AP Issues 'Correction' After Calling Jerusalem 'Israel's Capital

After initially referring to Jerusalem as "Israel's capital," The Associated Press on Friday issued a "correction" and called Jerusalem "Israel's self-declared capital."

The bizarre incident occurred on Twitter Friday morning. The AP first posted the following tweet from its official Twitter account:

“Air raid sirens wail in Jerusalem, signaling a possible rocket attack aimed at Israel's capital: https://apne.ws/U3UaeK  -KH.”

Air raid sirens wail in Jerusalem, signaling a possible rocket attack aimed at Israel's capital: apne.ws/U3UaeK -KH

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 16, 2012

Then roughly a half hour later, the AP issued the "correction" tweet:

“Air raid sirens in Jerusalem signal a possible rocket attack aimed at Israel's self-declared capital: https://apne.ws/ZXOoMR  -KH (correction).”

Air raid sirens in Jerusalem signal a possible rocket attack aimed at Israel's self-declared capital: apne.ws/ZXOoMR -KH (correction)

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 16, 2012

In response to inquiries by Politico, AP spokesperson Paul Colford provided the following explanation:

The air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem after the start of the Jewish Sabbath in the holy city, claimed by both Israel and the Palestinians as a capital and located about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Gaza. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket landed in an open area southeast of the city.

From Politico:

Colford wrote that "it appears the alternate reference in copy ('self-declared capital') was viewed as a correction of an earlier reference ('capital'), contained in a tweet based on a different writethru."

[...]

"The decision was clearly made that explanatory language is best," he wrote:

However, he did later admit that "labeling it a 'correction' was unnecessary."