KOT leave Associated Press with a bloody nose over headline on plane crash

Kenya suffered the highest casualties in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 plane crash on Sunday, but somehow a leading American media outlet didn’t consider the grim statistics as a major news highlight.

Instead, the Associated Press (AP) mentioned Canadians, Chinese, Americans, Italians, Indians, French, British, Egyptians casualties as it broke news of the plane crash on Sunday.

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

That tweet did not go down well with Twitterati who called out AP for the lack of proportional representation of everyone who was on board.

AP is yet to delete the tweet or apologise.

Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.

@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

pure garbage type of reporting, its not breaking news it is just reminding people of colour they matter not!

— T of Man (@GMTiman) 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

By the way 32 Kenyans died too but you conveniently omitted them.

— Antwa (@AntonyChagonda) March 10, 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

Wow the level of ignorance in this comment is mind blowing but it’s even worse when u describe urself as an “educational expert.For your info the majority on board were our Kenyan brothers & sisters. And please yes don’t fly Ethiopian cuz no one should suffer sitting next to you!

— Edna Alemayehu (@ednaalemayehu) March 10, 2019

Seriously @AP? What about, ya know, the majority of passengers (32!) from Kenya? This is #unacceptable #truecolors #racismatitsfinest #

— StephanieSibert (@RosebudMidwife) March 11, 2019