Why Ireland players are wearing black armbands against Israel after player vote

The Mirror explains why Ireland's players wear black armbands but writes the reason as 'lives lost in the ongoing Gaza conflict'. That phrase removes both the killing and Israel as the party doing it. The Mirror also drops the reason Gavin Bazunu gave for withdrawing, which it had quoted in its own earlier article.

1. Writes the death out

   Severe

   “the lives lost”

   Why this matters

   In its own voice the Mirror calls the dead 'the lives lost', a phrase with no word for killing in it.

   The impression it gives

   A reader takes the armbands as mourning for deaths that simply happened, like losses in an accident.

   The context

   The people mourned were killed. Other coverage of the same match says more than 70,000 people have been killed in Israel's attacks. The Mirror's own earlier article quoted Bazunu condemning 'the killing of innocent people'. The word killed appears nowhere in this article.

   How we know

   • Daily Mail reported“where more than 70,000 people have been killed since the war in Gaza began”Ireland goalkeeper REFUSES to play against Israel in protest at Gaza 'atrocities': Controversial clash to go ahead after FOUR-HOUR talks and last-minute vote among players (opens in a new tab)
   • Daily Mirror wrote earlier“the killing of innocent people is wrong”Ireland forced into unusual decision after squad split over controversial Israel match (opens in a new tab)
   • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “killed”.

   Show it in the article

   Written straight

   Ireland will wear black armbands in recognition of the more than 70,000 people killed in Israel's attacks on Gaza.

2. Hides who did it

   Serious

   “in the ongoing Gaza conflict”

   Why this matters

   The Mirror puts the deaths down to 'the ongoing Gaza conflict' and names no one who caused them.

   The impression it gives

   A reader comes away thinking the dead were victims of a two-sided conflict with no responsible party.

   The context

   Coverage of the same event names Israel's attacks as the cause of the deaths. Ireland's head coach said his team were 'playing against genocide'. The Mirror reports neither.

   How we know

   • Daily Mail reported“saying his team are 'playing against genocide' amid Israel's attacks on Palestine”Ireland goalkeeper REFUSES to play against Israel in protest at Gaza 'atrocities': Controversial clash to go ahead after FOUR-HOUR talks and last-minute vote among players (opens in a new tab)
   • The Independent reported“over that country’s actions in Gaza”Ireland players vote to go ahead with Israel games as pressure to boycott grows, 1 player leaves (opens in a new tab)

   Show it in the article

   Written straight

   The armbands mark the Palestinians killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, which Ireland's head coach has called a genocide.

3. Drops what it reported before

   Minor

   What is missing

   S6 says Gavin Bazunu withdrew and released a statement, but never says what the statement said. A reader cannot tell that he withdrew in protest at the killing in Gaza and could take it as a routine squad change. The Mirror had quoted his reasons in its earlier article.

   How we know

   • Daily Mirror wrote earlier“My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong”Ireland forced into unusual decision after squad split over controversial Israel match (opens in a new tab)
   • Daily Mail reported“insisting he isn't against Israelis or Jews – but against the atrocities in Gaza”Ireland goalkeeper REFUSES to play against Israel in protest at Gaza 'atrocities': Controversial clash to go ahead after FOUR-HOUR talks and last-minute vote among players (opens in a new tab)

   Show where it belongs