Reuters Describes Hotel Bombers Only as 'Militants'

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By Tim Graham (Bio | Archive)
June 10, 2009 - 07:58 ET
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Reuters, the wire service who doesn't like "emotive" words in their dispatches like "terrorist," since they compromise "editorial integrity" and endanger reporters, is at it again Wednesday in reporting a truck bombing at a hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan. Reporter Robert Birsel used the word "militants" 11 times in the story, and never used "extremist" or "terrorist."

This anti-emotive words policy is not universal, however, since as James Taranto pointed out, Reuters recently found it okay to characterize Bush in emotive words as a "belligerent, Muslim-hating cowboy." (In that story, al-Qaeda was merely a "militant network.")

Birsel began by noting someone let security barriers down outside the hotel just before the attack and then added:

Taliban militants have stepped up attacks in cities since the army launched a campaign in April to clear Taliban fighters from a stronghold in Swat and other parts of northwest Pakistan.

More than 1,300 militants and 105 soldiers have been killed in Swat, and the army's resolve has heartened U.S. officials, who have been worried that nuclear-armed Pakistan could slide into chaos unless the Taliban's advance weren't stopped.

Birsel and Reuters also made no reference to "radical Islam" -- or any kind of Islam.  

(Hat tip: Motherbelt)


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Just as natural as a snake bite, those "man caused disasters"

June 10, 2009 - 08:15 ET by upcountrywater

move on ,nothing to see here, looks like an earthquake, it's over.

When will questions like, "Where is the funding for the bombs coming from?"

Can't ask those types questions anymore, don't want to be RUDE.

Reagan VS Carter and 0bama

They're not militants!!!

June 10, 2009 - 08:24 ET by NC Cop

Nor are they terrorists, they are "Overseas man made disaster participants"!!

 Unfortunately, these participants didn't get the memo that everyone is supposed to love us now! 

 Obama's in charge now you know!!

At least they're not

June 10, 2009 - 08:41 ET by ThisnThat

At least they're not "freedom fighters". Or is that going to be used in the follow-up article that also blames America?

___________________________________ 

Liberals constantly demand that we accept a glaring falsehood as truth; Obama's elimination of the word "terror" will make terrorist acts less terrifying

semus

June 10, 2009 - 09:01 ET by Semus

The MSM is becomming complice with murderers

oh yeah baby

June 10, 2009 - 09:58 ET by AJB

Newspeak is here. This is a prime example. Big Brother is watching...

I'm surprised Reuters didn't call them right wing extremists

June 10, 2009 - 10:23 ET by jefflebowski

Hasn't everyone heard?  There are no more terrorists!  President Hussein Hopenchange spoke to the Muslim world last week and never mentioned the T word once!!  We no longer have the War on Terror.  It is now Overseas Contingency Actions...or some other BS like that!

Angry White Dude

www.angrywhitedude.c...

Meanwhile, they call Rush,

June 10, 2009 - 10:31 ET by mattm

Meanwhile, they call Rush, Hannity, Beck, Coulter, Ingraham, Malkin et al, "hate-mongers" and everything else they can dream up.

"Journalism is dead." - Publius

Militant: Per Webster - aggressively active (as in a cause)

June 10, 2009 - 10:55 ET by JTP

Lets see.... The Detroit Redwings were not militant enough last night against the Penguins..... Jack Cafferty is too militant towards Conservatives.... Dr Tiller was very militant against live babies.... Uhbama is adamantly militant against the Constitution.....

So what exactly is the purpose of calling these terrorists militant without explaining what their purpose or "cause" is along with reporting their actions?

 

"Live for yourself...there's no one else more worth living for.
Begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more"- Rush--Anthem

Tim. Reuters quoted Tiller's killer as an extremist

June 10, 2009 - 11:00 ET by Gary Hall

Perhaps a bit more searching is in order.. but in at least one piece on the murder of Dr. Tiller, Reuters allowed a quote in it's piece which connected the term "extremist" to the crime. In a June 1st piece titled, Suspect captured in killing of Kansas abortion doctor:

"For the movement, it could not come at a worse time," the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, which lobbies against abortion, said of the killing.

"If they make it seem that people who embrace the pro-life movement are kind of this extremist violent group, that could diminish some of the passion and energy on confronting Sotomayor."

Indeed an interesting choice, for Reuters to allow it in that context.

Think they'd refer to

June 10, 2009 - 13:19 ET by RR GOP

Think they'd refer to Timothy McVeigh as a 'militant' or the guy that just shot Dr. Tiller?

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).