Boston Globe Will Use The Proper Term

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Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts

47 Nichols Avenue

Watertown, MA 02472

617-926-1918

ancem@hotmail.com

www.anca.org

 

PRESS RELEASE

July 15, 2003

For Immediate Release

 

Contact: Susan Ekizian

ancem@hotmail.com; 617-926-1918

 

BOSTON GLOBE REVERSES LONG-STANDING POLICY

AGAINST USE OF THE TERM `ARMENIAN GENOCIDE'

 

-- Reporters, correspondents, and staff writers of the Globe now able to

properly describe the first genocide of the 20th Century as the `Armenian

Genocide'

 

BOSTON - After almost a quarter of a century of using evasive terminology and

qualifiers to describe one of the most horrific events of the 20th Century,

The Boston Globe has decided to suspend its policy against the use of the

term `genocide' when referring to the Armenian Genocide, reported the

Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Eastern Massachusetts.

 

In a letter dated July 8, 2003, Mr. Michael Larkin of the Globe informed the

ANC that the Boston Globe has ended the `policy regarding the Armenian

Genocide.' Mr. Larking is Deputy Managing Editor of the Globe and the person

in charge of Boston Globe Policies.

 

`Thank you and your associates for your thoughtful efforts to enlighten me

and the Globe about this and for your sincere request that we reconsider the

policy,' Mr. Larkin wrote. `You have helped make us a better newspaper.'

 

The Boston Globe's policy regarding the Armenian Genocide, officially in

place for 15 years but actually in effect for almost a quarter century, has

since the beginning been contested by the ANC with the grassroots support of

the American Armenian community. That process was initiated by the late Leo

Sarkisian, then ANC director, through letters, meetings with the paper's

editors, and at times protest demonstrations.

 

In the last three years, the ANC accelerated those efforts, holding numerous

meetings and exchanging correspondence with Globe reporters and editors at

various levels and departments.

 

Thanks to changes over the years in Globe management, the ANC's patient

efforts - aided by recent research on the Armenian Genocide and, importantly,

grassroots support from the American Armenian community - resulted in the

Globe's retraction of its policy.

 

During those ongoing talks, ANC representatives and scholars provided Globe

reporters and editors with vast amounts of information and historical

documentation on the facts of the Armenian Genocide. In addition, during a

meeting in April with the editors, the ANC was accompanied by Dr. Israel

Charny, executive director of the Institute on Holocaust and Genocide in

Jerusalem, who provided valuable additional testimony.

 

After these meetings, the Boston Globe's Ombudsman, Christine Chinlund,

wrote a piece on the Globe's policy. She explained, `For 15 years the Globe

has, to the dismay of its large Armenian-American readership, shunned the

use of `genocide' unless it's used in quotes. The paper prefers `massacre,'

and routinely includes Turkey's version of events.'

 

Describing the Globe's recent review of its Armenian Genocide policy, the

Ombudsman went on, `But there is potential for a changed landscape. The

Globe is reviewing its 15-year practice of avoiding the word `genocide' next

to Armenian. It is possible, although not a given, that sometime soon it

will be used more freely.' Chinlund concluded, `The review is wise and

timely.'

 

The Ombudsman's article was followed by internal Boston Globe hearings and

debates to reconsider this old policy, and the conclusion reached was to

suspend the policy.

 

`Today we feel a sense of accomplishment,' stated Ivan Ardhaldjian, chairman

of the Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts. `After years of

hard work by the Armenian community and countless meetings, the newspaper

has decided to formally change its policy on the Armenian Genocide,

reaffirming what we have all known - that the Armenian Genocide is an

incontestable fact.'

 

`Years ago, the late ANC activist Leo Sarkisian began a campaign to ensure

that the Boston Globe would properly characterize the Armenian Genocide. I

am sure that Leo would be proud to see that we and the American Armenian

community carried the torch that he lit, ensuring that the Boston Globe

eventually made the right choice,' Ardhaldjian said.

 

`We thank Michael Larkin and the entire Boston Globe staff on behalf of the

Armenian American community in Massachusetts. Furthermore, we encourage

individuals to send a note of appreciation to the Boston Globe for its

decision,' concluded Ardhaldjian.

 

The Armenian National Committee is the largest Armenian American grassroots

political organization in Massachusetts and nationwide. The ANC actively

advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian American

community.