AP advises staff on location of Islamic center and mosque

The Associated Press, one of world's most powerful news organizations, issued a memo today advising staff to avoid the phrase "Ground Zero mosque."

The Upshot reported Tuesday that the AP started using the phrase "Ground Zero mosque" in some headlines in late May. The New York Times, for one, has consciously avoided that phrasing.

The AP began using the phrase as the controversy over the proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque in Lower Manhattan started bubbling up to the national level. Many news organizations, across platforms, routinely dub the project the "Ground Zero Mosque."

The AP has always been clear in the text of stories that the project would be built two blocks from Ground Zero and not on the actual site. But AP headlines, at times, ran with the phrase adopted by opponents of the project and amplified by the media.

Now the news organization is taking steps to make sure that no longer occurs.

"We should continue to avoid the phrase 'ground zero mosque' or 'mosque at ground zero' on all platforms," said Tom Kent, the AP's deputy managing editor for standards and production, in the memo the news organization shared with The Upshot. (The full memo can now be viewed here).

Kent said in the memo that the AP has "very rarely used this wording, except in slugs" — shorthand descriptions of stories sent over the wire.

"The site of the proposed Islamic center and mosque is not at ground zero, but two blocks away in a busy commercial area," Kent continued. "We should continue to say it's 'near' ground zero, or two blocks away."

Kent said the memo was written with the guidance of Chad Roedemeier in the New York City bureau and Terry Hunt in Washington.

Here are some ways Kent advised referring to the project in short headlines: "mosque 2 blocks from WTC site," "Muslim (or Islamic) center near WTC site," "mosque near ground zero," and "mosque near WTC site."

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

He added that "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" and that the building proposal includes not just a mosque, but "a swimming pool, gym, auditorium and other facilities."

Last night, the AP fact-checked several claims of opponents and stated clearly where the project would be: "No mosque is going up at ground zero."