The ABC has blamed roster changes and lack of available information for publishing a headline on a story that said a Palestinian man was killed in Tel Aviv without explaining that he opened fire before he was shot.
The ABC Ombudsman’s office received a complaint from the Zionist Federation of Australia last month after a story was published on its website that read, “Palestinian man was the victim of an attack that also critically injured another”.
In the complaint, the ZFA said the August 6 article had an “appalling headline” and left “the clear impression that the Palestinian man was the victim of an attack that also critically injured another”.
“The ABC Code of Practice includes, ‘Do not present factual content in a way that will materially mislead the audience’. The headline in question clearly misleads the viewer.” It requested a retraction and explanation.
After reviewing the story, the ABC Ombudsman accepted that the headline was problematic and it has since been amended.
It now reads, “Palestinian shooting attack in downtown Tel Aviv kills Israeli security guard”.
The story now explains that Tel Aviv municipal patrol officer Chen Amir was shot by a 27-year-old resident of the Palestinian town of Jenin, in the West Bank on August 5. The police then chased and shot the gunman, identified as Kamel Abu Bakr. Both men later died.
Read the article by Sophie Elsworth in The Australian.