It looks like the Associated Press is picking sides in the Ground Zero Mosque controversy. The Associated Press’s Standards Center issued a staff advisory on how to cover the Ground Zero Mosque.
Here is some guidance on covering the NYC mosque story, with assists from Chad Roedemeier in the NYC bureau and Terry Hunt in Washington:
1. We should continue to avoid the phrase “ground zero mosque” or “mosque at ground zero” on all platforms. (We’ve very rarely used this wording, except in slugs, though we sometimes see other news sources using the term.) The site of the proposed Islamic center and mosque is not at ground zero, but two blocks away in a busy commercial area. We should continue to say it’s “near” ground zero, or two blocks away…
In short headlines, some ways to refer to the project include:
_ mosque 2 blocks from WTC site
_ Muslim (or Islamic) center near WTC site
_ mosque near ground zero
_ mosque near WTC site [MORE]
Give me a break. If AP is worried about the connotations from the name “Ground Zero Mosque”, then they are a day late and a dollar short, because the name "Ground Zero Mosque" is already part of the American lexicon. Luckily Sarah Palin is right there to correct AP’s foolishness.
Sarah Palin via Twitter: Pelosi's investigation of Harry Reid&Howard Dean&others who oppose Ground Zero Mosque will be enlightening,we're sure.(Note to AP: GZM term)
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Associated Press
Via: The Hill