I, Sort Of, Won

I complained about a caption in the NYTimes and received this response:-

Dear Yisrael,

Thank you for writing. I passed your e-mail to an assistant managing editor at The Times who said that while the caption could have been more precise it was not wrong. The men in the picture were wounded, caught in cross-fire, during a clash between Israeli soldiers and Hamas. It is impossible to tell who shot whom. The caption should have made clear the men were caught in the cross fire and not the Hamas members who fought the soldiers. But, this is not a correctable matter.

I will keep this exchange on file for consideration for future columns on clarity and usage.

Sincerely,
Michael McElroy
Office of the Public Editor
The New York Times

Note: The public editor's opinions are his own and do not represent those of The New York Times

When you encounter a media bias or ethics issue, write and complain.