Skip to comments.

Posted on 09/29/2001 9:04:17 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

Journalists have a choice and a responsibility to the nation and the world to report facts accurately, and to use words carefully.

FoxNews has chosen "War on Terror." The viewing public sees Terror on the screen whenever they tune in and references to terror attacks continuously scrolling across the screen in their banner headlines. Let's get this straight, these were terrorists attacks, and this a War on Terrorism. I agree with the Marine who called in a few days ago and told the network that they were doing a disservice to the country by constantly focusing on fear and, at this crucial time in our history, using colorful and fear-inducing language expressed in doleful and dire emotional tones.
As a public service, and a plea to journalists everywhere to forget the ratings and help your country:
Refer to the Merriam-Webster OnLine dictionary

Examples of words that weaken:
Entry Word: terror
Function: noun
Text: Synonyms FEAR 1, alarm, consternation, dismay, dread, fright, horror, panic, trepidation, trepidity
Related Word awe, fearfulness.

FEAR:
Contrasted Words: boldness, bravery, courage, courageousness, dauntlessness, fortitude, gallantry, intrepidity, prowess, valiancy, valor
Antonyms fearlessness

Words that strengthen:

Entry Word: intrepid
Function: adjective Text: SynonymsBRAVE 1, audacious, bold, courageous, dauntless, fearless, unafraid, undaunted, valiant, valorous

Entry Word: brave
Function: adjective
Text: 1 having or showing no fear when faced with something dangerous, difficult, or unknown
Synonyms audacious, aweless, ballsy, bold, boldhearted, bravehearted, chin-up, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, game, greathearted, ||gutsy, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, manly, ||plucked, plucky, soldierly, spunky, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, unafraid, unblenched, unblenching, undauntable, undaunted, unfearful, unfearing, valiant, valorous
Related Word daring, defiant, gritty, hardy, mettlesome, resolute, spirited, steadfast, unapprehensive, undismayed, unflinching, unfrightened, unquailing, unshrinking, unswerving, unwincing, unyielding, venturesome; chivalrous, noble, preux; confident
Contrasted Words cringing, flinching, frightened, pusillanimous, scared, shrinking, timid; chickenhearted, fainthearted, lily-livered, nerveless, soft, spineless, unmanly, weakhearted, weak-kneed, yellow
Antonymscowardly, craven

Entry Word: courage
Function: noun
Text: a quality of mind or temperament that enables one to stand fast in the face of opposition, hardship, or danger
Synonyms *balls, cojones, dauntlessness, guts, heart, mettle, ||moxie, pluck, resolution, spirit, spunk; FORTITUDE
Related Word audacity, boldness, bravery, doughtiness, fearlessness, intrepidity; gallantry, heroism, valor; backbone, fortitude, grit, sand; assurance, determination, firmness, persistence, tenacity
Contrasted Words chickenheartedness, faintheartedness, unmanliness, yellowness; baseness, cravenness, poltroonery, pusillanimity; timidity, timorousness
Antonymscowardice

Entry Word: fortitude
Function: noun
Text: a quality of character combining courage and staying power
Synonyms backbone, grit, guts, intestinal fortitude, ||moxie, nerve, sand, spunk; COURAGE
Related Word courage, mettle, pith, resoluteness, resolution, spirit, stick-to-itiveness, tenacity; boldness, bravery, courageousness, dauntlessness, fearlessness, intrepidity, valiancy, valor, valorousness; endurance, stamina, strength; constancy, determination, perseverance; bottom
Contrasted Words cowardliness, fearfulness, timidity, timorousness; faintheartedness, milksoppiness, weakness; cowardice, yellowness
Antonyms pusillanimity

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.