ABC News Calls Israeli Hostages in Gaza “Detainees”

By: Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz – Israel 365 News; israel365news.com

In the latest example of journalistic malpractice, ABC News came under fire this week for referring to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza as “detainees” — adopting language that critics say reflects the perspective of a brutal terrorist organization rather than the facts on the ground.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that in an article published Tuesday about a proposed ceasefire deal, ABC reported that the agreement would see “about half of the total amount of detainees believed to still be alive in Gaza” released. The term “detainee”, generally used to describe individuals held by a recognized government or law enforcement authority, sparked immediate backlash from Jewish organizations, media watchdogs, and former hostages themselves.

“The Israelis being held in Gaza are hostages. Not ‘detainees,’” tweeted media watchdog Honest Reporting.
“A vicious terrorist group is holding them in Gaza’s tunnels. They have not been detained by a state army or police force.”

Under pressure, ABC quietly edited the article to refer in “one instance” to those held by Hamas as “hostages”, appending only a vague editor’s note at the bottom:

“This story has been updated to refer in one instance to those held by Hamas as hostages.”

No apology. No public correction. No social media update.

“Just casually calling Israeli hostages ‘detainees’ is about as insulting as it gets,” wrote Fox News media analyst Joe Concha on X (formerly Twitter).

cont’d…

https://israel365news.com/410443/abc-news-calls-israeli-hostages-in-gaza-detainees/