The Society of Professional Journalists has issued a series of guidelines on how Journos should cover Islamists. By the looks of it, it seems to have come out after 9/11, but if you think how Islamic Terrorism has been covered and is being covered right this minute, you know it is still valid and much alive. I was unaware of its existence until this morning.
Guidelines for Countering Racial, Ethnic and Religious Profiling.
Notice the title? You would think it covers all races and all religions, but you would be wrong. Let’s proceed:
Visual images
— Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing Americans mourning those lost in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
— Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing rescue and other public service workers and military personnel.
— Do not represent Arab Americans and Muslims as monolithic groups. Avoid conveying the impression that all Arab Americans and Muslims wear traditional clothing.
— Use photos and features to demystify veils, turbans and other cultural articles and customs.
That is unless Al Jazera bitches about showing a pic of female dead terrorist without the burka.
Let’s continue
— 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.
Wait, Isn’t that racial profiling?
— When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.
Because we need to give the impression of everybody is doing the same stuff in the same amount, even if it is not true.
— 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.”
Except when they are throwing a fit or half the countries in the region are beheading the crap out of each other. Can we say “beheading” or would that be profiling? Bette make it “traumatic separation of cranium from torso.”
— 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.
In other words, don’t use the words at all. In fact, don’t cover it.
— 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.
Because nothing betters oneself than screaming “Aloha Snackbar!” and detonating a suicide vest in a Israeli public market or French theater.
Here is the whole page captured for future references.
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