Associated Press accused of ‘biased’ reporting on Ethiopian Airlines crash

The Associated Press, a United States-based media house was on Sunday on the receiving end online for alleged biased reporting on the Ethiopian Airlines crash that claimed 157 lives.

This was after A.P, in a Breaking News tweet posted after the crash, wrote: “BREAKING: Authorities say Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Italians, Indians, French, British, Egyptians among those killed in Ethiopian plane crash.”

It was not lost on many that Africans were largely left out of the alert and many felt the reporting was partially biased, inconsiderate and insensitive since Kenya had the highest number of casualties from the incident at 32.

BREAKING: Authorities say Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Italians, Indians, French, British, Egyptians among those killed in Ethiopian plane crash.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 10, 2019

The continent, at large, lost about 55 souls from the fatal crash yet Egypt was the only African country mentioned by The Associated Press.

Other African countries that had casualties from the accident include: Ethiopia (9), Morocco (2), as well as Mozambique, Sudan, Somalia, Togo, Uganda and Nigeria with one each.

Taking to Twitter, netizens rubbished the New York not-for-profit news agency further urging them to pull down or edit the post.

The media house was, however, yet to respond or react to the backlash as at the time of publishing.

What kind training do your correspondents go through @AP ?

— Chris Kirwa (@chriskirwa) March 10, 2019

What a shame there were more Kenyans than everyone

— Ramapithecus (@RamzZy_) March 10, 2019

Do you know which country has lost more of her people? Kenya! But as usual black people don’t count. Racists

— Chris (@Ngaruthi) March 10, 2019

32 Kenyans are "others?" Kenya is hardest hit. Thank you for the "empathy"

— Daniel N Wahome (@MistaWahome) March 10, 2019

You just keep creating these gratuitous moral quandaries. Weren't there more Kenyans on the plane than any other nationality? Even in death you are going to introduce a hierarchy of value? Or it's just an oversight or we should take for granted there were Africans on the flight?

— W. Gyude Moore (@gyude_moore) March 10, 2019

32 Kenyans died in that crash but they don't merit a mention. Perhaps we should ask 'how many needed to die before you consider them human enough to be mentioned?'

— Yinka Ogunnubi (@yinkanubi) March 10, 2019

Kenyans …? Why are Kenyans missing from this list n it's the biggest number?

— Otieno M. O. (@olotieno) March 10, 2019

There where 32 Kenyans on board that flight. Don't be biased..!!

— Onyeukwu Nnadozie (@Mandouze) March 10, 2019

@AP … and more than 60 Africans, most from Kenya. Let’s be aware of our Western conscious and unconscious biases when covering Africa please. #ET302

— zain verjee (@Zain_Verjee) March 11, 2019

Mention every nationality or none at all. We understand where majority of your consumers are but still, have a little empathy.

— Gitonga (@geetongaK) March 10, 2019

And kenyans. 32 of them actually. Black ones

— Aden (@docabdalla) March 10, 2019

What a disgraceful tweet. How this meets AP standards I will never know. Shame.

— Christiana Mbakwe-Medina (@Christiana1987) March 10, 2019

Not the time for petiness but 32 Kenyans died!

— Clinton D. Mutambo (@cmutambo) March 10, 2019

You literally skipped the largest number…. Like you just sat there and thought oh well they can count themselves…. It's the LARGEST number… 32!!!

— chemarum Alkatra (@Earl_marum) March 10, 2019

You seem worried only for the loss of certain country citizens excluding other Africans who were boarding on the same plane ✈️! The majority of passengers on the plane were also Africans from various countries, they should have been given equal coverage. RIP! #Ap @flyethiopian

— Ted (@afumar) March 10, 2019

What about those from Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco, Djibouti, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Togo, Uganda and Nigeria?

— AF Price (@andrewfprice) March 10, 2019

I reported this tweet, nothing can be more offensive for a country and a continent.

— Moyosola 'layori Oso (@Spectmo) March 10, 2019

Kenyans had the highest number of casualties and are not named. Ethiopians are not named. Egyptians are the only Africans named.

This is what racism in journalism looks like. This is what deeply entrenched devaluing of lives in the developing (overexploited) world looks like. https://t.co/T87GgpYvHJ

— Z (@badgaIzizi) March 10, 2019