As we noted in a recent post, we complained to Telegraph editors last month over the following sentence in an article by their Mid-East correspondent Abbie Cheeseman (“UAE cabinet approves establishment of embassy in Tel Aviv in further sting to Palestinians”, Jan. 24):
The normalisation deals have served a severe blow to international hopes of a two-state solution and to many hopes for Palestinian statehood.
We argued that straight news articles like this would typically employ modifying words like “some observers believe” that the “normalisation deals have served a severe blow to international hopes for a two-state solution”, to make it clear that the political impact of the Abraham Accords is of course disputed.
We stressed to editors that the accuracy clause of the Editors’ Code demands that “The Press…must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.”
Our complaint was ultimately upheld, and the sentence was revised to make it clear that the view about the impact of the Abraham Accords cited is merely an opinion held by some, not a fact.
Many believe the normalisation deals have served a severe blow to international hopes of a two-state solution and to many hopes for Palestinian statehood.
“Some believe” would have been even better. I am just surprised you were able to get a news outlet to separate straight new from opinion. That seems increasingly difficult these days. Congratulations.