Why does print/digital media always use quotation marks around "war on terror"?

Answer 1

i am not sure the invasion of another country and patisan participation in its civil war really counts as a war.

Answer 2

Because it's a figure of speech that was cribbed from an actual speech and therefore requires quotes.

They are making it known that they themselves, the writers, are not the ones describing the action using these particular words. They're inserting someone else's phrase and words into the story in words the readers can quickly and easily understand.

The "war on terror" phrase is associated with the people and the actions taken by the people, from which these words came.

Say "war on terror" out loud. Do you immediately think of Bush and the Patriot Act? Or government action taken to combat terrorism, rather than something you yourself do everyday? You should, because that's where the term originates.

It collectively describes government's response to terror. It was a phrase made up by a speechwriter to do just that.

It is a new term in the lexicon of the Engish language. Later on, when it's an old term, used all the time, and has outlived its current usefulness, it will enter the standardized dictionaries and lose the quotation marks, just like all other terms of its type eventually do, if they stick around long enough.

Also, think about this:

Just like making and using fake quotation mark gestures in the air when you talk, it signifies that the person doing it recognizes that the term is in use, but does not necessarily believe it or advocate its use.

It's used too often, in my opinion, and devalues the meaning of the word war, as well.

Answer 3

I'm a former journalist, and I might be able to take a crack at this one and share my opnion. The different between wars such as Vietnam, World War II or the Spanish-American War is that each was a specific military and diplomatic action geared towards a particular region or objective. The "war on terror"--no matter what one believes about its efficacy, is a concept. There unlike the Second World War, there has been no declaration of a war on terror. There is no front. It is therefore a politically charged term. In this case, the term comes from the White House mostly. There has never been a formal war on terror and many in America would point out that our actions to prevent terrorism are much different than conducting warfare against a nation. I myself have my own beliefs about the unrealistic expectations of the "war on terror" but that's a whole other thing. Hope this helped. Good luck.

Answer 4

One always puts a phrase in quotation marks
when quoting someone. I believe that Mr. Bush
is the person who coined that phrase..and man
have we paid the price.