Telegraph - The BBC has re-edited some of its coverage of the London Underground and bus bombings to avoid labeling the perpetrators as "terrorists", it was disclosed yesterday.Early reporting of the attacks on the BBC's website spoke of terrorists but the same coverage was changed to describe the attackers simply as "bombers".
The BBC's guidelines state that its credibility is undermined by the "careless use of words which carry emotional or value judgments".
Consequently, "the word 'terrorist' itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding" and its use should be "avoided", the guidelines say.
I did some quick research on Google News and found that the BBC has, indeed, removed the word terrorist from its copy when referring to the London bombings.
Case in point, here's the top result for a Google News search for "bbc terrorist."
Note the use of the word "terrorist" (once in the headline, once in the lead paragraph) which I've highlighted with the arrows.
Now he's what you get when you click through on that search result to the article on the BBC website.
>Note the absence of the word terrorist. It was once there, but clearly the people running things over at the BBC felt that "terrorist" was a bit to harsh a term to use for the scoundrels who murdered 50+ of their unarmed, civilian countrymen.
Which is a sad, sad commentary.
One bit of ancient wisdom that exists in this world is that if you want to defeat your enemy you must know your enemy. Well how in the world can you know your enemy if you can't even call your enemy what they are? Lest you hurt their feelings, no less?
(via Ace)
Rob Port is the owner and operator of Say Anything.
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Comments (8)
Such nonsense can only be d... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 9:29 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Such nonsense can only be done with impunity in a business protected from market forces. BBC, the NPR of England.
Tob
Although, how Reuters survives this same sort of thing is a mystery to me. Is there that little competition in the wire-service business?
1. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 9:29 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 09:29
2. Posted by McGehee | July 12, 2005 9:35 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Tob, that sounds like how it was here with ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN, before Darth Murdoch gave us Fox News Channel.
Maybe Rupert needs to get into the wire service business.
2. Posted by McGehee | July 12, 2005 9:35 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 09:35
3. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 9:49 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"Maybe Rupert needs to get into the wire service business."
I agree. One of the things that I have never understood is why Fox Entertainment TV has no national news coverage. Why doesn't Murdoch just show Brit Humes show on the entertainment channels? Maybe restructure it so that the local affliates could have the choice of showing 30 minutes or the entire hour. It would be like PBS The NewsHour. Is it an anti-trust matter? You know that it would just kill the other exempt media news broadcast. Just like its slaughtering all challengers in cable news.
Tob
3. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 9:49 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 09:49
4. Posted by joe | July 12, 2005 10:57 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Of course, according to the moonbats, the "bombers" were just "expressing frustration" with their "oppression"....((spit))
4. Posted by joe | July 12, 2005 10:57 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 10:57
5. Posted by penny | July 12, 2005 11:30 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Good point, Toby928.
Brit Hume is by far the best evening news on the airwaves and should be distributed more widely on FOX.
Yes, we can't refer to homicidal jihadist coackroaches as terrorists at the BBC(what's the NYT's calling them?) as feelings could be hurt. And we all know how shame-based your basic jihadist is.
5. Posted by penny | July 12, 2005 11:30 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 11:30
6. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 11:41 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yeah, I like Brit's show as well. The first 30 minutes seems fine for on-the-air broadcast as a news show, but I particulary enjoy the round-table in the second 1/2 hour. You've generally got Brit, Mort 'the molting lib' Kondrake, Juan 'NPR' Williams, sometimes the Bill 'the Smiling Assasin' Krystol, and I just love Charles 'Stoneface' Krauthammer. He's almost as good as Steyn in pointing out, oh so calmly, the idiocy of many political talking-points, both right and left. I try not to miss it.
Tob
6. Posted by Toby928 | July 12, 2005 11:41 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 11:41
7. Posted by SilverBubble | July 12, 2005 11:56 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Penny, I believe the NYT calls them "insurgents", though you'll have to double-check on that one.
7. Posted by SilverBubble | July 12, 2005 11:56 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 12, 2005 11:56
8. Posted by AnonymousDrivel | July 13, 2005 12:45 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
RE: FOX/Brit Hume's show
Agreed. The 15-min daily round-table is the best, and most honest, news analysis segment on TV. I wish they'd turn it into a full hour of debate though that might be a tough pace to maintain. Truly the gem of evening news. Hume controls the flow better than anyone in the industry without being obnoxious or domineering and brings integrity lacking in so many other politically flavored shows.
PC doesn't get a pass in that segment and does get exposed for being what it is. Kudos to them.
8. Posted by AnonymousDrivel | July 13, 2005 12:45 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 13, 2005 00:45