Daily Alert Archives

Word Choice Matters in Mideast Reporting

(St. Petersburg Times) Philip Gailey - When a Palestinian suicide bomber recently boarded a bus in Jerusalem and blew 20 men, women, and children to bits, most of the wire service reports I saw, including one from the Associated Press, said the carnage was the work of Palestinian "militants." By that standard, I suppose Osama bin Laden is a militant, as was Mohammed Atta. If the word "terrorism" is to have any real meaning, then blowing up a bus crowded with women and children must be condemned for what it is - an act of terrorism. The writer is editorials editor of the Times.
2003-09-02 00:00:00
Full Article