Media Terminology
Updated Media Terminology
Some in the Western media do their readers a disservice and engage in what is at best described as "shaby journalism". There are many exmples of this but perhaps the use of misleading language is the most platant. As veteran journalist Robert Fisk said, it is the kind of "coverage that makes the killing possible." This list is intended to provide a spoof on what seems to be the prominent "Zionese" language of Fox, CNBC, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and others.
Definitions:
Anti-Semite: n. a) Person who condemns Israeli violations of Palestinian civil and human rights, b) speaking against concepts of separation based on religious beliefs
Arab: adj. Discarded definition is any one who speaks Arabic regardless of their religion (Christian, Muslim, Jew etc). New definitions: a) someone who is on the "other side" from Israeli/Zionist agenda, b) a new ethnicity, equated with Islam. Can use to generalize e.g. Arab media, Arab violence etc.
Attack/bombing/murder: Acts the Palestinians commit when directed at Israelis
Attacker: Any Palestinian engaging in any form of resistance (violent or not). Also see terrorist.
Authoritarian: Used for Palestinian governments and leaders and all leaders of enemy countries. Avoid using for "friendly" governments like Israel and Jordan and Egypt (all non-democratic by old definitions). For teh latter, use allies.
Brutal/cowardly/ghastly: adjectives in describing attacks on Israelis and Americans regardless of context. Never use for cases of "collateral damage" (civilians killed when teh good guys are dropping 1 ton bombs on "targets")
Caught in the Crossfire: When Palestinian civilians or Internationals are killed by Israeli forces and no other excuse is available
Civilians: Use selectively and carefully. Armed settlers are civilians when killed as are most other Israeli casualties. Rarely or never used for Palestinians even when 90% of the victims are non-combatants. Avoid clarifying that Israeli forces do not use the word civilian for any of the hundreds of civilians killed in the past year and a half. Do not use the word civilian at all in regard to Palestinians if at all possible.
Clashes: This is a difficult term to understand but is generally used when Palestinians are intentionaly killed by Israelis so the words to use is "died in clashes"
Colonialism: avoid using, invalid word.
Conflict (as in "Arab Israeli conflict"): use for making it appear that there is a parity between occupier and occupied, colonizer and ethnically cleansed natives. See also Arab.
Democratic ally: synonym for Israel (avoid discussing the basic laws of Israel which are racist)
Disputed Areas: Any Palestinian or Arab land occupied by Israel in defiance of International law. Encouraged use especially when speaking about Palestinian intransigence.
Escalation: Any act of violence or resistance by the Palestinians
Freedom of Expression/speech: Apply when Islam is being bashed by others. Linguistically cannot be used when there are questioning of Holocaust or Zionism or in the the wearing of Islamic dress in French schools.
Islam/Islamic: This is a free for all. Can combine with anything else as in Islamofascists, Islamic terroris, Islamic violence, Islamist, Islamic Kamikazi, Islamic dictatorships etc.
Jew/Jewish: used in Jewish state, Jewish people, Jewish army, Jewish settlers etc to make generalizations by Zionists (as if they represent Jews) but forbidden if identical usage sheds a negative light (e.g. cannot use Jewish with violence or terrorism in same sentence unless Jews are the victims of this violence or terrorism).
Measures (e.g. Economic measures, security measures): Any acts the Israelis commit (blockades, collective punishment, shelling neighborhoods, starving a population etc) even when violating human rights (the words Human rights should not be mentioned)
Murdered: When Israeli Civilians are killed. Murder is never to be used for Palestinian deaths.
Neighborhoods: Israeli colonies on confiscated Palestinian lands that house Jews only. Use the term especially when those areas are targeted by shooting.
Occupation: see colonialism
Positions: Any Palestinian towns and villages especially when bombed by helicopter gunships or raked with large caliber machine guns
Retaliation: When Israeli army or settlers kill Palestinians, Palestinains never "retaliate" but only "attack"
Security: Anything the Israeli government chooses to do. This can include land confiscation, extra-judicial killings, home demolitions, destruction of groves, uprooting trees, blockades etc. the term security is reserved for use only with the word Israel or Israeli and must never be applied to Palestinians.
Self-defense: Any act of violence by Israelis
Targeted killing: older term assassination and extrajudicial executions invalidated. See Target.
Targets: Buildings, homes, offices, refugee camps, and any place that the "us" designates as legitimate "them"
Terrorist/Terrorism: Equated to Palestinian or Iraqi and generally relates to any act by "those people" short of surrender (include children throwing stones at tanks)
Tragedy: Any Israeli or American death, does not apply in any way to massacres, expulsion, genocide by sanctions of people like Palestinians or Iraqis (which incidentally never happen)
Under siege: Again a term for use by the Israelis as in Palestinians have put Israelis under siege. Exact meaning depends on the circumstances. Never use for Palestinian towns or villages.
Victim: n. Applies to certain ethnic and religious ommunities. Use only for your political agenda. Never apply to people in countries that we are "liberating".
Rules
When to use Passive voice: if the violent action is committed by Israelis (e.g. 2 Palestinians were killed in clashes). When to use active voice: if the action is committed by Palestinians (e.g. Palestinians killed a Jewish child, Palestinians kills teenager).
While reporting about Israelis use the affirmative tone: "Palestinian attack injured two Israelis", while reporting about Palestinians use the verbs claimed, say etc. "Palestinians say an elderly woman dies of teargas inhalation in West Bank" (e.g. Ha'aretz)
Names must be included for any Jewish victims, always avoid names for Muslim or Christian victims but use numbers in stead (remember in the passive voice, e.g. 2 Palestinians died in clashes).
When an Israeli is killed, it is important to note his or her profession, where he/she is from and was going, whether or not he/she is religious, and whether or not he/she is an immigrant from the U.S. or Russia. If the dead person is survived by a spouse and children, this should be noted. If the victim is a youngster, the school they attended should be mentioned, and their friends' feelings should be noted. in general, people who knew the dead person should testify to their humanity.
When an Israeli is killed, it is useful to include graphic descriptions of the death scene - the covered body, the fragments of flesh, the path of flowing blood, and so on. Always try to include useful empathetic data: mother of, uncle to, good teacher, husband etc.
When Palestinians are killed: If you have to mention it at all, Palestinians should not be personalized in any way. Liberally use militants of terrorists rather than names or faces.
Other words to avoid: International law, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Self Determination, Human Rights, ethnic cleansing, and natives. |