On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher stated that the early headline by The New York Times on the Gaza hospital blast, “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say” was a “terrible headline” but he does think the story is a bit overblown since he doubts the headline actually changed anyone’s mind.
Maher said, “The New York Times is the story, somewhat, this week. … I’m not quite sure why this is quite the scandal they think it is, but I agree, it’s a terrible headline. ‘Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.’ That was the headline. I feel like putting ‘Palestinians Say’ at the end of it saves their bacon a little bit.”
He added that the “Palestinians Say” part of the headline could be interpreted as having a dismissive tone like the claim that it was an Israeli strike is ludicrous.
He continued, “But, I agree, it’s terrible to just put the first part, ‘Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds’ when we know now it did not.”
Later, Maher wondered if the Times headline will actually change anyone’s mind, since people just go online to find stories that affirm what they already believe anyway.
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