Media Speech Codes #1: USA, Canada, Germany

August 11, 1946: The [New York] Times introduced an “editorial change announcing they will no longer refer to the race of persons suspected of a crime unless race is relevant to the story” 1.

62 years of systematic mandatory2 omission of true information. Thou shalt not tell the whole truth, like “Black man robbed, assaulted, raped”.  The NYT is clearly insincere, because “White kills Black” is fit to print. The NYT is not concerned at all with hiding the race of white Christian crime suspects. The same insincere feigned color blindness can be found in the Associated Press Style Book, Reuters Hand Book, the National Association of Black Journalists Style Guide, The Diversity Style Guide Society of Professional Journalists, Canada’s Globe and Mail Style Book (all discussed further below). Also enacted in SpainRussiaSerbiaFinlandHungarySwitzerlandBelarusPakistan, (see Media Speech Codes #2: Europe, Asia, Africa).

2 white racists convicted in killing of radio host 2 white racists convicted in killing of radio host Two whites seized in '77 killing of a black student at Fordham U. Two whites seized in '77 killing of a black student at Fordham U. Black youth kiled by whites is called racial Black youth kiled by whites is called racial  white man gets 10 years in prison for trying to hire hit man to lynch black neighbor White suspect in black man's killing is indicted on terror charges

Germans, with more honesty, clarify that it is not permissible to refer to the race of minority” criminals

REPORTS ON CRIMES When reporting crimes, it is not permissible to refer to the suspect‘s religious, ethnic or other minority membership unless this information can be justified as being relevant to the readers‘ understanding of the incident. In particular, it must be borne in mind that such references could stir up prejudices against minorities. [GUIDELINE 12.1. by the German Press Council 3]

 

There are several elements to the repression of true speech.  We mark with different colors

  1.  recommendation not to refer to suspect’s religious, ethnic, … membership
  2. mandatory prohibition, more than a recommendation: “not permissible”, “must avoid”, “shall not publish”, “we will not
  3. unequal treatment depending on skin color and ethnicity: anti-white racism true speech restrictions selectively to favor “minority” criminals
  4. not to stir up “prejudice” nor to stereotype as justification.
    Prejudice is correct, mostly: Research on Stereotype accuracy shows that prejudice is frequently correct, and that humans evolved to be good intuitive statisticians.  Such sacrilege would in itself violate the media code a and stir up prejudice.

 

The mandatory lack of sincerity is the foundation stone to our “lying press” media full of omissions and distortions, and our faulty social sciences 4

Scientific Honesty & integrity is compromised by PC Antiracist dogma,: Truthfulness in science should be an iron law, not a vague aspiration. One’s personal faith must not interfere with the pursuit of truth.  From one false dogma and repression of truth our entire world view can become distorted

 

German PresseKodex 12.1 was meant to protect Black US soldiers from “discrimination” and “prejudice”  due to media reports about crime committed by Blacks 5 * 6

USA: Associated Press. The Associated Press Stylebook 2015

race Identification by race or ethnicity is pertinent: […]

For suspects sought by the police or missing person cases using police or other credible, detailed descriptions. Such descriptions apply for all races. The racial reference should be removed when the individual is apprehended or found. [Associated Press. The Associated Press Stylebook 2015 (p. 225). Basic Books. Kindle Edition.]

True facts must be removed! Nobody gets shocked, nobody protests, only we at  Sincerity.net

Race: Identification by race is pertinent:

  • In biographical and announcement stories, particularly when they involve a feat or appointment that has not routinely been associated with members of a particular race.

[I. E. the “first black” to do something good is relevant. The thousandth black to commit an armed robbery is not.]

What that means is that they were allowed to do all kinds of stories about the wonderfulness of hiring a Somali cop for diversity and community relations purposes, but as soon as he shoots someone, his race becomes irrelevant and unmentionable.[Read more at VDare]

All good things about Somalis7 can be said, all bad things must not be said8

It is mandatory to present a distorted picture. Mis-informed media consumers and voters cannot exercise a their voting rights as responsible fully informed citizens.

Canada: Globe and Mail Style Book

While the AP Stylebook doesn’t say why they treat race as not “pertinent”, a similar style book put out by a Canadian paper (the Toronto Globe and Mail) says this:

“We must be especially scrupulous about avoiding irrelevant references in stories about criminal charges or other matters in which identifying a person’s race or national origin may unfairly associate an entire group with criminal or antisocial activity.”

Our reader will be aware that media rarely shy from associating “deplorable” Trump voters, white police with anti-social activity, so the Canadian style book is just not as honest as the German PresseKodex 12.1.

It’s that little word “unfairly” that does it. Many groups are fairly associated with criminal or antisocial activity. And perhaps the public needs to know that.

The people who write the news stories, and the stylebooks, don’t want you to think about the“color of crime,” or the color of “antisocial activity” so they’ve decided to suppress it. They believe stereotypes to be “inaccurate, resistant to change, overgeneralized, exaggerated, and generally destructive,” rather than, as conservatives tend to think, fairly accurate and not so bad. [Quoted from Hate Crimes, Real Crimes, And Relevance]

See also

  • Prejudice is correct, mostly:
    Research on Stereotype accuracy shows that prejudice is frequently correct, and that humans evolved to be good intuitive statisticians

USA: Reuters hand book

race

Reuters stories should be free of conscious or unconscious racism. Avoid racial stereotyping and describe membership of a group, ethnicity or race precisely. For further guidance, go to the sections on stereotypes and value judgments and religious, cultural and national differences [1] under Specialised Guidance.

  • Mention race or ethnicity only when relevant to the understanding of a story. For example, if someone is facing deportation, it is appropriate to give his or her nationality. Similarly, the ethnic origin of a person who receives racial threats or is the target of a racist attack is essential context. Terms of mixed ethnicity take a hyphen: Italian-American.
  • Take care when reporting crimes and court cases. The race of an accused person is not usually relevant.
  • Clearly, race is an important factor in stories about racial controversy or immigration, or where an issue cuts across racial lines. For example, if European-born people join Tibetan exiles in demonstrations against China’s Tibet policy, this is a point worth mentioning.
  • Race is pertinent in reporting a feat or appointment unusual for a person of a particular ethnic group, for example, someone born in China who becomes an international cricket umpire.
  • In the United States, the terms black and African-American are both acceptable. Aim to use black as an adjective, but never use black as a singular noun and try to avoid its use in plural form. “Obama will be the first black U.S. president” is fine, but “Barack Obama would be the first black to become U.S. president” is unacceptable. The plural “blacks” may be used to contrast with another group, e.g., “Doctors found differences between the treatment offered to whites and blacks.”
  • Native Spanish speakers in the United States may be referred to as Latino or Hispanic, but it is better to be specific (Colombian, Mexican). Also, some people from Latin America are not Hispanic, e.g., Brazilians. As a general rule, use the term by which the people of a particular ethnic group describe themselves: Inuit (not Eskimo), Roma (not Gypsy), Sami (not Lapp), Native American (not Indian).
  • In all references, be guided by the preference of those concerned.
  • Use Indian with discretion. Some people object to it because it originated with the European explorers’ misconception that they had landed in India. Others, especially status Indians, prefer it to be used.
  • Capitalise the names of races and peoples: Asian, Jew, Hispanic. Note that black and white are lower case.
  • If a racially derogatory expression is used in a direct quote, this should be flagged at the top of the story in an advisory: “(Editor’s note: Paragraph 12 contains a racial slur that may be offensive to readers.)”

USA- NABJ: National Association of Black Journalists Guide

ethnicity, race: The mention of a person’s race should not be used unless relevant. This also applies to references to ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. Derogatory terms or slurs aimed at members of a racial or ethnic group may not be used unless having a direct bearing on the news, and then only with the approval of the senior editor in charge. Avoid stereotypes. Race and ethnicity may be relevant in some stories, including the following:

  • Crime stories – A highly detailed description of a suspect sought by police can contain race. Be sure the description is properly attributed. Do not use descriptions that include only a few items or are vague, such as tall, dark clothes.
  • forced busing: Avoid because of possible negative connotations. Busing is sufficient.

Society of Professional Journalists Diversity Style Guide

race: A person’s race should not be mentioned unless relevant. This also applies to references to ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. Derogatory terms or slurs aimed at members of a racial or ethnic group may not be used unless having a direct bearing on the news, and then only with the approval of the senior editor in charge. Avoid stereotypes. Race and ethnicity may be relevant in some stories, including the following: Crime stories – A highly detailed description of a suspect sought by police can contain [skin color]. Be sure the description is properly attributed. Do not use descriptions that include only a few items or are vague, such as tall, dark clothes. [A detailed description might include a person’s complexion, facial features, distinguishing marks or tattoos, etc.]

Dishonesties

 

To be continued: Media Speech Codes #2: Europe, Asia, Africa

(For a list of all international ethics code consult Ethical Journalism Network)

FOOTNOTES

  1. [The New York Times: A Chronology: 1851-2006, Researched and Compiled by Bill Lucey, June 25, 2006] [cited in Hate Crimes, Real Crimes, And Relevance]

  2. it is self-inflicted censorship by the NYT, but certainly mandatory for their journalists
  3. German Press Code: Guidelines for journalistic work as recommended by the German Press Council
    1. Psychology findings all wrong:
      Dogmatical ignorance of genetics is the main reason, followed by finagling results until they conform to PC beliefs.
    2. Nurture Assumption Judith Rich Harris
      The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris devastatingly shows: All of social science research is wrong, because they tacitly that only nurture counts, there is no genetic inborn hereditary behavior component.
    3. Profiling Is Wrong No Matter HOW Right It Is—As Ex Drug Dealer And Thug Jay-Z Explains
      Blacks who have a criminal history still are upset when rightfully profiled and suspected of being a criminal.
    4. School Books to offend no minority: “Language police” (Diane Ravitch)
      American school books are all gender and race balanced.  No stereotypical roles are allowed. No women in the kitchen, .
    5. Science Fraud (DV) by PC:
      Female domestic violence is rampant, violates the feminist politically correct narrative. This leading academic researcher describes all the tricks hw this fraud is committed.

    .

  4. Dabei ist Antidiskriminierung in der Berichterstattung zwar ein sehr zeitloser Wert, aber keine 40 Jahre alt.

    Damals erachteten es deutsche Journalisten bei Straftaten von amerikanischen Soldaten für wichtig, darauf hinzuweisen, wenn es sich um schwarze Täter handelte. Handelte es sich um weiße Täter, und das tat es mehrheitlich, wurde das nie erwähnt. Die Richtlinie 12.1 sollte also Menschen aufgrund ihrer Gruppenzugehörigkeit vor negativen Zuschreibungen schützen. [source]

  5. Abstract Die Vorfälle der Silvesternacht in Köln haben eine öffentliche Diskussion um die Nennung der Nationalität von Tatverdächtigen entfacht. Bei der Rechtsgüterabwägung zwischen dem allgemeinen Persönlichkeitsrecht des Betroffenen und dem Recht auf freie Berichterstattung der Medien sind europäisches und deutsches Verfassungsrecht zu beachten. Der Deutsche Pressekodex setzt diese Aufgaben zur Lösung des Spannungsverhältnisses ergebnisoffen um. Was rechtlich zulässig sein kann, muss nicht ethisch richtig sein. Jede Güterabwägung bezieht sich auf den Einzelfall. […]

    „Die meisten Delikte haben mit der Situation zu tun und nicht mit der Ethnie“, wird der Münchner Polizeisprecher Markus da Gloria Martins in der „Süddeutschen Zeitung“ zitiert (Burfeind 2016). „Die Presse darf nicht dazu beitragen, Menschen ethnisch zu markieren“, fordert Heribert Prantl am gleichen Tag in der gleichen Zeitung unter Bezugnahme auf die Richtlinie 12.1 des Deutschen Pressekodex und die aufgeregte mediale Diskussion. Auch wenn „die Richtlinie des Presserats aus einer Zeit stammt, in der bei den Straftaten von US-Soldaten in Deutschland sehr oft darauf hingewiesen wurde, dass es sich um Schwarze gehandelt hat“, ist Prantl der Meinung, die „Mahnung der Richtlinie war gut und klug – auch als es galt, die Diskriminierung der Roma abzubauen“ (Prantl 2016a). Und der Vorsitzende des Zentralrats Deutscher Sinti und Roma verlangt in einem Leserbrief an die „Süddeutsche Zeitung“: „Wehret dem Geist von vor 1945.“ Er verweist auf verfassungsrechtliche Prinzipien, „wie es die höchsten deutschen Gerichte in ihren Grundsatzurteilen festgeschrieben haben“ – dass „in unserem Rechtsstaat nur der einzelne sein Fehlverhalten zu vertreten hat, nicht seine ethnische, religiöse oder andere Gruppe oder Minderheit, der er zugehört oder von der er abstammt“ (Rose 2016).

    Insoweit ist für die Beantwortung der Frage, was darf berichtet werden, entscheidend, ob und ggf. wie sich der rechtliche Rahmen im Allgemeinen und im Besonderen darstellt und die Abwägung der kollidierenden Rechtsgüter – hier der Anspruch auf Information und Berichterstattung nach Art. 5 GG und dort das allgemeine Persönlichkeitsrecht des Betroffenen in all seinen Bestandteilen – in jedem Einzelfall ausfällt. […]

    Doch der Deutsche Presserat hat die verfassungsrechtlichen Vorgaben und Grundsatzentscheidungen im deutschen Verfassungsrecht und der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention sowie der Charta der Grundrechte der Europäischen Union (GRC) bislang sehr klar im Blick gehabt. Damit ist der rechtliche Rahmen nicht wirklich diskutabel und die „Ausgewogenheit“ des Deutschen Pressekodex hat in der jahrzehntelangen Übung zu diesem Problem Respekt und Anerkennung gefunden. Das sollte auch so bleiben. Auch der Polizeiwissenschaftler Rafael Behr findet es bedenklich, dass „in der Öffentlichkeit der Anspruch wächst, von der Polizei über alles genau informiert zu werden“. Nach seiner Ansicht ist „die Polizei nicht dazu da, interessierten Gruppen Öl ins Feuer zu gießen. Sie hat den Auftrag, Beschuldigte zu schützen und nicht vorzuverurteilen“ (Burfeind 2016). Der emeritierte Dortmunder Journalistik-Professor Horst Pöttker hat bereits 2013 bei seinen kritischen Anmerkungen zum Pressekodex „Schluss mit der Selbstzensur“ die klaren verfassungsrechtlichen Entscheidungen und Vorgaben offensichtlich unberücksichtigt gelassen (Pöttker 2013). Das hat Stefan Niggemeier erkannt und kritisch in „Es waren AUSLÄNDER – der falsche Kampf gegen die vermeintliche Selbstzensur“ kommentiert (Niggemeier 2013). Die verfassungsrechtlichen Vorgaben sind auch für Journalisten und den Deutschen Presserat verbindlich und haben sich bisher mit Verantwortungsbereitschaft umsetzen lassen (Niggemeier 2013). [source]

  6. “first Somali police officer in Minnesota”
    • a) the first Somali police officer in Minnesota was a quota hire, he did not need to qualify by passing normal police admission tests which, usually  are physical fitness, intelligence, knowledge and psychological fitness. He also was maintained on the police force in spite of prior signs of lack of qualification.
    • b) he killed a totally innocent nonviolent middle age white woman yoga teacher

    these bad things must not be said, according to the AP Stylebook. Item ( b ) is not to be said to to  ever expanding interpretion of media codes

2 thoughts on “Media Speech Codes #1: USA, Canada, Germany”

  1. Pingback: Gore and Cruelty as Teachable Moments– TRIGGER WARNING — – Oppose #GagOrders!! Voters are mislead, to avoid “stirring up prejudices”.

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