Yesterday, we tweeted and contacted editors at the Daily Mail over the following headline accompanying a June 12th Associated Press (AP) article published on their website.
.@MailOnline This headline is categorically untrue,
See here: https://t.co/fMInNGIC1W
It isn't even supported by your article.
Please correct. pic.twitter.com/hPrSK7Xjvk
— CAMERA UK (formerly UK Media Watch and BBC Watch) (@CAMERAorgUK) June 12, 2019
As we noted in our tweet, the claim, by anti-Israel media outlets, that Aisha Lulu, a five-year-old from Gaza who passed away from a brain tumour, died alone in a Jerusalem hospital because COGAT refused to grant permission for family members to accompany her, was proven to be fake news weeks ago. The claim that authorities denied permission to Aisha’s family to accompany her was false, and the girl in fact passed away in Gaza after she was released, not in the Israeli hospital where she was treated.
Further, the actual Daily Mail/AP article never makes the claim – asserted in the headline – that the girl died alone.
Yet, Daily Mail editors rejected our complaint and told us to take it up with AP. However, this is an abdication of their responsibilities, as publications like the Daily Mail that use wire service stories have the freedom to revise headlines – for stylistic or editorial reasons – as their editors see fit.
We intend to appeal the Daily Mail’s decision, and will update this post when we get a response.
