ABC News has recently found itself in the eye of a storm, facing a barrage of criticism over a social media post concerning the anticipated return of hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas.
The hostages were captured during the horrific massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023. The network's choice of words in describing the hostages has sparked a widespread online backlash.
The contentious post by ABC News read, "BREAKING: Hamas will release the bodies of four deceased hostages on Thursday and six living hostages on Saturday, Hamas and Israel confirmed. Four more dead hostages will be released next week, according to Israel." The use of the term "deceased" to describe some of the hostages ignited a firestorm of criticism.
In response to the post, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah took to social media to condemn the network's ambiguous language. "Do you mean 'murdered,' @ABC?" he wrote, "Civilian hostages, little children, murdered by the evil, brutal scum of Hamas." As reported by Western Journal, the post had garnered over 750,000 views and more than 1,300 responses by late Tuesday afternoon, with the overwhelming majority condemning the network's distortion of reality.
The identities of the deceased were not disclosed in ABC's report. However, CNN reported that two of the victims were brothers Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged 9 months and 3 years respectively, when they were captured by Hamas during the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, expressed her outrage at the network. "Shame on any media outlet that can't call this what it is, murder," she wrote, "Two innocent babies, their mother, and others did not simply 'die'. They were kidnapped, murdered, and their bodies were held as bargaining chips by terrorists."
The Israeli prime minister's office used the term "slain" to describe the victims whose remains are due to be released, according to CNN. However, ABC News refrained from using such terminology. Hamas claimed that Kfir, Ariel, and their mother Shiri were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023, as reported by CNN. Even if this claim were true, it must be noted that they were in Gaza because they were abducted by Hamas. Israel was launching airstrikes on Gaza in response to the war initiated by Hamas.
This situation underscores the responsibility of Hamas for their deaths. It also highlights the disturbing alignment of Western liberals, who staged pro-Hamas demonstrations on American campuses last year, with the perpetrators of these heinous acts. ABC News, a media organization that should be committed to providing an accurate portrayal of world events, has seemingly allowed itself to become a mouthpiece for what can only be described as evil.
The father of the Bibas boys, Yarden Bibas, a former Hamas hostage who was released on February 1, was unaware of the tragic fate of his wife and sons, according to The Times of Israel. The use of the term "deceased" to describe victims of such brutal acts of terrorism is not only technically correct but also devoid of the necessary context. The truth, in this case, is not just about the absence of a pulse, but also about the circumstances that led to their untimely demise.
It is a stark reminder of the role of media in shaping public opinion and the importance of accurate and responsible reporting. The choice of words can either illuminate the truth or obscure it, and in this instance, ABC News has been accused of doing the latter.
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