BBC: Something to Hide?

Is the BBC so Bias against Isreal and the US that they have to explain to the reporters what to say and what words to use. Why not use robots. This may be what P.C. ends up causing. the link that has the "correct" terms for BBC reporters is at bottom of page.

ASSASSINATIONS

The BBC's responsibility is to remain impartial and report in ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments.

Our credibility is undermined by the careless use of words which carry emotional or value judgements.

If an event falls within the dictionary definition of
assassination, then we can use the term but the word "killed" or
"killing" may be perfectly adequate.

Plain simple language is preferable to more complex or
emotive language. If we have more precise details of exactly why or how
the killing took place, we should communicate that in an equally
straightforward way. The phrase "targeted killing" is sometimes used by
Israel and should be attributed.

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BARRIER

BBC journalists should try to avoid using terminology favoured by one side or another in any dispute.

The BBC uses the terms "barrier", "separation barrier"
or "West Bank barrier" as acceptable generic descriptions to avoid the
political connotations of "security fence" (preferred by the Israeli
government) or "apartheid wall" (preferred by the Palestinians).

The United Nations also uses the term "barrier".

Of course, a reporter standing in front of a concrete
section of the barrier might choose to say "this wall" or use a more
exact description in the light of what he or she is looking at.

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BORDER

Be careful with this word. Do you mean boundary? See Green Line.

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"CYCLE OF VIOLENCE"
It is better to avoid clichés wherever possible. This
one does nothing to explain any of the underlying causes of the
conflict and may indeed obscure them.

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EAST JERUSALEM
Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it
in 1981 but its claim to the area is not recognised internationally.
Instead, under international law, East Jerusalem is considered to be
occupied territory.

For example, the Foreign Office says it "regards the
status of Jerusalem as still to be determined in permanent status
negotiations between the parties. Pending agreement, we recognise de
facto Israeli control of West Jerusalem but consider East Jerusalem to
be occupied territory. We recognise no sovereignty over the city".

We should seek out words that factually describe the reality on the ground and which are not politically loaded.

Avoid saying East Jerusalem "is part" of Israel or
suggesting anything like it. Avoid the phrase "Arab East Jerusalem",
too, unless you also have space to explain that Israel has annexed the
area and claims it as part of its capital. East Jerusalem is sometimes
referred as Arab East Jerusalem, partly because it was under Jordanian
control between 1949 and 1967.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state of Palestine.

The BBC should say East Jerusalem is "occupied" if it is relevant to the context of the story.

For example: "Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since
1967. It annexed the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain.
Under international law the area is considered to be occupied
territory."

Jeremy Bowen assesses the problems in Jerusalem

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FENCE

See Barrier.

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GAZA STRIP
In 2005, Israel completed the withdrawal of all its
troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip. It retains control of the
airspace, seafront and all vehicle access - including deliveries of
food and other goods.

All movement in and out of the Gaza Strip is controlled
by Israeli authorities, except, officially, the pedestrian-only
crossing between Gaza and Egypt which is meant to be controlled by
Palestinians and Egyptians with the presence of EU monitors.

The situation is, however, fluid - Israel has been able to force its closure since the capture of Corporal Shalit in 2006.

Under international law, Israel is still the occupying
power in Gaza, although it no longer has a permanent military presence
there.

We need to be careful with our language so as not to
give the impression that the BBC is favouring one side's position. In
BBC programmes it is more accurate to talk about an "end to Israel's
permanent military presence" rather than the end of occupation.

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GREEN LINE
The Green Line marks the boundary between Israel and
the West Bank. It is properly referred to as the 1949 Armistice Line -
the ceasefire line of 1949.

The exact borders of Israel and a future Palestinian
state are subject to negotiation between the two parties. The
Palestinians want a complete end to the Israeli occupation of the West
Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and use the phrase to mean a return to the pre-4th June 1967 borders.

In describing the situation on the ground take care to use the most precise and accurate terminology.

The Green Line is a dividing line or a boundary. If you
call it a border you may inadvertently imply that it has
internationally recognised status, which it does not currently have.

To that end, we can call the Green Line "the generally recognised boundary between Israel and the West Bank."

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INTIFADA
The usual guidelines about paying due regard to the
context in which words are used should be carefully considered if we
are referring to the causes of the uprising.

Our credibility is undermined by the careless use of
words which carry emotional or value judgements. So, for example, it is
preferable to say that "Sharon's visit and Palestinian frustration at
the failure of the peace process sparked the (second) intifada or
uprising" rather than it "led" to it or "started" it.

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JERUSALEM
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive
and complex issues of the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its
status is dependent on a final agreement between the Israelis and
Palestinians.

Between 1949 and 1967, the city was divided into Israeli controlled West Jerusalem, and Jordanian controlled East Jerusalem.
Israel currently claims sovereignty over the entire city, and claims it
as its capital, after capturing East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967
war.

That claim is not recognised internationally and East Jerusalem is considered to be occupied territory.

See East Jerusalem.

Jeremy Bowen assesses the problems in Jerusalem

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JEWISH
Be careful over whether you mean "Israeli" or "Jewish":
the latter might imply that the story is about race or religion, rather
than the actions of the state or its citizens.

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"MIDDLE EAST EXPERT"

Some "experts" may have a history of sympathising with one cause or another even if they have no overt affiliation.

It is preferable, where time and space allow, to provide
a lengthier indication of the contributor's views on past issues so
that the audience might calibrate his or her statements for themselves.

In all reporting we should avoid generalisations, bland
descriptions and loose phrases which in fact tell us little about a
contributor or event. The phrase "Middle East expert" implies the BBC
thinks this person's views have weight and independence. If we can
defend that judgement - that's fine. If not it may be better to avoid
the phrase.

Overall, we should seek a precise description - for
example, what job does this person hold? Who employs them? Where do
they stand in the debate?

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OCCUPIED TERRITORIES/OCCUPATION

The general phrase "occupied territories" refers to East Jerusalem,
the West Bank and strictly speaking the Golan Heights. However, it is
not usually understood to refer to the Golan Heights (unless it is in a
story specifically on the 1967 war or Syrian-Israeli relations).

It is advisable to avoid trying to find another formula, although the phrase "occupied West Bank" can also be used.

Under international law, Israel is still the occupying
power in Gaza, although it no longer has a permanent military presence
there. See that section for our use of language.

Try not to confuse the phrase "occupied territories" with Palestinian Land or Palestinian Territories. (See those sections for the reasons why.)

The Israeli government's preferred phrase to describe the West Bank and Gaza Strip is "disputed territories" and it is reasonable to use this when it is clear that we are referring to or explaining its position.

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OUTPOSTS

Be careful that you don't mean settlements. They are very different. Outposts are usually little more than a few caravans occupying a hilltop.

They serve a dual purpose - firstly to create new facts
on the ground and expand the land included in the adjoining settlement;
secondly, to defy the Israeli government and show the strength of the
settler movement.

Some of these outposts are called "unauthorised
outposts" by the Israeli government - generally meaning no permission
was granted for them. You can describe an outpost as unauthorised by
the Israeli government if that is accurate and relevant to the specific
case you are considering.

It is generally advisable not to refer to "illegal"
outposts (they are all illegal and if you call one illegal some may
assume that others are not).

Generally it's a good rule to question the use of any
adjective. Use it only if it is vital to the understanding of the story
and you are confident that it precisely applies in this context.

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PALESTINE

There is no independent state of Palestine today, although the stated goal of the peace process is to establish a state of Palestine alongside a state of Israel.

So be careful with the use of the word "Palestine" as its meaning can depend on the context.

For example, it can refer to historical Palestine or it
can refer to a future state of Palestine living side by side with
Israel as envisaged in the Roadmap.

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PALESTINIAN LAND

This phrase has become more widely used by politicians and broadcasters to refer to the Occupied Territories, for example to explain why the construction of settlements is considered illegal by the UN.

Critics of the phrase say it is not strictly accurate because, for example, the West Bank was captured from Jordan in 1967.

The BBC Governors considered this issue in a complaint
which was referred to in the programme complaints bulletin of July
2004. Their decision was that, although the complainant objected to
references to "Palestinian land" and "Arab land", these terms
"appropriately reflected the language of UN resolutions."

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PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES
Strictly speaking, the phrase Palestinian Territories
refers to the areas that fall under the administration of the
Palestinian Authority.

They are difficult to work out, because of the way the
West Bank was divided into complex security zones under the Oslo
Accords and because of changes on the ground since the outbreak of
violence in September 2000.

The phrase is not the most accurate shorthand for the Occupied Territories although President Bush referred to "Palestinian territories" in his 2005 State of the Union address.

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"PEACE PROCESS"
This phrase, in the wrong context, can suggest the two
sides are returning to the negotiation process of the 1990s, when they
would sit down and try to hammer out an agreement.

An attempt to rebuild trust and relations is not quite the same as proper negotiations.

So it is better to avoid the term entirely unless it is
in an historical sense - referring to the discussions of the 1990s, or
to a revival of talks at that level.

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"RELATIVE CALM"
It is better to avoid cliches wherever possible. People
may die each day, in small numbers, in "periods of relative calm" so
that the cumulative death toll is actually larger than the casualties
involved in a single high profile news event such as a bomb attack.

There may be times when the phrase is accurate. So use
it carefully when the facts tell us that there really is such a period
of quiet.

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RIGHT OF RETURN

We should try to specify who would like to return and to where.

There is a Palestinian demand that Palestinians "who
fled or were forced out of their homes" during the 1948 and 1967
Arab-Israeli wars have the right to return to their homes.

There is a dispute between the two sides over why they
are refugees, so the previous phrase is a useful one that reflects the
two different views.

Israel has Right of Return legislation, which allows Jews to settle in Israel and receive Israeli citizenship.

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SETTLEMENTS

Settlements are residential areas built by Israelis in the occupied territories.
They are illegal under international law: this is the position of the
UN Security Council and the UK government among others - although
Israel rejects this.

When writing a story about settlements we can aim, where
relevant, to include context to the effect that "all settlements in the
West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under
international law, though Israel disputes this".

Jeremy Bowen explains the settlement issue

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SETTLER NUMBERS

It is best, wherever possible, to be precise about geography when putting a figure to the number of Israeli settlers.

Because of disputes and sensitivities about the status
of East Jerusalem, the following construction is useful: "There are
thought to be around 430,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, and another 20,000 in the Golan Heights."

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TERRORISTS
Note the BBC producer guidelines which state: "We must
report acts of terror quickly, accurately, fully and responsibly. We
should not adopt other people's language as our own. Our credibility is
undermined by the careless use of words which carry emotional or value
judgements. The word "terrorist" itself can be a barrier rather than an
aid to understanding. We should try to avoid the term, without
attribution. It is also usually inappropriate to use words like
"liberate", "court martial" or "execute" in the absence of a clear
judicial process. We should let other people characterise while we
report the facts as we know them. We should convey to our audience the
full consequences of the act by describing what happened. We should use
words which specifically describe the perpetrator such as "bomber",
"attacker", "gunmen", "kidnapper", "insurgent" or "militant.""

Our responsibility is to remain impartial and report in
ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments about who
is doing what to whom.

 

[q
url="http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_6040000/newsid_6044000/6044090.stm"]Israel
and the Palestinians: Key terms

The BBC Governors' independent panel report on the impartiality of
BBC coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict recommended that the
BBC should make public an abbreviated version of its journalists' guide
to facts and terminology.[/q]