AP Advisory to Reporters: Call it the NYC Mosque not the Ground Zero Mosque

AP staff and reporters received an order "advisory" today telling them to cut out the "Ground Zero mosque" rhetoric and refer to it as the "NYC Mosque," or "New York City mosque." It all depends on what the meaning of "is" is - or what they think they can make the public believe "is" is.

Ground Zero Mosque site at red "A" - See Ground Zero to lower left corner

The AP has been trying to quash the idea that the mosque is considered the Ground Zero mosque. Whatever they were doing didn't work, so they're trying it again. They are attempting to shape the story, rather than represent the story, as usual. Just look at this and how they hope to manipulate opinions.

Colleagues,

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.

WE WILL CHANGE OUR SLUG ON THIS STORY LATER TODAY from “BC-Ground Zero Mosque” to “BC-NYC Mosque.”

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

We can refer to the project as a mosque, or as a proposed Islamic center that includes a mosque.

It may be useful in some stories to note that Muslim prayer services have been held since 2009 in the building that the new project will replace. The proposal is to create a new, larger Islamic community center that would include a mosque, a swimming pool, gym, auditorium and other facilities.

The Washington Times said it is laughable to think the mosque will not be associated with Ground Zero, because once it is built, and maybe before, Muslims will tout it's Ground Zero location and 9/11. Read the entire article here.