A new report reveals that the Associated Press, the legacy wire service that started during the days of the old telegraph communications, has instructed its reporters not to describe the terrorists of Hamas as "terrorists."
According to a report at the Washington Free Beacon, which reviewed AP materials, the AP said, because "terrorism and terrorist have become politicized, and often are applied inconsistently … the AP is not using the terms for specific actions or groups, other than in direct quotations."
The Free Beacon pointed out many publications use the guidelines from AP for their own reporters, too.
The report explained, "Hamas, an Islamist militant group dedicated to the annihilation of Israel and Jews around the world, is classified as a terrorist organization by dozens of countries, including the United States and the European Union. Hamas has undertaken hundreds of terrorist attacks against civilians since 1993, according to the Jewish Virtual Library."
Hamas launched a war against Israel on Oct. 7, murdering hundreds of innocent civilians including children and babies, who were beheaded.
But instead of using the "terror" or "terrorist" descriptive, AP says they are "militants."
"Terms such as Hamas fighters, attackers or combatants are also acceptable depending on the context," the Associated Press said.
The report noted:
Bucking the "terrorist" label is one in a series of strange decisions by the Associated Press, which include once sharing office space in Gaza with Hamas. That office, which the AP used for 15 years, was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in May 2021. The Israeli Defense Force stated the building contained Hamas operatives and weapons, as well as an office for Islamic Jihad, another terrorist organization based in Gaza.
The report noted an AP executive, Gary Pruitt, at the time said, "We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP's bureau and other news organizations in Gaza."
In fact, the Free Beacon reported, "An Israeli Defense Force source said at the time that Associated Press reporters were aware who their neighbors were. And The Atlantic reported in 2014 that Associated Press staffers in the Gaza office could see terrorists stationed next to their building launch rockets into Israel. Despite their proximity, the Associated Press never reported the rocket launches, which endangered the group’s staff and nearby civilians."
The Free Beacon report criticized AP for long attempting "to influence the coverage of outlets by policing language," including when Joe Biden was elected by releasing new guidance then regarding the flood of illegal aliens.
It said then journalists should refrain from using the word "surge" to describe large numbers of illegal aliens entering the southern border, the report explained.
It added, "Following the looting and destruction in the wake of George Floyd’s death during the summer of 2020, the Associated Press suggested outlets opt for 'milder terms' like 'unrest' when describing riots."
