Mediocrates
06-03-2002, 07:32 AM
From: Honest Reporting <action@HonestReporting.com>
Reply-To: <action@HonestReporting.com>
Subject: Announcing TerrorPetition.com
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 04:56:02 -0500
HonestReporting Communique
02 June 2002
"Announcing TerrorPetition.com"
* * *
Dear HonestReporting Member,
HonestReporting announces the launch of TerrorPetition.com, a major
petition drive calling on newspapers and broadcast media to label
Palestinian suicide bombers as "terrorists."
News agencies like MSNBC.com, BBC and Reuters have come under criticism
for refusing to refer to Palestinian suicide bombers as "terrorists."
Instead, they use the terms "militants," "activists," or even "freedom
fighters."
TerrorPetition.com is collecting 100,000 signatures, at which point we
will present the petition to editors and executives of hundreds of media
outlets worldwide.
You can sign the petition now at http://www.TerrorPetition.com. The site
also allows you to forward the petition information to your friends.
As a member of HonestReporting, you can also take an active role in
promoting the Terror Petition on a local level.
STEP 1: To encourage others to sign the petition, you can use your
personal e-mail addresses, post flyers, and place ads in local
newsletters. An excellent info sheet is available for download at
http://www.honestreporting.com/petition/ad1.pdf
STEP 2: Identify the major media outlets in your area, and check their
archives. When referring to Palestinian Suicide Bombers, what term did
they use? Are they called "terrorists" or not? Do they distinguish between
9/11 and suicide bombers? Do they use a wire service for their Israel
related stories, and if so did they change the reference to better suit
their policy?
STEP 3: Once you've established your local paper’s policy, contact the
managing editor and ask for a clarification of the policy in writing.
STEP 4: If you find that your paper is "boycotting" the term terrorist,
please contact us. We will assist you in organizing a local campaign to
help get the biased policy changed.
* * *
TerrorPetition.com was sparked by an April 2002 campaign by "Minnesotans
Against Terrorism" protesting the Minneapolis Star Tribune's policy of
refusing to call Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians
"terrorism." The Minnesota petition was signed by U.S. Senators Paul
Wellstone and Mark Dayton, and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.
Criticism of the media's policy has also come from within the ranks of its
own staffers. On March 11, 2002, MSNBC.com ombudsman Dan Fischer wrote in
a column: "Suicide bombings at night clubs, pizza parlors, or wedding
celebrations are 'terrorist' attacks in my book. So is the ambush of a
civilian bus, nationalist-inspired kidnapping and murder, or the placement
of a bomb in a schoolyard. I think it's inherently inconsistent to refer,
as an MSNBC.com Mideast story did on March 7, to 'militants killing
civilians.'"
On March 20, 2002, Fischer wrote a column confirming that MSNBC.com
"reporters and producers have been instructed not to use [the term
'terrorism'] in news reports on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict except in
direct quotations."
The BBC's policy was expressed by Joanna Mills, editor of BBC World
Update, who wrote: "It is the style of the BBC World Service to call no
one a terrorist, aware as we are that one man's terrorist is another one's
freedom fighter."
The BBC policy is dangerous because it obscures the Western world's fight
for freedom and security. To call "one man's terrorist another man's
freedom fighter" is an insult to true freedom fighters throughout history
like George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.
The sponsors of the Palestinian suicide attacks -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade -- are all listed by the U.S. State Department
as terrorist organizations.
The legal definition of terrorism adopted by the US State Department
appears in Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f(d): "...premeditated,
politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by
subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an
audience."
Even Yasser Arafat, writing in The New York Times on February 3, 2002,
described Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians as "terrorists."
But the media refuses to do so.
Help us influence the media in fixing this outrageous policy, by printing
out the flyer (http://www.honestreporting.com/petition/ad1.pdf) and by
visiting the petition site at http://www.TerrorPetition.com.
Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.
HonestReporting.com
========== ABOUT HONESTREPORTING ============
Want to do more to help? Encourage your friends to join the growing
movement of HonestReporting. Send a friendly info message from:
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/friend.asp
HONESTREPORTING INFO SHEET to print out, post on bulletin boards, xerox
and distribute. Get the word out to schools, places of worship, community
centers. Go to: http://www.honestreporting.com/HRPrintout.pdf
Privacy Guarantee: HonestReporting will never share your e-mail address or
personal details with anyone. Our web servers feature the latest
hack-proof technology.
HonestReporting involves considerable research and manpower costs. Your
donations are greatly appreciated and will help Israel win the media
battle. "Middle East Media Watch" (DBA Media Watch International) is a
section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, contributions to which are
deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. Please send contributions to:
Media Watch International
156 West 56th Street, Suite 1201
New York, NY 10019 USA
======================================
HonestReporting was founded by a group of individuals interested in
ensuring that Israel receives fair, truthful coverage in the media. We
scrutinize the media for examples of blatant bias, distortion by omission,
etc., and then inform subscribers of any offending articles, asking them
to complain directly to the news organization involved.
HonestReporting as a matter of policy has no affiliation with any
political organization, and supports no position, party, or candidate of
the right or the left.
HonestReporting has 30,000 members worldwide, and is growing daily.
Spanish - http://prensaveraz.com/
Russian - http://honestreport.narod.ru
Italian - http://honestreportingitalia.com/
French readers may want to visit http://www.col.fr/news/desinformation/
Check out http://kosherfinder.com/
(C) 2002 HonestReporting - All rights reserved.
E-mail: action@honestreporting.com
======================================
To subscribe to HonestReporting, double-click and send a blank e-mail to:
mailto:join-honestreporting@titan.sparklist.com. Or use our form at:
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/subscribe.asp
To UNsubscribe, double-click and send a blank email to:
mailto:honestreporting-off@titan.sparklist.com. Or send a blank email to
the address listed on the last line of this email message.
WOMEN FOR ISRAEL'S TOMORROW (WOMEN IN GREEN)
P.O.B. 7352, JERUSALEM
91072 Israel
Tel. 02-624-9887
Fax: 02-624-5380
http://www.womeningreen.org
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Reply-To: <action@HonestReporting.com>
Subject: Announcing TerrorPetition.com
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 04:56:02 -0500
HonestReporting Communique
02 June 2002
"Announcing TerrorPetition.com"
* * *
Dear HonestReporting Member,
HonestReporting announces the launch of TerrorPetition.com, a major
petition drive calling on newspapers and broadcast media to label
Palestinian suicide bombers as "terrorists."
News agencies like MSNBC.com, BBC and Reuters have come under criticism
for refusing to refer to Palestinian suicide bombers as "terrorists."
Instead, they use the terms "militants," "activists," or even "freedom
fighters."
TerrorPetition.com is collecting 100,000 signatures, at which point we
will present the petition to editors and executives of hundreds of media
outlets worldwide.
You can sign the petition now at http://www.TerrorPetition.com. The site
also allows you to forward the petition information to your friends.
As a member of HonestReporting, you can also take an active role in
promoting the Terror Petition on a local level.
STEP 1: To encourage others to sign the petition, you can use your
personal e-mail addresses, post flyers, and place ads in local
newsletters. An excellent info sheet is available for download at
http://www.honestreporting.com/petition/ad1.pdf
STEP 2: Identify the major media outlets in your area, and check their
archives. When referring to Palestinian Suicide Bombers, what term did
they use? Are they called "terrorists" or not? Do they distinguish between
9/11 and suicide bombers? Do they use a wire service for their Israel
related stories, and if so did they change the reference to better suit
their policy?
STEP 3: Once you've established your local paper’s policy, contact the
managing editor and ask for a clarification of the policy in writing.
STEP 4: If you find that your paper is "boycotting" the term terrorist,
please contact us. We will assist you in organizing a local campaign to
help get the biased policy changed.
* * *
TerrorPetition.com was sparked by an April 2002 campaign by "Minnesotans
Against Terrorism" protesting the Minneapolis Star Tribune's policy of
refusing to call Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians
"terrorism." The Minnesota petition was signed by U.S. Senators Paul
Wellstone and Mark Dayton, and Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.
Criticism of the media's policy has also come from within the ranks of its
own staffers. On March 11, 2002, MSNBC.com ombudsman Dan Fischer wrote in
a column: "Suicide bombings at night clubs, pizza parlors, or wedding
celebrations are 'terrorist' attacks in my book. So is the ambush of a
civilian bus, nationalist-inspired kidnapping and murder, or the placement
of a bomb in a schoolyard. I think it's inherently inconsistent to refer,
as an MSNBC.com Mideast story did on March 7, to 'militants killing
civilians.'"
On March 20, 2002, Fischer wrote a column confirming that MSNBC.com
"reporters and producers have been instructed not to use [the term
'terrorism'] in news reports on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict except in
direct quotations."
The BBC's policy was expressed by Joanna Mills, editor of BBC World
Update, who wrote: "It is the style of the BBC World Service to call no
one a terrorist, aware as we are that one man's terrorist is another one's
freedom fighter."
The BBC policy is dangerous because it obscures the Western world's fight
for freedom and security. To call "one man's terrorist another man's
freedom fighter" is an insult to true freedom fighters throughout history
like George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr.
The sponsors of the Palestinian suicide attacks -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade -- are all listed by the U.S. State Department
as terrorist organizations.
The legal definition of terrorism adopted by the US State Department
appears in Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f(d): "...premeditated,
politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by
subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an
audience."
Even Yasser Arafat, writing in The New York Times on February 3, 2002,
described Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians as "terrorists."
But the media refuses to do so.
Help us influence the media in fixing this outrageous policy, by printing
out the flyer (http://www.honestreporting.com/petition/ad1.pdf) and by
visiting the petition site at http://www.TerrorPetition.com.
Thank you for your ongoing involvement in the battle against media bias.
HonestReporting.com
========== ABOUT HONESTREPORTING ============
Want to do more to help? Encourage your friends to join the growing
movement of HonestReporting. Send a friendly info message from:
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/friend.asp
HONESTREPORTING INFO SHEET to print out, post on bulletin boards, xerox
and distribute. Get the word out to schools, places of worship, community
centers. Go to: http://www.honestreporting.com/HRPrintout.pdf
Privacy Guarantee: HonestReporting will never share your e-mail address or
personal details with anyone. Our web servers feature the latest
hack-proof technology.
HonestReporting involves considerable research and manpower costs. Your
donations are greatly appreciated and will help Israel win the media
battle. "Middle East Media Watch" (DBA Media Watch International) is a
section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, contributions to which are
deductible for U.S. income tax purposes. Please send contributions to:
Media Watch International
156 West 56th Street, Suite 1201
New York, NY 10019 USA
======================================
HonestReporting was founded by a group of individuals interested in
ensuring that Israel receives fair, truthful coverage in the media. We
scrutinize the media for examples of blatant bias, distortion by omission,
etc., and then inform subscribers of any offending articles, asking them
to complain directly to the news organization involved.
HonestReporting as a matter of policy has no affiliation with any
political organization, and supports no position, party, or candidate of
the right or the left.
HonestReporting has 30,000 members worldwide, and is growing daily.
Spanish - http://prensaveraz.com/
Russian - http://honestreport.narod.ru
Italian - http://honestreportingitalia.com/
French readers may want to visit http://www.col.fr/news/desinformation/
Check out http://kosherfinder.com/
(C) 2002 HonestReporting - All rights reserved.
E-mail: action@honestreporting.com
======================================
To subscribe to HonestReporting, double-click and send a blank e-mail to:
mailto:join-honestreporting@titan.sparklist.com. Or use our form at:
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/subscribe.asp
To UNsubscribe, double-click and send a blank email to:
mailto:honestreporting-off@titan.sparklist.com. Or send a blank email to
the address listed on the last line of this email message.
WOMEN FOR ISRAEL'S TOMORROW (WOMEN IN GREEN)
P.O.B. 7352, JERUSALEM
91072 Israel
Tel. 02-624-9887
Fax: 02-624-5380
http://www.womeningreen.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe to this mailing list, please send a blank message to:
list4-subscribe@womeningreen.org
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, please send a blank message to:
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