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Media / Media Bias

CanWest, Reuters and the "t" word

by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,

September 27, 2004

Reuters complained recently about how the National Post and other CanWest newspapers are inserting the word "terrorist" into Reuters' stories. The complaint was apparently set off when someone at the CBC informed Reuters that in a story reported on September 14, the National Post added a descriptive phrase to the al-aqsa Martyrs Brigades, referring to it as "a terrorist group". There have been other instances wherein CanWest news publications have changed words such as "militants" and "insurgents" to read "terrorists". Reuters takes the position that if the word "terrorist" is to be inserted into its news pieces, the article shouldn't say that it was written by a Reuters' reporter.

CanWest defends its position. In an editorial in the National Post, the newspaper quoted from its editorial policy that reads, "Terrorism is a technical term. It describes a modus operandi, a tactic. Those who bomb [civilians are] terrorists. We journalists do not violate our impartiality by describing them as such."

The Post used the group Hamas as an example and argues that a group that blows up civilians on buses and in restaurants is properly referred to as a terrorist group. The editorial goes on to criticize those news sources who refer to Hamas as "militants" or "activists" as if they were clipboard-bearing political volunteers seeking petition signatures."

The National Post is correct in saying that the avoidance of the word "terrorist" is nothing more than political correctness. The Post defends its changes to newswire stories by arguing that it is misleading to describe certain groups otherwise. But Reuters has an even better point--it is their story and in this politically controlled climate where one man's terrorist is the mainstream media's freedom fighter, as long as the facts of the story are correct, Reuters has the right to call the actors, "militants", "insurgents" or "poor little darlings" if they so wish. It's their article that is being altered. If the changes that CanWest makes were not significant, there would be no controversy.

The criticism over the insertion of the word "terrorists" into Reuters articles brings up a problem that occurs in newspapers that don't adhere to the usual left wing liberal positions that most of the media does. The Toronto Sun is a good example of a newspaper that is conservative in its editorial positions and in the news that most of its reporters cover. But its international news is made up of short items from left wing wire services that wouldn't use the word "terrorist" if that word that determined the results of a spelling bee.

Reuters is right--"terrorist" does have a specific meaning as the Post points out and changing or adding that word is more than editing for style.