Monday, April 03, 2006
Can't Believe These Reuters Captions
Israeli police detain a Palestinian man in the northern Israeli city of Beit Shean April 2, 2006. The Israeli police said officers arrested two Palestinians suspected of being enroute to carry out a suicide bombing. ISRAEL OUT REUTERS/Stringer
Maybe they'll disavow any editorial control over these captions sent out in their name. It might be that they automatically publish whatever their stringers type in, or that they only browse their stringers' screeds with one bleary eye, checking less carefully than even I, a lowly blogger. Which would mean they essentially allow Palestinians to freely abuse the Reuters brand and any remaining credibility as a tool of global anti-Israel propaganda.
But I guess the possibility of such recklessness is preferable to the assumption that Reuters knowingly publishes things like "ISRAEL OUT" in their public material.
Then again, perhaps it's just police-style radio etiquette run amok, and makes perfect sense if you're familiar with wire service jargon. You know, "Break one four, we got a two ninety in progess, roger over, ISRAEL OUT".
That must be it.
And by the way, kudos to Israeli forces for stopping yet another attack during this year-long unilateral Hamas truce. And yes, I know Hamas will say it wasn't us, it was Fatah, although we approve. God forbid elected Palestinians should ever be held responsible for the violence. When Hamas is in power, Fatah is allowed to attack. When Fatah is in power, Hamas is allowed to attack. Now where's that aid money?
