Contact Reuters immediately!

Published in www.bangladesh-web.com on Friday, January 19, 2007.

To all Bangladeshis everywhere (with an email address!).

Due to the latest events in Bangladesh, our country has featured quite prominently in the various international news media. I would like to bring Reuters (one such organisation) to your attention. While reporting on the various events, this organisation insists on using the term "impoverished" at some point or another to describe our country. They do it even when it is irrelevant to the story at hand. I am urging all of you to write a small email (details below) to ask Reuters to stop this practice. Bangladesh has been labelled with such unwelcome words for far too long. Please ask whoever else you think appropriate to do the same.

Please go to the link below:

http://today.reuters.com/HelpAndInfo/ContactUs.aspx

Look for the link titled "Contact a Reuters Editor". Click on that link. A text box will appear prompting you to enter your email address and then an email below. Cut and paste the text I provided (or edit it as you wish or make up a completely new one), and then send it. If enough of us do it, the organisation will take notice.

Thank you.

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Sample Protest Letter

Dear Editor,

While reading various articles on Bangladesh published by Reuters, we notice that you insist on using the term "impoverished" to describe the country at least once in each article. We also notice that such a term is used even when it is completely irrelevant to the topic or story at hand. This term gives the impression of utter desperate poverty and hopelessness to the unsuspecting mind. It spreads ignorance and promotes stereotypes. The fact is Bangladesh's poverty level has been reduced substantially over the last two decades (though plenty of it still exists) and there are many aspects to a nation that cannot be clumped together and described using one word or phrase.

We feel that your reporters are doing the country a great injustice by using this terminology. We urge you to stop using this term immediately and without hesitation. The proper term to describe the country is "developing". Bangladesh is a developing country that has made great strides in social indicators of almost every category. The country's exports are booming and there is a gradual paradigm shift in the status of women in the country thanks to micro-credit and apparel industry. The country has a strong civil society and democratic credentials (current impasse notwithstanding). These are hardly quintessential elements of an "impoverished" nation.