The Associated Press’s style guide on the Israel-Hamas war instructs reporters and news organizations which follow its lead that Hamas should not be described as terrorists.
“The terms terrorism and terrorist have become politicized, and often are applied inconsistently. Because they can be used to label such a wide range of actions and events, and because the debate around them is so intense, detailing what happened is more precise and better serves audiences,” its Israel-Hamas Topical Guide states. “Therefore, the AP is not using the terms for specific actions or groups, other than in direct quotations or when attributed to authorities or others. Instead, we describe specific atrocities, massacres, bombings, assassinations and other such actions.”
The Associated Press goes on to state that it will describe Hamas as “militants,” though “Hamas fighters, attackers or combatants are also acceptable depending on the context.”
BBC recently defended its decision to refer to Hamas as militants, though formally backtracked following a meeting with a Jewish organization. It will now describe the group “as a proscribed terrorist organization by the UK government and others, or simply as Hamas.” The U.S. government has also designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997.
The AP's decision comes two years after its office space in Gaza was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike because it was shared with Hamas. While the wire service expressed outrage at the move, the New York Post and many others questioned how anyone could trust its reporting in the region if it was truly unaware, which is highly unlikely.
Of course, we’ve known for years that, as the Israel Defense Forces put it, Hamas “intentionally locates its military assets in the hearts of civil populations,” even “hiding behind” media outlets and “using them as human shields.”
And AP knew that well, according to one account. “When Hamas’ leaders surveyed their assets before this summer’s round of fighting, they knew that among those assets was the international press. The AP staff in Gaza City would witness a rocket launch right beside their office, endangering reporters and other civilians nearby — and the AP wouldn’t report it,” says a 2014 Atlantic piece by Matti Friedman. Hamas militants would regularly “burst into the AP’s Gaza bureau and threaten the staff — and the AP wouldn’t report it.” (New York Post)