The Society of Politically Correct Journalists

Accuracy in Media ^ | November 20, 2001 | Reed Irvine and Cliff Kincaid

[Jean S]

      The Society of Professional Journalists, the SPJ, has created a storm of controversy following the publishing of guidelines that read like a parody of political correctness. They urge journalists to slant their reporting to favor Muslims, Arabs and Islam. The SPJ argues that the guidelines are being misrepresented and are actually intended "to avoid racial and religious stereotyping." That is certainly a worthy aim, but hard to reconcile with what the guidelines actually say.

      Among the guidelines are these: "Make an extra effort to include olive-complexioned and darker men and women, Sikhs, Muslims and devout religious people of all types in...all other news and feature coverage, not just stories about the crisis." Another says, "When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity." Still another says "Avoid using word combinations such as ‘Islamic terrorist’ or ‘Muslim extremist.’"

      But the one that has created the greatest furor says that journalists should "Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions." In an article titled "Accuracy in Media" by Stephen Hayes that appeared in The Weekly Standard magazine, he took particular umbrage at this guideline. Hayes compared it to a columnist calling in a tobacco executive to edit an article about the health risks of smoking, or giving an advertiser the chance to edit a story about his industry.

      Hayes cited a story that appeared on the SPJ web site. It told of the editor of an Oregon newspaper who invited area Muslims to edit parts of his newspaper for any offensive comments. In a subsequent article, Hayes published a letter from the SPJ saying he had gotten it wrong, and he should have pursued it independently since the article was written by a student journalist. Hayes then did pursue the story, and found that the student had gotten it right, and was outraged that he was being hung out to dry.

      Hayes describes the guidelines as "absurd." "They come perilously close to calling for racial and religious quotas," he writes, "and they focus so obsessively on avoiding ‘offensive’ words and phrases that truth and accuracy seem like secondary concerns." It turns out, according to Hayes, that the American Muslim Council, a Washington lobbying group, helped develop the new guidelines.

      In a related story, CNN has been ordered by its new chairman, Walter Isaacson, to appear to be less sympathetic toward the Taliban than they have been. CNN has received harsh criticism for its bias against the Israeli government, and its support of the Palestinian and Al Qaeda terrorists. In a memo to his international reporters, Isaacson wrote that "we must redouble our efforts to make sure we do not seem to be simply reporting from their vantage or perspective," referring to the Taliban. He said they should be talking more about how the Taliban are using human shields and harboring terrorists responsible for the September 11th attacks. Our message to both: just report the facts and stop all the spin.

[waxhaw]

A couple of weeks ago on a similar thread I responded that many of the younger (American) journalists I've met ALWAYS consider the story from a "global" perspective; to them the fact that OUR nation is under attack is merely OUR side of the story. There is not even a particle of patriotism or nationalism in their ideology, nor of course any affront that thousands of U.S. citizens died from a cowardly attack by Muslims on 11 September. This is the face of mainstream media and it is no wonder so many American journalists today seem bewildered by those of us who consider them just as much the enemy as the Taliban.

[samtheman]

In a sense, this is good news. The Liberal Media has now publicly and officially acknowledged what all of us have known all along: they lie, they embellish, they lie, they slant, they lie, they have an agenda, they lie, they spin, they lie, they lie and they lie. And when they get done lying, they lie some more, just to be sure.

Thank Gore for the internet, we can call them on their lousy lies every time they lie-lie-lie. I personally will bump this thread once a week for the rest of my days. There is no more important issue than this: that 100% of the American people recognize that the Liberal Media lies 100% of the time.

PS: Yes, I know, we do NOT have to thank Gore for the internet.

[Excuse_Me]

Our message to both: just report the facts and stop all the spin.

If all the networks and cable news programs did this, I would have no problem with any of them. But all the facts must be reported, not just those favorable to your bias. I think even if they got to the point where they reported only facts favorable to their bias, it would still be better than reporting what the facts mean to their audience. In other words, modern journalists just can't seem to get away from telling us what we should think about the news, rather than what is the news.

[Jean S]

Guidelines for Countering Racial, Ethnic and Religious Profiling

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:

• Use language that is informative and not inflammatory;
• Portray Muslims, Arabs and Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans in the richness of their diverse experiences;
• Seek truth through a variety of voices and perspectives that help audiences understand the complexities of the events in Pennsylvania, New York City and Washington, D.C.

Guidelines

Visual images

1. Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing Americans mourning those lost in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
2. Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing rescue and other public service workers and military personnel.
3. Do not represent Arab Americans and Muslims as monolithic groups. Avoid conveying the impression that all Arab Americans and Muslims wear traditional clothing.
4. Use photos and features to demystify veils, turbans and other cultural articles and customs.

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.
2. Cover the victims of harassment, murder and other hate crimes as thoroughly as you cover the victims of overt terrorist attacks.
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.
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.
5. When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.
6. Do not imply that kneeling on the floor praying, listening to Arabic music or reciting from the Quran are peculiar activities.
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."
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.
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. 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."
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.
12. Ask men and women from within targeted communities to review your coverage and make suggestions.

[Excuse_Me]

Are you trying to say that their is an element of untruth in the reporting of some of our media?

[alcuin]

In a related story, CNN has been ordered by its new chairman, Walter Isaacson, to appear to be less sympathetic toward the Taliban than they have been.

That's like asking a vulture to change its stripes.

[VaBthang4]

I know some of you will go off on a kneejerk reaction to what I am about to say but who cares.

As a member of the caucasian race....I am embarrassed by many of my pasty white Brethren/Sistren.

I understand the different variables that create the pressure for PC lying but in the end....it is white Liberals that are mostly responsible for this blind thought-process.

There will come a day when we all stand before the Lord and have all of our nonsense reviewed in the light of Truth and I am certain that we all have some rediculous traits but I swear that aside from Satanic worship....

...being a PC believing moron has got to be the #1 most idiotic thing to waff by God's nostril since Koradathin and Abiram.

[AlaskaErik]

Avoid using word combinations such as ‘Islamic terrorist’ or ‘Muslim extremist.’"

Yes, it's just being repetitive and redundant.

[Jean S]

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.

Someone should tell the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Meriam-Webster Dictionary that the have the wrong definition for this word.

[layman]

I could never be a 'journalist' because sooner or later, in spite of all the guidelines and direction from my superiors, I would just have to write an article that expresses what I really feel. It would be entitled ..."Hey Allah!...Bite Me!"

Then I would probably get fired. That's why I could never be a journalist.

[Rockyrich]

Like "Muslim extremists" and "Islam Terrorists", or is that "Muslim Terrorists" and "Islamic Extremists" we'll need to watch our linking of "White Liberals." Then I wonder if the PC news pukes will be as sensitive when they link "Right wing" with "conspiracy?" Or, "Meanspirited" with "conservatives." What's your quess?

[Kermit]

"Make an extra effort to include olive-complexioned and darker men and women, Sikhs, Muslims and devout religious people of all types in...all other news and feature coverage, not just stories about the crisis."

Isn't this statement in itself racist? They prejudge Muslims to be dark-skinned. I've looked very closely at those tv pictures from Afghanistan. It looks like a bunch of white guys to me.

[m1911]

I noticed that too. Way back (seems like, it was just October) one of the channels had an American reporter interviewing a bunch of Afghanis. I looked closely, and except for the customary dress, they look like hardscrabble American farmers.

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