Summary of complaint
We received complaints from people unhappy that we have not used the word 鈥渢errorist鈥 when referring to Hamas.
Our response
Our coverage of the unprecedented assault on Israel by Hamas has made clear the nature of the atrocities committed and the impact this has had on civilians.聽Across our reporting we have explained that Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, including the UK.聽 We have reflected the response from the international community to Hamas鈥 actions, and featured contributors who have described them as terrorists.
We have given careful consideration to all aspects of our reporting of the Israel-Gaza conflict, both in terms of Hamas鈥 attacks and Israel鈥檚 response 鈥 this includes the language that we use.聽The 成人论坛 is editorially independent; our role is to explain precisely what is happening so that the public can make their own judgements.聽Our longstanding position, including during previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has been that we do not use the term 鈥榯errorist鈥 without attribution, in line with the 成人论坛鈥檚 Editorial Guidelines.
Our Guidelines on use of language state (sections 11.3.5 and 11.3.6):
鈥淥ur reporting of possible acts of terror should be timely and responsible, bearing in mind our requirement for due accuracy and impartiality. Terrorism is a difficult and emotive subject with significant political overtones and care is required in the use of language that carries value judgements. We should not use the term 鈥榯errorist鈥 without attribution.鈥
鈥淭he word 鈥榯errorist鈥 itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. 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 鈥榖omber鈥, 鈥榓ttacker鈥, 鈥榞unman鈥, 鈥榢idnapper鈥, 鈥榠nsurgent鈥 and 鈥榤ilitant鈥. We should not adopt other people鈥檚 language as our own; our responsibility is to remain objective and report in ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments about who is doing what to whom.鈥
/editorialguidelines/guidelines/war-terror-emergencies/
成人论坛 News鈥 position is further explained in this piece by John Simpson, the 成人论坛鈥檚 World Affairs Editor:
/news/world-middle-east-67083432