The editor of a certain newspaper (call him G) complains to one of the paper's journalists (call him J)...
G: You've said here, 'Israel killed three armed Islamic activists as it continued a week-long assault against Hamas...'
J: I know, I know. 'Activists' might suggest people leafletting for the Labour Party in, er, Warrington. But what was I to put? 'Terrorists' is out. So... 'soldiers'? Doesn't seem quite right. 'Fighters'?
G: You misunderstand me; 'activists' is fine. But 'armed'?! That's far too judgemental. It undoes the neutralizing, emollient effect of 'activists'. I mean, if these guys are armed, and said to be so, some readers might get the wrong idea and...
J: Oh, I see what you mean. Sorry, Big G.
G: Apology accepted. You could say 'robust' - 'robust activists'. And then what about 'killed'? That's very sharp, and might even be seen by some as being condemnatory. We can't take sides like that.
J: But... well, they were in fact... killed.
G: That's not the point. Readers sympathetic to the Israeli side are entitled to something milder. Let me suggest 'incapacitated'.
J: OK, G. Is that all?
G: No. You've said 'Israel'!
J: Pardon?
G: You've said 'Israel' - that Israel killed them. There are those who don't accept Israel's existence as legitimate.
J: Well, I can't say 'Palestine' did it, can I? Should I have said 'So-called Israel'?
G: No, that still leaves intact reference to what some refer to as 'the Zionist entity'.
J: Wow, this is difficult. How about 'the usurper state'?
G: We cannot take sides! I suggest 'The country sometimes associated with the People of the Book'.
J: Doesn't that sort of allude to... well, Jews?
G: What have you got against Jews?
J: Nothing. My wife is Jewish and so are all our children - and our household pets. But some people are a bit iffy about Jews.
G: OK, then, say 'A certain country...'
J: So... 'A certain country incapacitated three robust Islamic activists as it continued a week-long assault against Hamas...'
G: Hmmm. I'm not too sure about 'Islamic' and 'Hamas' - or about 'assault', for that matter. Try this:
A certain country incapacitated three robust religious activists as it continued a week-long oppositional effort against a campaigning organization...J: That's good, Big G. That's very good. Thanks for your help.
[Loosely inspired by this and an old memory.]