Embedded Files
It is highly unlikely that you will be reporting on these issues during your newsdays. But, you might need to reference them for background and context when reporting on local news (protests etc).
For issues and conflicts not mentioned in this section, consult a member of staff.
Use of the term 'terrorist'
Use of the term 'terrorist'
From the BBC News Style Guide:
While the word "terrorist" is not banned, its use can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding. We should not use the term without attribution. We should convey to our audience the full consequences of the act by describing what happened. We should use words which specifically describe the perpetrator such as bomber, attacker, gunman, kidnapper, insurgent and militant. We should not adopt other people's language as our own. Our responsibility is to remain objective and report in ways that enable our audiences to make their own assessments about who is doing what to whom.
While care is needed when describing perpetrators, an action or event can be described as a terror attack or an act of terror.
Domestically, we tread a similar line on Northern Ireland. The IRA is so well known, worldwide, that a label is not necessary. Groups such as the Real IRA and Continuity IRA can often be best labelled as dissident. A second reference to organisations such as the UFF and UVF could be along the lines of: The loyalist paramilitary organisation warned...
The Middle East: Israel and the Palestinians
The Middle East: Israel and the Palestinians
Map Credit: BBC News
Israeli or Jewish?
Israeli or Jewish?
Be careful over whether you mean Israeli or Jewish: the latter might imply that the story is about race or religion, rather than a state or its citizens. Note that not all Israelis are Jews, and neither are all Jews Israelis.
:: See entry on Antisemitism
Jerusalem
Jerusalem
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive and complex issues of the entire conflict. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 and claims sovereignty over the entire city, a claim not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state of Palestine.
We do not call Jerusalem the capital of Israel, but we can report that Israel claims it as such. The US is one of only a handful of countries to recognise the city as Israel's capital.
Do not call East Jerusalem "the Palestinians’ capital". You can say that Ramallah is their administrative capital and that East Jerusalem is the intended capital of any future independent state.
Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist militant group that is committed to the destruction of Israel and is designated as a terrorist group by the UK and many other powers. It currently controls the Gaza Strip.
Militants in Gaza have fought several wars with Israel since 2005. Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade on the strip to isolate Hamas and to pressure it to stop attacks, particularly the indiscriminate firing of rockets towards Israeli cities.
:: See entry on difference between 'Islamic' and 'Islamist'.
Palestinian or Occupied Territories, Gaza and the West Bank
Palestinian or Occupied Territories, Gaza and the West Bank
There is no independent state of Palestine today. Use Gaza, West Bank, Palestinian or Occupied Territories and Palestinians as appropriate.
Palestinian and Occupied Territories are not synonymous. Occupied Territories refers to East Jerusalem, the West Bank and strictly speaking, the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights de jure belong to Syria. Palestinian Territories refers to the areas that fall under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which are complicated to work out due to the evolving situation in the West Bank.
While the Gaza Strip is currently controlled by Hamas and not the PNA, it can still be included in references to Palestinian Territories.
Settlements
Settlements
Settlements are residential areas built by the Israeli government in occupied territories. They are illegal under international law, but Israel rejects this assertion. When relevant, include context to the effect that “all settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this”.
Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine and Russia
Map Credit: BBC News
We use the words invasion and war to describe Russia's actions in Ukraine.
We use transliterations of Ukrainian spellings for names of people and places. Therefore, the country's capital is Kyiv and Odesa is a historic port city.
Do not use "the Ukraine"; it implies it is a province, rather than a sovereign nation.
The Ukrainian President is Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, when the Russia-friendly president of Ukraine of the time was driven out of office after mass protests.
The areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine have been controlled by Russia-backed separatists since 2014.
:: More guidance and history of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk.
On 30 September 2022, Russia announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The annexation came three days after the completion of the Kremlin-organised votes on joining Russia, the legitimacy of which has been widely questioned. The "sham referenda" and the subsequent annexations have been condemned by Ukraine, the United States the European Union and the United Nations.
Kashmir
Kashmir
Write Kashmir if you are referring to the entire geographical region of Jammu and Kashmir.
As the future of Kashmir is subject to an ongoing dispute primarily between India and Pakistan, both claiming sovereignty over the entire region, avoid using Indian Kashmir or Pakistani Kashmir, use India-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir instead.
Map Credit: BBC News
Cyprus
Cyprus
Graphic credit: BBC News
The northern part of the island is internationally considered to be territory of the Republic of Cyprus occupied by Turkish forces since 1974.
Turkey is the only country that recognises the self-proclaimed “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”. Do not use this term unless in a direct quote.
Write Cyprus when referring to the country or the island. If clarification is required, use Republic of Cyprus when referring to the country.
Use northern Cyprus (small 'n') when referring to the Turkish-occupied land and Turkish Cypriots when referring to its population. Note that Turkish Cypriots could be citizens of either Turkey or Cyprus. Greek Cypriots form the majority population group in the free south.
China and Taiwan
China and Taiwan
The status of Taiwan remains an ongoing dispute which stems from the Chinese Civil War. Beijing has a "One China" principle, not recognising the independence of Taiwan.
Avoid using the terms People’s Republic of China (use China instead) and Republic of China (use Taiwan instead).
Map credit: BBC News
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