Posted on 10/26/2001 4:53:20 PM PDT by StealthChild
Or "Journalists Pass "PC" Resolution for News Coverage" (my title)
On Oct. 6 at its National Convention in Seattle, the Society of Professional Journalists passed a resolution urging members and fellow journalists to take steps against racial profiling in their coverage of the war on terrorism and to redouble their commitment to:
Guidelines
Visual images
Stories
So much for impartiality.
 Stories:
1. Seek out and include Arabs and Arab Americans, Muslims, South Asians and men and women of Middle Eastern descent in all stories about the war, not just those about Arab and Muslim communities or racial profiling. [That is, not just Afghans. Reinforce the idea that we are in a war against Islam as a whole. In fact, don’t interview Afghans at all. They might say bad things about the Taliban.]
2. Cover the victims of harassment, murder and other hate crimes as thoroughly as you cover the victims of overt terrorist attacks. [A muslim victim of an insult is equally victimized as a person murdered at the WTC.]
3. Make an extra effort to include olive-complexioned and darker men and women, Sikhs, Muslims and devout religious people of all types in arts, business, society columns and all other news and feature coverage, not just stories about the crisis. [This doesn’t mean include devout Christians. Don’t ask Sikhs about personal experiences with Muslims. Don’t ask moderatle or secular muslims what they think.]
4. Seek out experts on military strategies, public safety, diplomacy, economics and other pertinent topics who run the spectrum of race, class, gender and geography. [OK, ask a guy at McDonald’s what he thinks about diplomacy?]
5. When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity. [That is, remember who the real enemy is. Don’t mention Leftist terrorists like the SLA or Weathermen. Most of all, avoid special attention and analysis that might lead to understanding the specific threats we face now from the Middle East.] 6. Do not imply that kneeling on the floor praying, listening to Arabic music or reciting from the Quran are peculiar activities. [Is anyone doing this?]
7. When describing Islam, keep in mind there are large populations of Muslims around the world, including in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, India and the United States. Distinguish between various Muslim states; do not lump them together as in constructions such as "the fury of the Muslim world." [That is, even if its is partly true. If a muslim tells you all muslims are united, ignore, move on.]
8. Avoid using word combinations such as "Islamic terrorist" or "Muslim extremist" that are misleading because they link whole religions to criminal activity. Be specific: Alternate choices, depending on context, include "Al Qaeda terrorists" or, to describe the broad range of groups involved in Islamic politics, "political Islamists." Do not use religious characterizations as shorthand when geographic, political, socioeconomic or other distinctions might be more accurate. [That is, since OBL said this is all about religion, and many muslims say this is a war against Islam, this must be ignored]
9. Avoid using terms such as "jihad" unless you are certain of their precise meaning and include the context when they are used in quotations. The basic meaning of "jihad" is to exert oneself for the good of Islam and to better oneself. [That is, avoid the plain and actual meaning of the word Jihad. Accept the apologist’s word. Don’t research this topic. Don’t ask a muslim. ”Jihad is ““a religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of the Prophet Muhammad [the Prophet]. It is an incumbent religious duty, established in the Qur’’an and in the Traditions as a divine institution, and enjoined specially for the purpose of advancing Islam and repelling evil from Muslims”“ T.Hughes, Dictionary of Islam, entry ““Jihad”” 10. Consult the Library of Congress guide for transliteration of Arabic names and Muslim or Arab words to the Roman alphabet. Use spellings preferred by the American Muslim Council, including "Muhammad," "Quran," and "Makkah ," not "Mecca." [That is, ignore the “diversity”of the islamic world and their different languages and transliterations.] 11. Regularly seek out a variety of perspectives for your opinion pieces. Check your coverage against the five Maynard Institute for Journalism Education fault lines of race and ethnicity, class, geography, gender and generation. [Reaffirm all prior prejudices and categorizations. Avoid the fault line of religion. Do not increase understanding.] 12. Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions. [Give up all journalistic independence. Also, do not include Americans targeted with terrorism. Don’t ask women what they think about Taliban practices.]
Make an extra effort to include olive-complexioned and darker men and women.
Countering racism by describing everything in racial terms, down to tones and hues of skin? In my view, The Society of Professional Journalists has done nothing but confirm their own racist tendencies.
This one is my favorite! First of all, why include mention of any such groups? The WTC attack was unprecedented. "White supremacist[s and] radical anti-abortionists" have never declared a millenarian jihad on the civilized world. And second, if it is necessary to mention other terrorist groups, why not include the far-more-numerous left wing terrorists, like the Unabomber, ELF, ALF, the IRA (yes, it's something of a stretch to call them left wing, but they do train with the Arabs), et al.
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