What do you call a phrase like “Ground Zero Mosque?” Loaded language, for sure. Actually, there is a word for it: dysphemism. Dysphemism is roughly the opposite of euphemism. While euphemism is the softening of language or ideas to make them less offensive, dysphemism is all about making the language or idea more offensive. That, of course, has been the motive of “journalists” who have used the phrase “Ground Zero Mosque” in their headlines. You can read (and listen to) more about that here at OnTheMedia.org.

What makes it dysphemism? For starters, when you put those three words together, it sounds as if the mosque is going to be right at Ground Zero. There is nothing separating the word “Mosque” from the words “Ground Zero.” In reality, however, there are two New York City blocks separating Ground Zero from the mosque building site. A word like “near” would certainly have helped preserve the truth: “Mosque Near Ground Zero.” But the news writers chose to be less precise and more sensational.

This is no basic form of dysphemism, however.  An example of regular, run-of-the-mill dysphemism would be calling a printed paper edition of a periodical the “dead tree edition.” There’s nothing untrue about it. It merely seeks to create a negative reaction in the reader by focusing on what might be seen as a drawback of printed publications when compared to their online counterparts. But “Ground Zero Mosque” is more diabolical because it also makes use of hyperbole.  It exaggerates the truth.  It dispenses with those two blocks and puts Ground Zero and the Mosque within one typed space of each other.

This is much the same sort of dysphemism as “snail mail.” Compared to email, the postal service is slower. But is it really as slow as a snail? Of course not. Exaggeration. The difference here, however, is that nobody really believes mail is delivered by snail or that it is really that slow. “Snail mail” is dysphemism in search of humor. “Ground Zero Mosque” is dysphemism in search of division and fear.

Whether you are for or against a mosque being built two blocks from Ground Zero, I hope we can all agree that it is irresponsible for news agencies such as the Associated Press and Fox News to use “Ground Zero Mosque” in a headline. Both did. And it is equally irresponsible for the public to allow itself to be manipulated by such headlines.  You may say that sticks and stones will break your bones, and that words will never harm you. But it is most often words that start the sticks and stones to flying.

I am afraid that “Ground Zero Mosque” just may be ground zero for something that threatens this free country even more than terrorism. The slow death of objective journalism and, even scarier, our ability to recognize it when we see it.

For another great example of dysphemism check this out, which chronicles the  transformation of  the “estate tax” to the “death tax.”

Memphis has a lot more than rock-and-roll; we’ve got the NBA pick-and-roll. The Civil War and civil rights. Beale Street joints and Broadway shows. BBQs and corporate HQs. In Memphis, we’ve got soul. We sit on the porch and sit in the stands. We sit in the center of the U.S. population, delivering goods and services faster than anybody, thanks not to the paddle wheeler but the FedEx jet. And that muddy Mississippi? It happens to roll past some of the best-tasting artesian well water on the planet. This is the real Memphis, one rock-a-billy, hip-hop, can’t stop kind of place. Here you can find yourself or find a cure for cancer. We’re a lazy trolley ride. We’re bustling crowds. We’re a walk in the largest urban park in the nation. Looking for a place to live, work, learn, play, and explore? Read on. We’ll have you right where we want you.  Here with us.

Find your place.

Memphians live in downtown lofts with views of the Mississippi, in suburban colonials with big yards for the kids, and in Craftsman foursquares near park amenities and our world-class zoo. We share lush, tree-lined thoroughfares and white-steepled churches. We share synagogues, temples and mosques. We share upscale shopping and a low cost of living. We share more sunny days than the folks in Miami. And we share what we have with those less fortunate. In fact, Memphians were recently named some of the most generous people in the nation. Here, it’s not a matter of where you want to live but how. You’ll find your place in Memphis.

Roll up your sleeves.

Work brings a lot of people to Memphis. What kind of work do you want to do? Shipping or logistics? Information technology? Biotechnology or health care? Manufacturing?  It’s all here. FedEx, Delta, AutoZone, International Paper, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and many more high-profile employers create exciting and dynamic career opportunities. Want to strike out on your own?  Entrepreneurship thrives here. In fact, Inc. magazine has listed Memphis as one of the best cities in the nation for starting and growing a business. The arts, education, government–they’re all great ways to earn your keep in Memphis. So roll up your sleeves and join us.

Take a desk.

Wonder if Memphis is a smart move? Progressive city and county school systems along with more than 30 private and parochial schools offer a variety of educational choices. We have more than 20 universities, colleges, and professional schools, too, devoted to everything from health care to religion. Memphis is home to the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis, the medical colleges of the University of Tennessee, and Rhodes College, consistently listed in the top tier of best liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. In Memphis, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to continue your education or earn an advanced degree.

Go out and play.

When you are ready for some fun, so is Memphis. Check out NBA Grizzlies basketball, AAA Redbirds baseball, pro hockey, PGA golf, and professional tennis. Visit historic attractions dating back to 1807. Enjoy unique museums and compelling art galleries. Discover our musical heritage. See the pandas and the 3,000 other animals at the zoo. Head south to the casinos of Tunica. Party at Memphis in May events and other world-renowned festivals. Shop at specialty boutiques and regional malls. Enjoy nightlife that lasts ’til dawn. Tired yet?

Discover something new.

Ah, the great outdoors. Memphis is close to lakes, rivers, and streams perfect for boating, fishing,  paddling and exploring. State parks provide excellent camping. Biking and walking trails abound, especially at Shelby Farms, the largest urban park in the country. The Wolf River Greenway and the Memphis Greenline will soon provide miles and miles of uninterrupted hiking, biking and skating bliss. Want to wonder a bit more? A great variety of exciting destinations lie within a day’s drive, including the Smoky Mountains, the Gulf of Mexico, and the South’s other great cities. explore the finer things, too: botanical gardens, professional theater, Ballet Memphis, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and Opera Memphis.

Welcome to our town. Once you get settled, put on your blue suede shoes and just start walking in Memphis. Oh, and go ahead and eat that pork rib.  Now that you know the real Memphis, it’ll taste even better.

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Due to a backlog of feature articles and dwindling editorial space in the magazine, could I perhaps distill it down to 300 choice words AND retain some of the humor?

“Disappointing” doesn’t begin to describe it. And yet, the Sally Field in me wasn’t entirely squelched.  So now I am writing a short piece for one of the magazine’s recurring columns. I’m still excited at the prospect of  a writing credit in a really good magazine. But I’m also anxious. The only thing harder than editing your own (delightful, funny) work is throwing away 5/6ths of it.

Maybe I should have sent photos instead.

Columnist Leonard Pitts warned in a story in March that the demise of the local paper will mean the undoing, in many ways, of the fourth estate.

…only the local paper performs the critical function of holding accountable the mayor, the governor, the local magnates and potentates, for how they spend your money, run your institutions, validate or violate your trust. If newspapers go, no other entity will have the wherewithal to do that. Which means the next Rod Blagojevich gets away with it. The next Kilpatrick is never caught. The next Diaz and Rivero laugh all of the way to the bank. And the next Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee, two innocent men saved from death row by the indefatigable reporting of the Miami Herald’s Gene Miller, are executed.

You can read the whole story here. Of course, one could argue that if these papers go online, perhaps even thrive there, they can still do their job without ink. Maybe. But as I have said before, I don’t want to read the news online. I mean really read, page by page, article by article, the way I do now with the Commercial Appeal. I don’t want turn on my computer at 5:30 am, nor my TV.  My choice, in such a case, would be a Kindle, I suppose. That would be the least invasive, most print-like alternative.

Fortunately, just as I had about given up hope, a story emerged (in my paper) about how some newspapers could switch to a new business model and operate as non-profits, as public broadcasting stations do. I find that intriguing.

Nonprofit status floated as newspapers’ lifeline

By Andrew Miga, Associated Press
Thursday, May 7, 2009

WASHINGTON — One way to save some of the nation’s struggling newspapers would be to let them become nonprofits similar to public broadcasting stations, a senator said Wednesday as editors and other journalists painted a grim future for daily print journalism.

“We need to save our community newspapers and the investigative journalism they provide,” Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., told a subcommittee of the Senate’s Commerce Committee.

Under a bill proposed by Cardin, newspapers turning to nonprofit status would no longer be able to make political endorsements but could report on all issues, including political campaigns. Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax-exempt, and contributions to support coverage could be tax deductible.

The proposal would allow newspapers to operate under the same Internal Revenue Service status that is used by churches, hospitals, educational institutions, public broadcasting and other nonprofit institutions, said Cardin.

Cardin has said that his aim is to preserve local newspapers, not large newspaper conglomerates. He said his bill does not constitute a government bailout for newspapers.

Former Washington Post managing editor Steve Coll said he supports the proposal, but he does not think many newspapers would be able to change to nonprofit status.

“This approach is certainly no panacea,” Coll said in written testimony submitted to the panel. “Even in the best case, very few of them can be expected to make this transition to nonprofit strategies.”

Former Baltimore Sun reporter and TV series producer David Simon told the panel that media outlets such as newspapers need to discover a new economic model to survive and thrive.

“High-end journalism is dying in America, and unless a new economic model is achieved, it will not be reborn on the Web or anywhere else,” Simon said.

I guess I have always found it a little odd that something as important as journalism could owe its life to car dealer ads. Yet, it is a model that has worked for centuries. Still, elevating journalism to the status of education, churches, and hospitals might be good, if expensive. One thing’s for sure, a newspaper with nothing in it isn’t worth paying for or advertising in. Content has got to be the first priority.

I like print. When you put something in print, you can’t readily change it.  There is added weight to every word.  Online, what you say one minute can be fixed the next. I’m guessing that this can lead to sloppiness. Revisionism. Virtual news.

Regardless, the newspaper is a habit. Just like coffee. The walk out to get it. The rustling and folding. The smell of it on a damp morning.  Reading an online news source? Too much like the office. Too much like work.

For me “the paper” is the Commercial Appeal.  Surely not the best paper in the world. But it is our paper, our town. And should it die, I’ll find whatever the next best thing is. And I will sit in my den and read the morning paper with my coffee in hand and my bride on the sofa nearby until there are no papers left to read. I will not give it up, this tradition, this morning breakfast of thought, understanding, community, and–in our groggy, early morning way–conversation about the stuff that matters.