Why can't the BBC use the word terrorist? Guidelines force reporters to describe Kenyan mall attackers as 'militants'



BBC journalists have avoided using 'terrorist' and 'terrorism' in reports

Critics say BBC is 'out of touch' and guilty of 'covering' for the jihadists

Corporation's guidelines suggest avoiding the use of the word 'terrorism'



Say it's a 'difficult and emotive subject with significant political overtones'



The BBC was criticised yesterday for not describing the armed jihadists behind the Kenya shopping centre siege as terrorists.

The corporation’s journalists have avoided using the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘terrorism’ in reports.



Instead, they described the terrorists as ‘Islamist militants’ or ‘suspected Al Shabaab militants’ - and only used the word terrorist in when quoting someone else.

Beating around the bush? BBC News coverage of the violence in Nairobi, Kenya, has repeatedly referred to the perpetrators as 'militants', rather than the using the word terrorists, leading to criticism from politicians

Critics said the BBC was guilty of ‘covering’ for the jihadists. One senior backbench MP said the BBC was ‘out of touch’ on the issue.

Douglas Murray, associate director of the Henry Jackson Society think-tank, said: ‘By not calling these jihadists what they actually are, the BBC is effectively covering for them.

‘No-one wants to say they are jihadis, which they are. No-one wants to say they are Islamic extremists, which they are.

‘Most people know what these people are and it’s only certain sections of government and the media which refuses to point the finger.’

Rob Wilson, Conservative MP for Reading East, said: ‘Most members of the British public would see the planned and systematic murder of dozens of innocent people in Kenya as terrorism.

BBC News presenter Ben Brown delivers the headlines: It is understood that BBC guidance issued to staff tells them to avoid using the term 'terrorist' without attribution, but politicians have reacted with anger

‘Sadly, the BBC looks like it has made a bad judgement call on this and is out of touch with ordinary people on a very important issue.’

'By not calling these jihadists what they actually are, the BBC is effectively covering for them' Douglas Murray, Henry Jackson Society

BBC guidelines suggest avoiding the use of the word 'terrorism' because it is a ‘difficult and emotive subject with significant political overtones’.

They state: ‘We try to avoid the use of the term “terrorist” without attribution. When we do use the term we should strive to do so with consistency in the stories we report across all our services and in a way that does not undermine our reputation for objectivity and accuracy.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘There has been no specific advice issued for this story. We always think very carefully about the language we use.

Terrorists: A picture circulating on Twitter which is believed to show the gunmen in the Westgate mall

‘We do not ban words but the BBC does have general guidelines about accurate and careful language, depending on the context of a story.

'Sadly, the BBC looks like it has made a bad judgement call on this and is out of touch with ordinary people on a very important issue' Rob Wilson, Conservative MP

‘The BBC has referred to the events as a terror attack and has at times referred to the attackers as terrorists and at other times as militants, or used other phrases which are accurate and help tell the story.’

In January David Cameron criticised the corporation for describing those behind the Algerian hostage attack as ‘militants’.