The Foreign Service Journal, December 2014

14 DECEMBER 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A s the name suggests, www.eboladeeply.org takes a deep and thorough look at the Ebola crisis. It is a fascinating site with a fresh approach. Not just a collection of resources, Ebola Deeply says it seeks to add “context to content,” with the goal of “greater clarity, deeper understanding and a more sustained engagement” on issues. Produced by a team that includes foreign correspondents with experience in Africa, data scientists and software developers, the site also features the report- ing of local journalists in a¢ected countries. Beautifully designed and user friendly, Ebola Deeply aims to tell the whole story, including the back story, of the crisis in a compelling way. If you feel you have come into the issue at the midpoint, the site o¢ers the Ebola Files, a collec- tion of text and interactive materials covering the history of the virus, the science and search for a cure, survivor stories, a glossary of terms and a “reading room” of links to additional resources. If you just want the latest news, you can find that in a constantly updated Executive Summary, which gives an overview of the latest developments. The site includes a case map, tracking the number of infections by country around the world. Community Op-eds features opinions by an assortment of local voices and journalists. The site also features Recent Videos and Recent News, as well as its latest Twitter messages. Ebola Deeply describes itself an “independent digital media project that integrates expertise in science, health and public policy with a range of voices on the ground.” It is the second “deep look” at a current issue produced by News Deeply , a new media startup and self-described “social enterprise” based in New York. The group aims to advance “foreign policy literacy through public service journalism.” The journalists and technologists of News Deeply design and build single- issue websites that combine news, live events, information design and social media. News Deeply ’s flagship site, Syria Deeply , went live in late 2012 and cov- ers the evolving conflict in Syria in same the in-depth manner. —Debra Blome, Associate Editor SITE OF THE MONTH: Ebola Deeply House, the Pentagon, the State Depart- ment, USAID and the British Foreign o ce, among others, settled on “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” or ISIL. e Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Al Jazeera, along with NBC and Politico , followed suit. e New York Times stuck with ISIS, arguing in a June 18 article that the term “Levant” has French colonial associa- tions and “something of an antique whi about it, like ‘the Orient.’” Da’esh or DAISH, the acronym of the group’s original Arabic name, is used widely in the Arab world. Close to the Arabic word “daes,” meaning to tread underfoot, trample or crush, the appella- tion is not a favorite of the Sunni militants. In June, however, the political implications of the issue became more apparent. Having captured large swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, and very publicly and spectacularly beheaded two Western journalists and two aid workers, the terrorist organization proclaimed it was rebranding itself with an eye to recruitment. e group demanded that the world refer to it henceforth as simply the “Islamic State.” Although many news organizations picked up the easier, more headline- friendly IS, or continued with ISIS or ISIL, the AP, whose stylebook is an authorita- tive industry standard, was among those who caught on to the propaganda war at hand. In mid-September, it abandoned its preferred ISIL in favor of the phrase, “the Islamic State group.” “Propaganda has been one of the core strategies of the Sunni militant group in Syria and Iraq that today calls itself the Islamic State—and its name is very much a part of that,” wrote Vivian Salama explaining the move. AP’s recommended terminology aims to deny the group political and religious legitimacy. Others, such as National Public Radio, add “so-called” or “self-declared” to underline the point. NPR’s policy is “to initially call the group ‘the self-declared Islamic State’ or some equivalent phrase, use ISIS in later references and, when necessary, explain that ISIL is another widely used acronym.” Like much of the Arab world, the French government uses Da’esh. On Sept. 18, French ForeignMinister Laurent Fabius appealed to journalists andmedia organi- zations to reject the term “Islamic State.” Fabius stated: “ is is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims and Islamists.” Speaking for many Islamic and other leaders around the world at the Sept. 24 United Nations Summit on Terrorism, United Nations Secretary General Ban