The New York Times deleted a video of violence in Amsterdam it published once it realized that the perpetrators were Israelis and not an anti- Semitic mob. The Times had falsely claimed that the video showed Israeli football fans being attacked while in the Netherlands to support their team. What the video actually showed was a group of Israelis chasing and attacking locals.
Instead of changing their story and highlighting the bad behavior of the Israelis, the Paper of Record decided to delete the video. Why was it newsworthy when Dutch fans attacked Israelis but not when Israelis attacked Dutch people? The short answer is that the story no longer fits the long-running narrative of a new wave of anti-Semitic violence surging across the West. Therefore, it was dropped entirely.
Crucial to understanding why corporate media outlets cover some events and not others is the sociological concept of “Worthy Victims.” Developed by media theorists Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Worthy Victims postulates that the amount of press coverage any violent event receives depends on two factors: the perpetrators and the victims.
If the perpetrator is our enemy, and there is political capital to be made from highlighting their crime, then the media will deem the victim “worthy” — especially if the victim is a pro-U.S. figure. If, however, you die at the hands of the U.S. or its allies, you can expect little sympathy or coverage from the press. This is especially the case if you are a Communist, Muslim, or any other designation that renders you unworthy of media attention.