There are reports this morning about how at least one prominent US newspaper is reporting events in Gaza. On a site called ‘The Intercept’ they tell us the instructions under which New York Times journalists are working.
They have been instructed to restrict their use of terms such as “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” They should also avoid the phrase “occupied territory” when talking about Palestinian land.
What’s more, they should only use the word Palestine “in very rare cases” and avoid talking about ‘Refugee camps” when talking about those areas of Gaza historically settled by displaced Palestinians from early Israeli-Arab wars. This, even though the UN recognises them as refugee camps and hundreds of thousands of registered refugees live there.
Although predictable, I find these instructions depressing. The clear intention of telling journalists what terms they can and cannot use is similar to the BBC. Have you heard any BBC presenter refer to the Six Counties recently? Or to NEI being occupied by British soldiers? Or to the fact that MI5 have as many as 700 people working at its regional headquarters in Holywood?
Language is important because language shapes our thoughts. If unionist politicians refer often enough to ‘the Mainland’, the hope is people here will see NEI as an unfortunate piece of land which really belongs to the Mainland – to wit, Britain. And if they talk about NEI as ‘Ulster’ often enough, people will forget that Ulster is comprised of nine counties, not six. If they don’t think that way, they might end by thinking that the Boundary Commission carved out a sectarian state which hasn’t functioned normally for well over 100 years.
The New York Times is one of the most polished and intelligent newspapers in the world. But let’s hope Americans aren’t dazzled by its style and realise that it knows how to follow orders, every bit as much UK media outlets.
I wish I could say that I’m surprised Jude,maybe the biggest show in the country will cover the story.
Possibly tomorrow morning, after the nine o’clock news at 9.02, courtesy of the BBC.
In February 1982
THE NEW YORK TIMES apes Britain’s Lying Columns
I turned on BBC Radio 4 in the morning and was delighted that its first item mentioned Britain’s
Press Council.
I thought it would record that THE TIMES had been censured by the Council for a LYING front page story the previous May arising from the funeral of Bobby Sands, stating that his asscociates had murdered 2,000 + Protestants. I had lodged a complaint with the Council within days of the Lying
Column and had had to write about twice a week to extract a concession from it, which was published
in THE TIMES that day but in no other British media outlet then or since.
I turned on the TV that night (Granada, I think) to see TIMES EDITOR Harold Evans., acclaimed
EDITOR OF THE YEAR, by other Editors, including my old fellow-traveller on the Hill of Howth
Tram, Conor Cruise O’Brien Editor in Chief of THE OBSERVER.
The BBC reference to the Press Council arose from the publication in two tabloids of photographs
which were not scandalous, nor unsightly of a young, pregnant woman on a beach wearing a bikini.
Buckingham Palace which was later to do much worse to the unfortunate Princess Diana, lodged
a complaint about a breach of privacy, which the Press Council upheld within a few days.
The media can refer to “the mainland” as many times as it wishes but it will make no difference to me.