September 22, 2004

Reuters Asks a Chain to Remove Its Bylines

Having their bylines appear in newspapers is an unexpected bonus for news agency reporters. But now Reuters has asked Canada's largest newspaper chain to remove its writers' names from some articles.

The dispute centers on a policy adopted earlier this year by CanWest Global Communications - the publisher of 13 daily newspapers including The National Post in Toronto and The Calgary Herald, which both use Reuters dispatches - to substitute the word "terrorist" in articles for terms like "insurgents" and "rebels."

Don't forget "hostage-takers," "insurgents" and the ever popular "militants!"
(And it isn't it just too funny and ironic to see this story reported in the "militant"-abusing NYSlimes, too?!)
Actually, what CanWest was doing was to un-substitute the weasel words for the real word that the killers are, which is terrorists--no sneer quotes.
We can only hope that the whole Rathergate mess, along with the newly increased awareness of the WOT globally since the Beslan child murders, will usher in a new Age of Honesty in Reporting and that proper changes to morally equivalent (or worse) editorial treatment of the Enemy such as CanWest has tried to effect are the wave of the future.
I hope this company resists this pressure by Al-Reuters and sticks with their guns.
Perhaps a Theresa-esque "Shove it!" will work and if that fails, they should try what VP Cheney said to Sen. Leaky Leahy.
Heh.