Things seemed to go from bad to worse for The Washington Post following its headline debacle on the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
After attempting to put out the fire caused by a stunning headline calling the terrorist mastermind who died Saturday an “austere scholar,” the newspaper became the target of ridicule and the launch of the trending hashtag “#WaPoDeathNotices” on social media.
The Washington Post, advocate for democracy, dies in darkness, at 142 years old. #WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/0W8qZp7Yed
— Kiera Wainer (@kewainer) October 27, 2019
The Post was slammed on Sunday for a headline that appeared to completely ignore that al-Baghdadi was a terrorist leader responsible for countless atrocities.
WaPo’s outrageous headline: ‘al-Baghdadi austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48’ https://t.co/lOmRA4rztR
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) October 27, 2019
“Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48,” the headline read following news of his death. He died after fleeing into a tunnel with his three children and detonating a suicide vest when surrounded by U.S. Special Operations Forces.
Phew pic.twitter.com/uydlc9mE1X
— Justin Green (@JGreenDC) October 27, 2019
“He died like a dog. He died like a coward,” President Trump said on Sunday about the death of ISIS’s top leader.
Following the backlash over the Post’s headline, the publication changed it to “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, extremist leader of Islamic State, dies at 48,” as WaPo Vice President Kristine Coratti Kelly explained the move on Twitter.
Regarding our al-Baghdadi obituary, the headline should never have read that way and we changed it quickly.
— Kristine Coratti Kelly (@kriscoratti) October 27, 2019
That apology was not nearly enough, many contended.
The Washington Post must issue a Page 1 Apology for supporting ISIS.
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) October 27, 2019
The rest of the article is even worse than the headline. Stop digging, repent, and resolve to no longer lionize genocidal terrorists, rapists, and slave-holders like Baghdadi. https://t.co/n0u9YVC2kH
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) October 27, 2019
But the repercussions continued to reverberate for the newspaper, owned by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, as a new hashtag was launched to mock how the Post would use the same standard to report the obituaries of other notorious figures in history. Everyone from Charles Manson to Adolf Hitler was name-dropped to shame the paper.
“Jeffrey Dahmer, connoisseur of exotic and locally sourced meats, dies at 34” #WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/tkJWf0iLcY
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 27, 2019
Charles Manson, famous songwriter and meditation leader, dead at 83 #WaPoDeathNotices
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) October 27, 2019
#WaPoDeathNotices Genghis Khan, accomplished horseman and indefatigable traveler, breathes his last.
— Walter Russell Mead (@wrmead) October 27, 2019
Adolf Hitler, dedicated art enthusiast, animal rights activist, and talented orator, dies at 56.#WaPoDeathNotices
— Lauren Chen (@TheLaurenChen) October 28, 2019
“Joseph Stalin, advocate of a strong working class and population control, dies at 74” #WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/CPDAGbH125
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 27, 2019
Nero, emperor who helped Christians bring light to Rome, dies at 30. #WaPoDeathNotices
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) October 27, 2019
Jeffry Epstein, lover of children and helping those with similar interests, dies at 66. #WaPoDeathNotices
— Ben Witt (@Benamite) October 27, 2019
Attila the Hun, world traveler and government administrator, dies at 47. #WaPoDeathNotices
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) October 27, 2019
“Ted Bundy, meticulous researcher, charismatic figure, and Polaroid enthusiast, dead at 42” #WaPoDeathNotices pic.twitter.com/AgoQqXy6OF
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 27, 2019
Judas Iscariot, fiscal conservative and financial advisor, dead at 20 #WaPoDeathNotices
— Jesse Albrecht (@jessdalbrecht) October 27, 2019
Acclaimed newspaper Washington Post dies Sunday October 27th 2019 from an overdose of printing BULLSHIT#WaPoDeathNotices
— rj mazur (@mobeycash) October 28, 2019
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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