It shouldn’t be that hard for The Washington Post to adhere to basic journalistic standards from the get-go. But apparently, the paper is perfectly okay with putting out misinformation and only coming back to correct it if readers call attention to a particularly egregious and willful error. This is the case with its abysmal front-page story from July 29, prompting B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin to write the following letter to the editor:

From Daniel S. Mariaschin, B’nai B’rith International CEO

To the editor:

In “Israel Hits Targets in Lebanon” (July 29, 2024), The Washington Post’s misplaced focus is yet another example of its missing journalistic standards. Instead of using its front-page space to emphasize the tragedy of 12 children and teens murdered on a soccer field by a Hezbollah rocket, the Post instead chose to focus on a possible Israeli counterattack.

Misleading information and misrepresentation of the facts don’t even come close to the full dereliction of duty here.

Does the Post just throw out any journalistic standards when it comes to reporting on Israel? The answer is clearly yes.

The outcry, from B’nai B’rith and others, forced the Post to backtrack, if only slightly, issuing this weak editor’s note: https://x.com/JoshKraushaar/status/1818221712099426643/photo/1

Once again, a news outlet fails to understand that readers can’t unsee misinformation. The headline clearly leaves the impression that Israel is the aggressor: that’s the takeaway. How many will ever see the correction? The original headline has become fact for most readers.

This headline is exactly the narrative terror groups would write for themselves. The Washington Post, and all news outlets, must work harder at the basic facts of journalism.

Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO, B’nai B’rith International