...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...

February 22, 2005

The List Of Words That Reuters Won't Say Is Longer Than i Had Thought

i already knew that Reuters won't use the word terrorist, but apparently they have an aversion to a few other words. Here's a google news page for today's top story. See if you can see what's missing.

US Citizen Accused of Discussing to Kill Bush
Reuters
- 23 minutes ago

Man charged in alleged plot to kill Bush
CBC British Columbia, Canada - 42 minutes ago

Man charged for 'Bush death plot'
BBC News, UK - 1 hour ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Kill Bush
ABC News - 1 hour ago

Virginia man accused of plot to assassinate Bush
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - 1 hour ago

Plan to assassinate Bush
News24, South Africa - 1 hour ago

Man charged in alleged plot to kill Bush
San Jose Mercury News (subscription) - 2 hours ago

A plan to assassinate Bush?
Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, FL - 38 minutes ago

Plan to Assassinate President Bush Revealed
Elites TV, TX - 38 minutes ago

Man Charged with Conspiracy to Assassinate Bush
WLNS, MI - 1 hour ago

US Citizen Plots to Assassinate President Bush
The Conservative Voice - 1 hour ago

Virginia Man Charged With Plot To Assassinate President Bush
Jackson Channel.com, MS - 58 minutes ago

Indictment alleges Bush assassination plot
WBBH, FL - 1 hour ago

Former High School Valedictorian Charged In Bush Assassination ...
KWTX, TX - 1 hour ago

Ex-Virginian accused in alleged plot on Bush
Richmond Times Dispatch, VA - 1 hour ago

Man charged in alleged plot to kill Bush
Salon - 20 minutes ago

US man accused of discussing to kill Bush
Reuters.uk, UK
- 26 minutes ago

Houston native charged in Bush death plot
Houston Chronicle - 45 minutes ago

Former Saudi prisoner accused of Bush
Ireland Online, Ireland - 1 hour ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Kill Bush
San Francisco Chronicle - 1 hour ago

Virginia man charged in alleged plot to assassinate Bush
San Diego Union Tribune - 1 hour ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Kill Bush
Wired News - 2 hours ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Kill Bush
Guardian, UK - 1 hour ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Kill Bush
ABC News - 2 hours ago

Valedictorian Charged With Plotting Bush's Assassination
WFIE-TV, IN - 22 minutes ago

Man Charged In Alleged Plot To Kill Bush
KFMB, CA - 18 minutes ago

Man charged in alleged plot to kill Bush
Albany Times Union, NY - 1 hour ago

Virginia man charged in alleged plot to assassinate Bush
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - 1 hour ago

Virginia Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate President
7Online.com, NY - 1 hour ago

Man Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Bush
WJXX, FL - 1 hour ago

Something's wrong when Reuters is more politically correct than the San Francisco Chronicle.

Update: i was wrong. In some limited contexts, Reuters is perfectly comfortable using a word like "terrorist," for example.

Bastards.

Posted by annika, Feb. 22, 2005 |
Rubric: annikapunditry



Comments

Ridiculous. It doesn't even sound grammatically correct to me. They have added words in order to get around saying the most obvious words.

Posted by: red on Feb. 22, 2005

They're definitely not smoking what I am.

Posted by: Scof on Feb. 22, 2005

i was going to say something clever about how being PC is lame. i couldn't avoiding using words that make four year olds giggle, so instead you get this rambling comment.

anyway, keep up the good work.

Posted by: david hayes on Feb. 22, 2005

NOBODY is smoking what they are.

Posted by: JD on Feb. 22, 2005

I don't think its neessarily got PC reasons but rather that this is a US citizen rather than some foreigner.

So he may be guilty of conspiracy, or treason, but labeling a US citizen as a terrorist is different than labeling a foreigner.

Isn't that one of the reasons for the enemy combatant label, rather than terrorist?

Posted by: Bob on Feb. 22, 2005