The Burninator is upset because the BBC didn’t use the word ‘terrorist’ in their news reports about the London bombings. Well, specifically, he’s annoyed because they used it at first, and then changed it afterwards. A few other people (including Burninator UK) have made similar comments.
Inevitably, you know what’s coming next. I don’t agree with them.
Now, look. I’m not going to say that I think these people aren’t terrorists. I’m not about to condone their actions. I don’t even think that I’d honestly be particularly bothered if the BBC had left the word “terrorist” in their reports. But that’s not the issue here.
The issue is one of unbiased reporting and use of inflammatory and loaded language. To call these people “Bombers” is accurate, and doesn’t represent any judgement about them on behalf of the BBC. To call them “terrorists” means that the BBC are stepping beyond impartiality, taking a position, making a judgement about these people, and that’s not what their job is. The old maxim that one man’s Terrorist is another man’s Freedom Fighter is very true, and it is not the new media’s place to make a judgement call on which is which.