AP Deletes Tweets Calling Murder Victims Prostitutes - iMediaEthics

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In the latest edition of tweets gone wrong, the Associated Press deleted a tweet because it referred to murder victims as “prostitutes” first and not women or victims.

The original tweet read: “U.S. Border Patrol agent is arrested in Texas on suspicion that he killed four prostitutes and abducted a fifth, who escaped.”

The AP posted a Sept. 16 tweet admitting its deletion. It reads, “The AP has deleted a tweet about killings in Texas because it identified four individuals allegedly murdered by a Border Patrol officer as prostitutes, rather than as women or victims.”

Refinery 29 explained that the tweet dehumanized the victims.

iMediaEthics has written to the AP to ask how long the tweet was up and if the AP received complaints.

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AP Deletes Tweets Calling Murder Victims Prostitutes

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