Thursday, June 18, 2009

LA Times still reluctant to use the T-word

Seems as though the T-word is still a No-No for journalists.
    "The Yemeni Interior Ministry reported over the weekend that nine foreigners were abducted Friday while picnicking near the northern town of Sadah. They were described as seven Germans, including a doctor, his wife and three children, a British engineer and a South Korean teacher. The six adults were based at a hospital in Sadah, where foreign doctors and nurses have worked for more than 30 years.

    There were conflicting reports Monday about whether children were among the dead. Some accounts, citing unnamed government security officials and local tribesmen, said police had recovered seven to nine bodies. Three, with gunshot wounds and signs of mutilation, were found by shepherds and others, according to varying accounts. According to some accounts, two children were found alive.

    The British and German embassies could not immediately confirm the deaths. South Korea identified its missing citizen as a 34-year-old woman.

    "We are aware of these reports. We are looking into them," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel."
And it's not that they didn't have opportunities as they poured over their thesarus.
    ". . . there were suggestions that Al Qaeda militants might have been involved. Kidnappings are common in Yemen, but the killing of hostages has been rare."

    "Sunni extremists backed by Al Qaeda; a secessionist movement in the south. . ."

    "Islamic extremists have carried out a number of attacks on foreigners. . ."

    "The discovery of the bodies came a day after authorities announced the arrest of Hassan Hussein bin Alwan, a Saudi national accused of financing Al Qaeda activities in Yemen and Saudi Arabi."
If he only had a brain T.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

A search of the LA times archives reveals just shy of 10,000 uses of the word terrorist.

But you found this one article that doesn't mention it at all.

Norma said...

As early as October 2001 Reuters asked its reporters to not use terrorist when referring to 9/11 hijackers/attackers. Then last fall after Mumbai, it gained a little, because what else are young going to call the slaughter of Americans and Jews? Street crime? But Obama really doesn't like the word--not nice--so the MSM falls in line. You must have found some old IRA or anti-Israel articles--they still call them terrorists. But not al-Qaeda, not Muslims.