An exposé by media watchdog HonestReporting raising ethical questions on the conduct of freelance journalists for Western news outlets in Gaza before and during the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre caused a firestorm in Israel and may have led to the dismissal of at least one reporter in the mentioned outlets.
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HonestReporting, which flags anti-Israel bias in foreign media, published an investigation on Wednesday about photojournalists who were or are working for The New York Times, Reuters, AP, and CNN, asking how they were conveniently ready at the scenes of the atrocities before other Western reporters could get there.
"Is it conceivable to assume that 'journalists' just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists? Or were they part of the plan?" the report asked. "Even if they didn't know the exact details of what was going to happen, once it unfolded did they not realize they were breaching a border? And if so, did they notify the news agencies? Some sort of communication was undoubtedly necessary — before, after, or during the attack — to get the photos published."
الصحفي حسن اصليح قرب آلية عسكرية تابعة للاحتلال: "اختطاف كل الجنود الإسرائيليين الذين تواجدوا في الدبابة". pic.twitter.com/ru5dmi0Pzy
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) October 7, 2023
Following the report, an Israel advocacy group formed by civilians in the wake of the horrors, IsraelGives, sent a letter to the CEOs of media organizations, demanding an immediate cessation of all contact with the photographers who participated in the events.
The letter stated, "A particularly foul smell emanates from the fact that the freelancer photojournalists who work with you daily, were present on the border in the early morning hours. From the emerging details, it appears that those present on the border knew in advance what was happening and yet chose not to report it, which is in direct contradiction to the ethical code of conduct. You must terminate all contact with them and unequivocally condemn their behavior."
Following the report, CNN decided to sever ties with the photographer Hassan Eslaiah, who famously captured the scenes of a burnt tank with dead soldiers and then filmed the returning terrorists on their way to the Gaza Strip. "We found no reason to second guess the accuracy of the work he had done for us, but we decided to sever all ties with him," said a statement issued by the media outlet.
In response to the findings, Nicole Meir, the spokesperson for AP, stated, "The AP news agency had no prior knowledge of the October 7 attack before it occurred. The AP's role is to collect information on breaking news events around the world, wherever they occur, even when these events are horrific and cause many casualties. The AP uses photos taken by freelancers from around the world, including Gaza."
Video: Terrorists enter border towns near Gaza / Credit: Social media
The Journalists' Association-Jerusalem stated: "If indeed representatives of news agencies and major networks knew in advance about the planned massacre, this raises a prima facie concern of complicity in a crime or failure to prevent murder. The investigation raises serious ethical questions, not only about the conduct of field personnel, but also about the management of networks and news agencies, and the question is whether they knew about Hamas's intention, and yet lent it a hand. We call on them to conduct a thorough investigation to examine what they knew before the massacre, and whether their different conduct would have led to the saving of the lives of many innocent people. We demand that they publish the conclusions as soon as possible to the whole world, just as they spread the reports and the horrific images."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X: "Those who were at the scene of the slaughter and took photos, those who were there and looted, those who were there and stayed silent are terrorists. Terrorists get only one verdict."
State Party Chairman and Minister Without Portfolio Benny Gantz, who joined an emergency government following the Oct. 7 massacre, wrote: "Journalists found to have known about the massacre, and still chose to stand as idle bystanders while children were slaughtered – are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman joined the attack, writing on X: "The photographers and their employers are accomplices to the massacre that occurred in Israel on Saturday, October 7; all should be burdened with guilt. They should all face justice." He then tagged CNN, the New York Times, Reuters, and AP.
Reuters denied on Thursday any suggestion it had prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and soldiers, in a statement responding to a report by media advocacy group HonestReporting.
"We are aware of a report by HonestReporting and accusations made against two freelance photographers who contributed to Reuters coverage of the Oct. 7 attack," Reuters said.
"Reuters categorically denies that it had prior knowledge of the attack or that we embedded journalists with Hamas on Oct 7.
"Reuters acquired photographs from two Gaza-based freelance photographers who were at the border on the morning of Oct. 7, with whom it did not have a prior relationship. The photographs published by Reuters were taken two hours after Hamas fired rockets across southern Israel and more than 45 minutes after Israel said gunmen had crossed the border.
"Reuters staff journalists were not on the ground at the locations referred to in the HonestReporting article."
AP issued the following statement:
"The Associated Press had no knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks before they happened. The first pictures AP received from any freelancer show they were taken more than an hour after the attacks began. No AP staff were at the border at the time of the attacks, nor did any AP staffer cross the border at any time. We are no longer working with Hassan Eslaiah, who had been an occasional freelancer for AP and other international news organizations in Gaza. AP uses images taken by freelancers around the world. When we accept freelance photos, we take great steps to verify the authenticity of the images and that they show what is purported. The role of the AP is to gather information on breaking news events around the world, wherever they happen, even when those events are horrific and cause mass casualties."
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