This is part of what I have come to call “conflict code”: words whose plain English meanings are politicized, distorted or undermined in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, which is much more a clash of narratives than a tussle over territory. In November, the International Press Institute issued “Use With Care,” a guide to more than 75 “alternative words and phrases” for “loaded language” on this beat. “There are words that can cause some audiences to simply shut down and stop listening,” the preface reads. “We all understand that words can only mediate reality, not define it. But words are also powerful, and they play a major role in shaping our consciousness and perceptions.” It’s not just about journalism. As Secretary of State John Kerry tries to push forward a framework for a peace agreement this month, the precise language of the document may determine whether talks continue or break down. For example, will it call for “a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem” or “East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital”? The first is anathema to Palestinians, conjuring an isolated headquarters in a single neighborhood. The second alarms the 200,000 Israeli Jews living in East Jerusalem territory seized in 1967 and later annexed (in what they call “neighborhoods” and most of the world sees as “settlements”). With many parsing every word about this region, the danger is writing so defensively — to avoid skewering by one side or the other — that regular readers have to suffer through stilted sentences and tit-for-tat terminology.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:15:03 +0000
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