Over the weekend, the New York Times published a piece by Nellie Bowles about Campbell Brown’s role as Facebook’s head of news partnerships: “Is Facebook’s Campbell Brown a Force to Be Reckoned With? Or Is She Fake News?”
Included in that piece was the claim that the Palestinian “pay to slay” policy is an example of a “far-right conspiracy” theory {via the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America):
Once those shows get started, Ms. Brown wants to use Facebook’s existing Watch product – a service introduced in 2017 as a premium product with more curation that has nonetheless been flooded with far-right conspiracy programming like “Palestinians Pay $400 million Pensions For Terrorist Families” – to be breaking news destination.
Commentary’s John Podhoretz and the Jerusalem Post’s Lahav Harkov were among those who called Bowles out for that:
Hi @NellieBowles – This is an item written in to the Palestinian Authority's budget, not a "far-right conspiracy." You can quibble over the use of the word terrorists vs. prisoners (and I would defend my word choice) but not the fact that they're making the payments. https://t.co/ARuekscyjV
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) April 21, 2018
The NYT describes news that Palestinians pay money to terrorist families as "far right conspiracy" mongering. It's a FACT. This is a humiliating and disgraceful error.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 21, 2018
It’s pathetic, is what it is. But it’s also par for the course with the New York Times.
So @nelliebowles, when will you correct this egregious error?
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 21, 2018
Two days later, that’s when:
Correction of the Year. @nytimes #paytoslay pic.twitter.com/xjCIY1Rz7q
— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) April 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/988789817952661505
Un. Real.
That is some correction
— Robert (@robbiewh111) April 24, 2018
— Friendly Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) April 24, 2018
This is unbelievable. https://t.co/MFl5rMkuW9
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) April 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/Moj_kobe/status/988790442371108864
Especially when you consider this:
This error had to make it past both the reporter AND at least one editor, who apparently believed Palestinian payments to terrorists' families was a far-right conspiracy. Talk about your bubbles. https://t.co/tINTptwk1A
— Friendly Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) April 24, 2018
Just a hot mess all around.
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/988790837348839424
This. The NYT discounts proven facts (Palestinians paying terrorists' families) and conjures up their own conspiracies (Sarah Palin & the Giffords shooting). History is what they remember and what fits their narrative. https://t.co/Jw6OyPQXEr
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) April 24, 2018
Parting food for thought:
https://twitter.com/ElliottRHams/status/988756525853396992
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