The Israeli operation to remove a number of unauthorized Palestinian buildings in the village of Sur Baher on the edge of eastern Jerusalem next to Israel security barrier has already presented the Palestinians with a public relations coup.
The demolitions took place only after a protracted Supreme Court case, which eventually ruled in favor of Israeli authorities who wished, for security reasons, to remove the structures which were too close to the security barrier.
Related reading: Irish Independent Cuts Out Israel’s Side On Jerusalem Demolitions
Cue protests from the Palestinians, European Union, non-governmental organizations and a media circus to cover the demolitions, which were carried out using bulldozers and munitions.
Some of the captions accompanying Reuters photos from the scene made the context appear far more dramatic. For example:
“A Palestinian building is bombed by Israeli forces”?!!
A reader may believe that Israel has unleashed its air force on a Palestinian village. Fighter jets and attack helicopters are very different to bulldozers. The explosions as the buildings were demolished were a result of controlled munitions, not air strikes. Reuters’ own photo slideshow even showed IDF engineers inside the buildings (many of which were not even completed structures), preparing them for demolition by explosive charges.
But does this really matter given that these photos accompany an article that explains the background?
Related reading: Defining Bias: Misleading Terminology
It does when you see examples of these Reuters photos appearing with their captions but without any context. Take The Independent’s Facebook page:
The photo is presented as a standalone piece of content. The caption matters.
HonestReporting has lodged a complaint with Reuters but it’s impossible to quantify how far and wide these misleading captions have spread.
UPDATE
In response to HonestReporting’s complaint, Reuters amended the captions, which now refer more accurately to Palestinian buildings being “blown up by Israeli forces.” Thank you to Reuters for its prompt reaction.
