Guardian report on Jerusalem terror attack again highlights fate of perpetrators (Update)

On Jan. 26, we commented on a Guardian headline which served as further evidence of a media trend of prioritizing the fate of the perpetrators over that of their victims by  leading with the death of the terrorists, while relegating the victims to the strapline.

Today, they did it again.

Here’s the headline, strapline and photo accompanying a report by Peter Beaumont on today’s terror attack in Jerusalem, where 2 Israeli policewoman were wounded by three Palestinians who stabbed and shot them outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.

guardian again

First, note that the headline once again leads with the police reaction to the Palestinian terror attack, not the attack itself.  

Also, note that the strapline claims the terrorists merely had knives, despite the fact that the article itself makes clear they had knives and guns, and that the attack began when “one of the suspects drew his gun and opened fire”.

Finally, look at the photo caption (“Israeli officers secure an area near Damascus Gate where three Palestinians were shot dead by police”). Readers are merely informed that Israeli officers “shot dead” three Palestinians without being informed that the Palestinian attack precipitated the police response.

Once again, Guardian editors have done everything possible to soften the impact of a clear-cut story about Israeli terror victims and Palestinian initiated violence.

UPDATE 1: Shortly after our post, the Guardian changed the strap line. It now more accurately reads: “Men were stopped at Damascus Gate and reportedly found to be carrying least one automatic weapon, pipe bombs and knives.”

UPDATE 2: Additionally, Guardian editors changed the headline to the following:

better headline

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