AhlulBayt News Agency: British media outlet Declassified has released an investigative report based on testimonies from Reuters journalists, revealing a pattern of biased reporting in Reuters’ coverage of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The investigation highlighted a recent article titled “Israel kills Al-Jazeera journalist it says was a Hamas leader,” referring to the death of Palestinian journalist Anas Sharif. Despite Sharif’s prior work with Reuters and his role in their Pulitzer-winning 2024 team, the headline was chosen over more accurate alternatives, indicating a tendency to adopt Israeli narratives.
The report noted that this headline, along with similar examples, sparked online backlash and raised serious concerns among Reuters staff.
One email, shared by a Reuters journalist who resigned in August 2024, expressed disappointment with the outlet’s portrayal of the “Israel-Hamas war,” stating that their personal ethics no longer aligned with the agency’s editorial stance.
The journalist, along with others, had urged Reuters to uphold journalistic integrity. However, he concluded that senior leadership was resistant to change and continued to suppress internal dissent.
An anonymous Reuters source told Declassified that many journalists believed the outlet’s coverage of Gaza lacked neutrality. In response, staff conducted a thorough internal review, using both data analysis and qualitative assessments.
The findings were compiled into an open letter circulated within the newsroom, aiming to improve and rebalance the agency’s reporting on Gaza.
Reuters journalists also questioned why the outlet had not published more articles referencing expert claims of Israeli genocide in Gaza, especially when similar claims about Russia’s actions in Ukraine were treated differently.
An analysis of 499 Reuters articles published between October 7 and November 14, 2023, revealed a consistent bias: stories centered on Israel received more editorial resources than those covering Palestinian suffering, despite over 11,000 Palestinian deaths—nearly ten times the Israeli toll.
The report added that by May, Reuters appeared to be making slight editorial adjustments, possibly in response to internal criticism.
Declassified also published an email from Howard S. Goller, Reuters’ International Editor, announcing updated editorial guidelines for coverage of the “War in the Middle East.” These guidelines allow the term “genocide” only with attribution and continue to restrict the use of “Palestine.”
Critics told Declassified that Goller’s update reinforces a pro-Israel framing, omitting crucial context such as the roles of the US and Israel in obstructing ceasefire efforts.
The investigation concluded that the guidelines ignore the illegal settlement expansion, the apartheid system in Israel, and significantly understate the destruction in Palestine. It also noted that Gaza has become the deadliest place for journalists since the American Civil War.
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