Corrosive..

 

The NYTimes piece opened with a disturbing scene, a video that captured a woman, Gal Abdush, “lying on her back, dress torn, legs spread, vagina exposed.” The authors stated, “based largely on video evidence,” that unnamed Israeli “police officials said they believed” Abdush had been raped.

 When key elements of the story are not supported with transparent and unimpeachable evidence, or when a reporter publicly engages in inappropriate behavior on social media, it can damage a news organization’s vital credibility. 

In this case, the Times, by opening its story with an anecdote later Called into Question by the victim’s family, along with the troubling actions of a freelancer, has left critics with plenty of material to sow doubt. 

That’s corrosive to the trust of the reporting and for the public record at large.