NBC News quietly stealth-edited a headline previously downplaying the death of an elderly Jewish man who died during an altercation with pro-Palestinian counter-protesters.
Paul Kessler, the 69-year-old killed, died from “injuries sustained during an altercation at a Pro-Israeli/Pro-Palestinian event” in Thousand Oaks, California, Monday afternoon, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office told the Daily Caller. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office deemed the manner of Kessler’s death a homicide.
NBC News initially headlined its report on Kessler’s death as “Man dies after hitting head during Israel and Palestinian rallies in California, officials say,” according to an archived version of the report. It later changed the headline to read, “Jewish man killed in altercation at dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in California.”
CNN also framed it around the man hitting his head @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/xRFQ1aKwG6
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) November 7, 2023
Local police said Kessler died from a head injury after falling backward during an altercation with a counter-protester, according to the sheriff’s office. Medical personnel then transported him to the hospital to provide him with “advanced medical treatment.” Authorities have not yet ruled out whether Kessler’s death was the result of a hate crime. (RELATED: Corporate Media Mass Stealth-Edits Headlines After Blindly Parroting Hamas To Blame Israel For Hospital Bombing)
“An autopsy was performed on November 6th and the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death homicide,” the sheriff’s office said.
CNN similarly framed the homicide around a head injury rather than citing the medical examiner’s determination that Kessler’s death was a homicide. The report’s headline reads, “Jewish man dies after suffering head injury at pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in California.”