Journal for the Study of Antisemitism

2009] BETRAYING TRUTH 153
Murderers are assigned more benign labels, such as “gunmen” or “militants.”
For example, in October of 2003 when a Palestinian woman detonated
a bomb in a crowded beach restaurant in Haifa, killing 21 people
(including four children), the Reuters account said she had waged an
“attack” in retaliation for previous Israeli army actions and that the bombing
showed that Palestinian officials had failed to “rein in the militants.” 51
In fact, the word “terrorist” is firmly forbidden at several major newsgathering
organizations: the Associated Press, the British Broadcasting Corporation,
and Reuters. This protocol can have bizarre consequences, such
as when the AP published a list of countries afflicted by terrorism and conspicuously
omitted Israel. 52
According to the BBC’s official producer’s manual, “Our credibility is
severely undermined if international audiences detect a bias for or against
any of those involved. Neutral language is key: even the word ‘terrorist’
can appear judgmental in parts of the world where there is no clear consensus
about the legitimacy of militant political groups.” 53
But the BBC apparently does not question the damage done to its credibility
when its reporting goes a good deal further, occasionally assuming
the role of Palestinian advocate. In March of 2001, for example, correspondent
Judy Swallow interviewed both Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat
and Israeli Knesset member Yuval Steinitz. With Erakat she spoke courteously
and respectfully while discussing Palestinians who stone, shoot, and
bomb non-combatant Israeli men, women, and children. But her manner
changed abruptly when she addressed Steinitz. When he pointed out that
Israeli cities were suffering a wave of car bombs, she broke in sharply:
How is it that you make as a precondition of any talks . . .[that] the
Palestinians must end the violence. You know yourself that you were
never capable of ending the violence. You couldn’t contain Hamas,
Islamic Jihad. If an army the size of Israel’s cannot stop that violence,
51. Tom Fiedler, “Handle With Care: Words Like ‘Conflict,’ ‘Terrorist,’”
Miami Herald, January 4, 2004.
52. In November 2003 the Associated Press posted a list of “recent terror
attacks around the world,” which cited fifteen incidents during the previous five
years. In that period, more than 800 Israelis were murdered in terrorist attacks, but
not one of the incidents in Israel made the list. WorldnetDaily, (November 24,
2003). Similarly, when AP released its Year in Photos 2003, six of the 130 photos
chosen related to human suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. All six were of
Palestinians.See Mitchell G. Bard, Myths and Facts Online: The Media, available at
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths/mf23a.html#27.
53. See BBC Editorial Guidelines, available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/terrorismlanguage/ourapproach.shtm