Indeed, the article refers four times to the diabolical torture/murder of Polish engineer and hostage Piotr Stanczak in Pakistan as an “execution.” Also, the article is written by a person of Muslim background, Ishtiaq Mahsud.
The AP is probably the worse offender of all mainstream “news” organizations. It is a leftist propaganda organ, not a news organ. But probably no one ever bothers complaining directly to AP personel, and like all leftists they live inside their own bubble, not even aware of the way others see them. If people began to write frequently to AP editorial management about outrages like this, it might make a difference.
The AP headquarters is located in New York City (see address and phone number below). But compared to, say, the New York Times, it is a faceless organization. Who is the Sulzberger Jr. of the AP? Who is the Bill Keller? The AP has no masthead. Names of its top personnel are not listed at its web page. Moreover, it is a huge organization, with:
243 bureaus in 97 countries.
1,700 U.S. daily, weekly, non-English and college newspapers.
5,000 radio and television outlets taking AP services.
850 AP Radio News audio affiliates.
550 International broadcasters who receive AP’s global video news service, APTN, and SNTV, a sports joint venture video service.
121 number of countries served by AP
4 languages in which AP sends news. The report is translated into many more languages by international subscribers.
4,100 AP editorial, communications and administrative employees worldwide.
3,000 of AP’s worldwide staff are journalists.
49 Pulitzer Prizes, including 30 for photography.
So one would have to start by calling the main number, and trying to find out names of the editorial personnel responsible for policy and oversight of editorial content. And then send a letter (letter, not e-mail) to those persons as well as to the specific reporter, as well as the person in charge of the particular AP bureau responsible for this article.
If you write an intelligent, thoughtful letter, someone will write back, and it will inevitably be an evasive, dishonest letter somehow justifying the use of “execution.” At that point you need to reply and hammer home your points, not letting them get away with it. At the very least, you will have a letter from an AP executive either justifying the AP’s calling a torture/murder an execution, or maybe acknowledging that this is not a good practice and ought to change. Instead of the AP being a totally faceless organization spewing its content across the globe, there will ba a person with a name taking responsibility for what the AP does.
Contact page
The Associated Press
Headquarters
450 W. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10001
Main Number
1-212-621-1500