Associated Press issues editorial edict: Don’t call it the “Ground Zero Mosque” anymore
The Associated Press is kind of like the old major league baseball umpire who said, “I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.” The name “Ground Zero mosque” might be good enough for the American public, but it’s not good enough for AP.
The Associated Press is kind of like the old major league baseball umpire who said, “I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.” The name “Ground Zero mosque” might be good enough for the American public, but it’s not good enough for AP.
Tom Kent, the Associated Press’ Deputy Managing Editor for Standards and Production, laid down the law about what to call what everyone else calls the Ground Zero mosque. Or at least what not to call it.
Let's not call it the Ground Zero mosque because it's sooooo far away from Ground Zero
Aug. 19, 2010
Colleagues,
Here is some guidance on covering the NYC mosque story, with assists from Chad Roedemeier in the NYC bureau and Terry Hunt in Washington:
1. We should continue to avoid the phrase “ground zero mosque” or “mosque at ground zero” on all platforms. (We’ve very rarely used this wording, except in slugs, though we sometimes see other news sources using the term.) The site of the proposed Islamic center and mosque is not at ground zero, but two blocks away in a busy commercial area. We should continue to say it’s “near” ground zero, or two blocks away.
WE WILL CHANGE OUR SLUG ON THIS STORY LATER TODAY from “BC-Ground Zero Mosque” to “BC-NYC Mosque.”
In short headlines, some ways to refer to the project include:
• mosque 2 blocks from WTC site
• Muslim (or Islamic) center near WTC site
• mosque near ground zero
• mosque near WTC site
We can refer to the project as a mosque, or as a proposed Islamic center that includes a mosque.
Call it what you want, Tom, but the American people are going to call it the Ground Zero mosque.
