitter.com/PSyefWZerH
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) July 29, 2024
I'm disgusted with the @washingtonpost false front page. The picture is from a funeral of 12 Israeli children murdered by Hezbollah but the headline implies otherwise. The Post has become a full blown anti-Israel newspaper. No apology can ever change this disgrace. Shame on you! pic.twitter.com/tX5WGbDYJe
— Elad Strohmayer 🎗️ (@EladStr) July 29, 2024
Israel must bury 12 children brutally murdered by Hezbollah on a soccer field.
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) July 29, 2024
And somehow this is the cover of the @washingtonpost ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4ZSdRjeyfu
Unconscionable and inexcusable front page from the @washingtonpost.
— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) July 29, 2024
In the image, you see Israeli Druze families grieving over their children, massacred in the Hezbollah strike on Majdal Shams.
And what is the headline Washington Post use?
What is wrong with you? pic.twitter.com/BJf5DvBzI6
Pay attention to the cover of the Washington Post the day after Hezbollah's attack on Majdal Shams… a headline about the IDF counterattacks in Lebanon and which photo did they include?
— יוסף חדאד – Yoseph Haddad (@YosephHaddad) July 29, 2024
From the funerals of the Israeli children murdered by Hezbollah in their attack!
The people… pic.twitter.com/G8t5wTVTXd
The Washington Post sinks to new lows. They include a picture from the funeral of 12 Israel children murdered by Hezbollah but the headline is “Israel hits targets in Lebanon.”
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 29, 2024
The WaPo isn’t even hiding their anti-Israel agenda anymore. pic.twitter.com/cVD8JkW9v0