As a journalist, I understand the lack of resources in a newsroom on a weekend. I’ve worked those shifts. However, this story has issues and lacks details that only take a few extra minutes to fix. Here’s what they are:
https://twitter.com/ottawacitizen/status/1393918673107177473
The first issue is the headline. The violence *started* in East Jerusalem but it fails to acknowledge the catastrophic violence that has spread to Gaza and other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories which was also part of the protest.
The second issue is in the lede (paragraph). The word “noisy” is an adjective & we love colour in a story. But, it reinforces the stereotype of Arabs being loud and it distracts from the message. The word “orderly” also reinforces chaos & people’s inability to be peaceful.
The third issue is not addressing the elephant in the room. Who is displacing of people in #SheikhJarrah? The story fails to acknowledge that it’s Israel displacing Palestinians, not any or all residents. It takes two seconds to put in that crucial detail.
Finally, mentioning the horrific chain of events that have taken place since the story of #SheikhJarrah is important. It could have been summarized in a line or two in my humble opinion.
This is not an attempt to attack the Ottawa Citizen. This is a chance for other local and national media to learn from this and do better. In a time where local media is dwindling and resources in the industry take a hit, it’s important we retain the trust of readers.
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