RUTHFULLY YOURS

Critics have been accusing The Philadelphia Inquirer of failing to accurately report on terrorism and terrorists for years and have pointed to the failure of the newsroom to use word terrorist when it is clearly called for as evidence.

(Incidentally The Inky is scheduled to be auctioned off to the highest bidder on April 27 – see: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004086280)

Now The Inquirer has reached a new low.

It won’t even use the word terrorist when reporting or ersatz, simulated terrorist attacks.

In a news item with the title ‘Dirty bomb’ drill under way in Phila.” Inquirer staffers wrote that “About 700 officials, experts and responders from a range of federal, state and local agencies will take part in a 5-day drill starting today simulating the cleanup following a dirty bomb blast near Independence Hall.”

 Why didn’t the article read “cleanup following a dirty bomb terrorist attack near Independence Hall”?

Who else would launch a dirty bomb attack? Community activists?

The entire article is here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100426_Dirty_bomb_drill_under_way_in_Independence_Hall_area.html

The Inquirer does not use the word “terrorist” even once when reporting on the ‘Dirty bomb’ drill.

Here is another, specific instance where the word terrorist would have fit naturally into the story:
“It said the drill is unique in that it simulates the transition from the emergency phase of such an attack to the recovery phase.”

If The Inquirer‘s editors and staff writers weren’t so committed to avoiding the word terrorist the line would have read as follows:
“It said the drill is unique in that it simulates the transition from the emergency phase of a terrorist attack to the recovery phase.”

But, clearly, the editors at The Inquirer have so carefully inculcated their staff to avoid the use of the word terrorist that the writers take pains to avoid using the word when there is no way anyone’s sensitivities can be offended.

Elsewhere The Inquirer article quotes a portion of an EPA news release. Amazingly enough the EPA release does contain the term “terrorist attack.”

The EPA statement reads: “The exercise, called Liberty RadEx, is the largest drill of its kind sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test the country’s capability to clean up and help communities recover from a dirty bomb terrorist attack.”

The entire EPA press release is here: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/28c5b280d311903a8525771100525103?OpenDocument

Perhaps under new ownership and management accuracy will become more of a focus at The Inquirer. Who knows perhaps even Hezbollah, Fatah and HAMAS will be properly labeled as the terrorists they are. Maybe even Islamic terrorists. Oh, no, now I’ve gone to far…

By Moshe Phillips