With so many of us cooped up at home or in a coronavirus quarantine, a lot of us are spending more time scrolling through headlines on our social media feeds. It’s well-known that people click on few if any articles that come up in Facebook or Twitter feeds.
That’s why headlines matter.
So it’s very important that news services, especially widely-published wire services like Agence France-Press, get their headlines right. Unfortunately, one AFP headline skewed the situation.
If all you knew about the Mideast battle against the pandemic came from this headline, you’d think that Israel unilaterally shut down the West Bank. You might even imagine that the Palestinians are cut off from outside help and forced to go-it alone against the pandemic.
You have to read the article to find out that:
- The closure was taken in conjunction with the Palestinian Authority.
- Israel and the PA set up a committee to cooperate on battling COVID-19.
- Goods are still allowed to pass back and forth.
- PA police are setting up their own checkpoints outside Palestinian cities.
- Israel will continue to allow Palestinians to enter for medical treatment.
- Palestinians working in West Bank settlements may continue working.
All these measures are being taken jointly to fight a common biological threat. Yet AFP’s language of “slap” suggests something that isn’t born out by its own dispatch.
Related reading: Why Headlines Matter
The quarantines, lockdowns and closures aren’t unique to Israelis or Palestinians. The whole world is trying to protect itself. Israelis and Palestinians are sharing a common purpose — a rarity — and hopefully we’ll see reports reflecting that.
Sitting at home with just WiFi to connect us to the world, we’re relying on headlines more than ever. AFP’s headline writers need to up their game and show more responsibility.
We’ve contacted AFP for a correction. Watch this space.
