Reuters, the recipient of the 2003 Dishonest Reporting ‘Award’, frequently misrepresents Hamas’ ultimate aim of destroying Israel by using the following descriptive phrase:
The military wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement faxed to Reuters. Hamas has spearheaded a 28-month-old Palestinian militant uprising against Israel for a state in Gaza and the West Bank. (2.15.03 – emphasis added)
From this, the typical reader likely identifies with Hamas’ ‘freedom fight’. But Reuters coverage of yesterday’s suicide bombing at the Erez checkpoint in Gaza showed noticeable improvement:
Sworn to Israel’s destruction, Hamas has spearheaded a Palestinian uprising that erupted in the West Bank and Gaza in September 2000.
We’ve seen this change in terminology more than once from Reuters lately. It seems letters of protest, demanding accurate description of Hamas’ goals, are working.
