The Society of Professional Journalists, an organization that dates back to 1909, handed down a ukase that decrees how any journalist with any conscience whatsoever should cover the news, namely by spinning it. Following are some excerpts from the Guidelines for Countering Racial, Ethnic and Religious Profiling.
— Portray Muslims, Arabs and Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans in the richness of their diverse experiences;
— Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing Americans mourning those lost in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
— Seek out people from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds when photographing rescue and other public service workers and military personnel.
— Do not represent Arab Americans and Muslims as monolithic groups. Avoid conveying the impression that all Arab Americans and Muslims wear traditional clothing.
— Use photos and features to demystify veils, turbans and other cultural articles and customs.
— Make an extra effort to include olive-complexioned and darker men and women, Sikhs, Muslims and devout religious people of all types in arts, business, society columns and all other news and feature coverage, not just stories about the crisis.
— Seek out experts on military strategies, public safety, diplomacy, economics and other pertinent topics who run the spectrum of race, class, gender and geography.
— When writing about terrorism, remember to include white supremacist, radical anti-abortionists and other groups with a history of such activity.
— Do not imply that kneeling on the floor praying, listening to Arabic music or reciting from the Quran are peculiar activities.
And this is why if you watched the special coverage of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, you would never have learned that it was Muslims who killed almost 3,000 people on that Tuesday morning.
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