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| Stephen Hayes on press "guidelines" |
| 2001-10-26 |
The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes reports on a series of guidelines the Society of Professional Journalists issued on Oct. 6 on "countering racial, ethnic and religious profiling." Examples: 5. When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity. . . . 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. 10. . . . Use spellings preferred by the American Muslim Council, including "Muhammad," "Quran," and "Makkah ," not "Mecca." . . . 12. Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions. No. 12 is particularly egregious. As Hayes points out: "Imagine the outcry if a newspaper editor permitted a Catholic priest to revise--before publication--a reporter's story about a pro-life rally. Or if a columnist called in a tobacco executive to edit an article about the hazards of smoking. Or if a publisher gave an advertiser the opportunity to rework a piece about his industry." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |