Washington Post editors promptly rewrote a controversial
headline Tuesday afternoon after hearing online complaints that it was
misleading regarding the religion of a man accused of stabbing two people in
Detroit.
In an article initially headlined "Man stabs two at a
bus stop after asking them if they’re Muslim,” the Post reported that a Muslim
man, Terrence Lavaron Thomas, stabbed two people at a bus top after asking them
if they were Muslims.
When they replied that they were not, “[Thomas] was not
happy with that answer,” Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said.
Thomas then drew a knife and reportedly attacked the two
victims, both in their early 50s, according to the Post. The victims of the
stabbing attack were later released from the hospital with “non-life threatening
injuries.”
The original headline drew rebukes almost as soon as it
appeared on the Post website.
“Of note: stabber ‘said he was a Muslim,’” the Federalist’s
Mollie Hemingway said. “Given that, [Washington Post], I’d file this under
‘criminally incompetent and unclear headline.’ So obviously this headline is
deceptive. But curious how you’d headline this story, given limited facts.”
Hot Air’s Noah Rothman said: “That really is beyond the
pale, [Washington Post]. That deserves a correction. Now."
The Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney suggested that both the
story and its headline were “vague” and misleading.
Shortly after these complaints were aired, the Post amended
the headline to read: “Police: Muslim man stabs two after discussion about
religious beliefs.”
The headline was edited "to make it clearer to the
reader," a Post spokesperson told the Examiner.
The article also includes a note that states: “The headline
of this post has been updated.”
The hasty headline change to make clear the religion of the
man accused in the stabbings came nearly a week after the Post emphasized in
multiple headlines that three Arab-Americans who where were shot and killed in
Chapel Hill, N.C., in a longstanding parking dispute were Muslims.
"Three Muslims killed in shooting near UNC; police,
family argue over motive," read one Post headline.
Another added: “Thousands gather at funeral service for
three Muslims killed in North Carolina shooting."
A Post Wonkblog entry was headlined “Anti-Muslim hate crimes
are still five times more common today than before 9/11.”
Credit to T. Becket Adams
