Probably just a coward, although perhaps acting on the orders of his editor. He was so enthusiastic about the story at first, and then he just turned stone-cold disinterested.

Hard to explain.

He did suggest something interesting to me. He told me that Facebook's Arab-language human moderators work in a facility in North Africa, and that they were simply reflecting their society's mores. He said it in such a way to make it seem like that's acceptable.

If that's what he truly thinks, he's not alone.

Lots of people believe that bigotry, scapegoating, and hate-speech against queer people can be acceptable depending on culture and religion. (In this case, Islam.)

I mean, just look at all the people who don't mind that the Catholic Church literally labels us as depraved and disordered.

I believe the reporter, or perhaps his editor, were sympathetic to religious faith even when it's hateful and cruel on its face.