Friday, July 8, 2005

BBC: THIS TIME IT'S "TERROR"

The BBC Calls It by Its Name" (WSJ-BOTW)
London Rocked by Terror Attacks" reads a headline on the BBC's Web site. This seems unremarkable, except that, as the Mediacrity blog points out, the BBC's "editorial guidelines," in Reutervillian style, state:


The word "terrorist" itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. We should try to avoid the term, without attribution. We should let other people characterise while we report the facts as we know them.

The Beeb does apply this rule sometimes, such as in this timeline of attacks against Israel, which nowhere refers by name to terror, terrorism or terrorists.

BUT "THE SUN" STILL DOESN'T GET IT. IN Evil across our planet THE BRITISH TABLOID MAPS OUT A TIMELINE OF ISLAMIC TERROR AGAINST CIVILIANS SINCE 1993. WHAT'S MISSING? ANY ... MENTION... OF .... TERROR .... AGAINST.... ISRAELI CIVILIANS!!!! (Hat tip: Uncle Sticky)

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