Banned Words That Every Freelance Journalist Must At I Time Know

In Feb of 2013, the Associated Press circulated a memo clarifying its seat on the terminology journalists should role when referring to married same-sex couples. This determination came several months afterward the AP amended its AP Stylebook to discourage using the give-and-take "homophobia." Together, these rulings effectively banned for certain words from the AP lexicon.

In Nov of 2012, the AP changed several stylistic syntaxes to its Stylebook, including eliminating the give-and-take "homophobia" equally a term for anti-gay sentiment. "Homophobia," the AP ruled, should non move used inwards political in addition to social contexts equally the give-and-take in addition to suffix "phobia" refer to a psychiatric illness, specifically, an irrational in addition to uncontrollable fear.

AP Deputy Standards Editor Dave Minthorn said the Associated Press decided to move to a greater extent than "precise in addition to accurate in addition to neutral" (source: Politico.com). For like reasons, the AP equally good instantly discourages using the give-and-take "Islamophobia," which is defined equally having bias against, malice towards, or aberrant fearfulness of Muslims.

Instead of "homophobia," AP Stylebook editors encourage using the give-and-take "anti-gay." For example, a author mightiness refer to "anti-gay sentiment" or "anti-gay policies." Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 journalist tin equally good role "LGBT rights opponents" inwards acceptable variations when referring to individuals.

The novel terminology contains subtle differences from the old. As Minthorn suggested, the give-and-take "anti-gay" is to a greater extent than precise because it doesn't advise a psychiatric disorder. It may equally good move to a greater extent than neutral since it implies opposition to social in addition to political policies without judging the drive of such opposition.

Finally, banning the give-and-take "homophobia" forces journalists to move to a greater extent than specific. Does the homophobe inwards inquiry only oppose for certain LGBT policies? Does he reject to associate alongside homosexual individuals? Or does he maybe commit acts of violence against members of the LGBT community?

Some journalists debate that banning "homophobia" has disadvantages. Slate.com author Nathaniel Frank (who is equally good writing a mass called The Anti-Gay Mind) contended that the concept of homophobia is rooted inwards scientific research—it demonstrates that anti-gay persuasion is based on irrational fears (source: Slate.com).

Consequently, past times banning the word, the AP genuinely threatens its neutrality rather than preserving it. Patrick Strudwick, a political author for The Guardian, argued that: "To shy away from describing this paranoia is to collude alongside it, to whitewash loathe in addition to prejudice" (source: Gaurdian.co.uk).

Other journalists claim that "phobia" has long been used to depict non-clinical attitudes. Ben Zimmer, a linguistic communication columnist for the Boston Globe, said that writers oft role the give-and-take "xenophobia" without suggesting that the private has a mental disorder (source: VOANews.com).

The Associated Press equally good released a memo on its seat on how to refer to individuals inwards same-sex marriages. AP editors advised using the words "couples" or "partners" when describing people inwards civil unions or same-sex marriages. Effectively, this banned using the words "husband" in addition to "wife" inwards reference to gay marriage, except inwards cases of attribution.

Banning the words "husband" in addition to "wife" equally damage to depict individuals inwards same-sex unions creates a distinction betwixt marriages of members of the contrary gender activity in addition to those of the same sex. While this distinction may clarify the nature of a human relationship to a potentially confused reader, many debate that using "couples" or "partners" is discriminatory. Opponents claim that the differentiation creates a "separate but equal" policy that is inherently unequal.

More practically, however, using "couples" or "partners" lacks specificity. Gay union is shortly legal inwards ix states, but if writers refer to a same-sex duo equally a "couple," this does non specify whether the individuals are married or if they are exactly inwards a relationship.

The ban on the damage "wife" in addition to "husband" when referring to members of a same-sex union in addition to the give-and-take "homophobia" possess got already taken effect, in addition to volition move included the adjacent impress version of the AP Stylebook.

What create you lot think? I welcome your comments, suggestions, or corrections.

Sincerely,
Brian Scott

Related links:
How to Eliminate Bias from Your College Research Paper
How to Avoid Sexist Language inwards Article Writing

Share this post