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AP Yields to Journalists of Color on Style

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Hyphens Out, Euphemisms for ‘Racism’ Discouraged

Some of the AP’s Revisions Regarding Race

Lorraine Branham, Newhouse School Dean, Dies

Forum Open to ‘Black Press Only!’ Denounced

L.A. Times: Let’s Also Remember the Others

Gaffes Dot Candidates’ Spanish-Language Sites

Who’s Covering the 573 Tribal Nations?

‘Missing in Indian Country’ Wins Diversity Award

Knight Plans Diversity in Next Round of Grants

For TV References to Africa, Look to ‘Jeopardy’

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Members of the National Association of Black Journalists in New Orleans at the group’s 2017 convention (Credit: Mike McGee)

Hyphens Out, Euphemisms for ‘Racism’ Discouraged

It’s taken decades, but the Associated Press has decided to drop the hyphen in “African American” and “Asian American,” and while it was at it, to discourage the use of such terms as “racially charged” as euphemisms for just plain racism.

The latest changes to the AP Stylebook, widely used in newsrooms, also puts limits on the recent term “Latinx,” discourages “reverse discrimination,” rules out using “black” and “white” as nouns, and determines that “people of color” is acceptable to describe people of races other than white in the United States. “Avoid referring to an individual as a minority unless in a quotation,” it adds.

The discussion around these guidelines, unveiled Friday, underscores the importance of words — and even symbols, such as hyphens — in the struggle to define one’s identity for oneself. It’s a struggle more undertaken by the disadvantaged than the privileged, who have less reason to care what they’re called.

“The AP Stylebook team frequently seeks feedback and advice from groups and people who are experts in certain areas or who have extensive background in topics being discussed,” Lauren Easton, the AP’s director of media relations, told Journal-isms Monday by email. “It’s natural that editors would turn to NAJA, NABJ and other journalism groups for their input on race-related topics and terminology,” she said. The references are to the Native American Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Easton’s explanation differs from one offered in 2008 after a previous update, which sanctioned “African-American” after previously ruling it could be used “only in quotations or the names of organizations or if individuals describe themselves so.”

AP said then, “We solicited suggestions from staffers in all our bureaus, domestic and international” — not the journalist of color groups. This time, “follow the person’s preference” is the rule in some entries.

On the hyphen issue, Easton said, “Editors took to heart the argument about ‘hyphenated Americans,’ which was particularly well conveyed in a piece by Henry Fuhrmann for the Conscious Style Guide. Stylebook Editor Paula Froke quoted from this piece when she announced the change last week.”

In his article, Fuhrmann, an Asian American alumnus of the Los Angeles Times, cited a 1982 essay by literary great Maxine Hong Kingston, who wrote, ” ‘I have been thinking that we ought to leave out the hyphen in ‘Chinese-American,’ because the hyphen gives the word on either side equal weight, as if linking two nouns. …Without the hyphen, ‘Chinese’ is an adjective and ‘American’ a noun; a Chinese American is a type of American. (This idea about the hyphen is my own, and I have not talked to anyone else who has thought of it; therefore, it is a fine point, ‘typical’ of no one but myself.)’ ”

Fuhrmann continued, “In fact, she was not alone, and more recent commentators have continued the thread: ‘Words are expressions of power and identity. And even something as trivial as punctuation can say a lot about what it means to become American,’ wrote Eric Liu, a former speechwriter in the Clinton White House, in his 2014 essay ‘Why I Don’t Hyphenate Chinese American’ at CNN.com. . . .”

Henry Fuhrmann

Unlike those Asian Americans, proponents of “African American” dating to the 1980s wanted it unhyphenated to emphasize that they were not like other Americans.

As recapped in this space 15 years ago, the National Alliance of Black School Educators, an organization of school superintendents, named a task force in 1984 on the future of black children. Asa G. Hilliard of Georgia State University was its chairman; Barbara A. Sizemore of the University of Pittsburgh its vice chair.

“ ‘Throughout this report we have used the unhyphenated name, African American, to identify the black population, previously called Negro, “colored” and black,’ read the introduction to the task force findings, ‘Saving the African American Child.’

“ ‘African Americans have called themselves many names since the ancestors were torn from their tribal moorings in Africa and deprived of their histories. We remove the hyphen to emphasize this rupture.’ ”

That column continued, “On Dec. 19, 1988, the term truly entered the mainstream, as about 75 black leaders met in Chicago to discuss an ‘African American agenda.’ Using the term was part of a broad ‘cultural offensive,’ but the efforts of one reporter — Lillian Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times — made the so-called ‘name change’ the news story from the meeting.

“It was inaccurately presented in most news reports as the idea of Jesse Jackson, and when the story was rewritten by editors at the Associated Press, an organization that did not cover the conference, the hyphen was inserted to conform to AP style, as reported (by this writer) in the July/August 1989 issue of the ASNE Bulletin, a publication of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

“ ‘Blacks: Call us ‘African Americans’, was the Sun-Times’ banner headline. ‘Jesse, other leaders declare name change.’ . . . ”

And so the hyphen unwittingly became part of the “name change.” Even some black journalists, made aware of the original intention of the proponents, stuck with the AP’s insertion because, well, it was the AP.

However, times change. “Webster’s New World College Dictionary, which is the Stylebook’s primary dictionary, recently dropped the hyphen,” Easton observed. “Merriam-Webster also does not use it. That added to the weight of evidence in favor of making the change.”

Some of the AP’s Revisions Regarding Race

Here are some of the Associated Press’ new guidelines on race:

To be published May 29

“race-related coverage (new, an umbrella entry pulling together several terms that had been listed separately; adding new terms; adding more detail)

“Reporting and writing about issues involving race calls for thoughtful consideration, precise language, and an openness to discussions with others of diverse backgrounds about how to frame coverage or what language is most appropriate, accurate and fair. Avoid broad generalizations and labels; race and ethnicity are one part of a person’s identity. Identifying people by race and reporting on actions that have to do with race often go beyond simple style questions, challenging journalists to think broadly about racial issues before having to make decisions on specific situations and stories.

“Some guidelines:

“race (revised)
“Consider carefully when deciding whether to identify people by race. Often, it is an irrelevant factor and drawing unnecessary attention to someone’s race or ethnicity can be interpreted as bigotry. There are, however, occasions when race is pertinent:

“Do not use a derogatory term except in rare circumstances — when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event. Flag the contents in an editor’s note.

“racist, racism (new)

“Racism is a doctrine asserting racial differences in character, intelligence, etc., and the superiority of one race over another, or racial discrimination or feelings of hatred or bigotry toward people of another race.

“The terms racism and racist can be used in broad references or in quotations to describe the hatred of a race, or assertion of the superiority of one race over others. The townspeople saw their votes as a rejection of racism.

“Deciding whether a specific statement, action, policy, etc., should be termed racist often is not clearcut. Such decisions should include discussion with colleagues and/or others from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. In the AP, that conversation should also include senior managers.

“Begin by assessing the facts: Does the statement or action meet the definition of racism? That assessment need not involve examining the motivation of the person who spoke or acted, which is a separate issue that may not be related to how the statement or action itself can be characterized.

“In general, avoid using racist or any other label as a noun for a person; it’s far harder to match the complexity of a person to a definition or label than it is a statement or action. Instead, be specific in describing the person’s words or actions. Again, discuss with senior managers, colleagues and others from diverse backgrounds when the description may be appropriate for a person.

“Do not use racially charged, or similar terms as euphemisms for racist or racism when the latter terms are truly applicable.

“Cases in which the term racist might be used include identifying as racist support for avowed racist organizations, statements calling another race or ethnic group inferior, or employing negative stereotypes for different racial or ethnic groups. The video shows the candidate wearing blackface and making racist statements including, ‘You’re not white so you can’t be right.’

“Always use specifics to describe the words or actions in question. But do not use a derogatory term except in rare circumstances when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event.

“If racist is not the appropriate term, give careful thought to how best to describe the situation. Alternatives include racially divisive, racially sensitive, or in some cases, simply racial.

“racially charged, racially motivated, racially tinged (new)

“Generally avoid using these vague phrases to describe situations in which race is or is alleged or perceived to be a central issue, but that do not meet the definition of racist or racism. As alternatives, racially divisive or racially sensitive may be clearer, depending on the context. In some cases, the term racial is appropriate: racial arguments, racial tensions. Always give specifics about what was done, said or alleged.

“Do not use racially charged, racially divisive, racially tinged or similar terms as euphemisms for racist or racism when the latter terms are truly applicable. Mississippi has a history of racist lynchings, not a history of racially motivated lynchings. He is charged in the racist massacre of nine people at a black church, not the racially motivated massacre of nine people at a black church. . . .”

(Continued in the Comments section, below)

Lorraine Branham, Newhouse School Dean, Dies

Lorraine Branham

“Syracuse University journalism school dean Lorraine Branham died this morning after a battle with cancer,” Julie McMahon reported Tuesday for the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard and syracuse.com. “She was 66.

“Branham, a Philadelphia native, took over as dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2008. She previously worked as dean of the journalism school at University of Texas at Austin.

“ ‘Dean Branham was many things, most importantly a pillar in the Syracuse University community and beyond, an icon in the media industry, an academic innovator, a mentor, an educator, an inspiration and a friend,’ SU Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a statement to the campus community Tuesday afternoon.

“Branham was chosen from a pool of 300 nominations to become head of one of the highest-ranking communications schools in the country, officials said at the time. She replaced David Rubin, who served as dean for 18 years. . . .

“As dean, Branham oversaw an $18 million fundraising campaign to renovate the Newhouse II building and create the Newhouse Studio and Innovation Center featuring Dick Clark Studios, the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation and the Diane and Bob Miron Digital News Center — which can be seen through the glass windows from Waverly Avenue.

“Branham also oversaw development of the student-produced news website The NewsHouse and created a sports communication emphasis for students to add to their majors.

“She became a full-time journalism professor in 2002 after a 25-year career as a newspaper editor, editorial writer and reporter. Branham’s career included stints at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tallahassee Democrat, Baltimore Sun and Philadelphia Inquirer. . . .”


(Credit: WSAV-TV)

Forum Open to ‘Black Press Only!’ Denounced

Organizers of a mayoral candidates forum in Savannah, Ga., last week where signage declared it was open to “Black Press Only!” are being widely rebuked, the latest disapproval voiced Monday by the editorial board of the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger. The meeting made its “Gigs and Garlands” editorial.

“For another bad idea, we gig the Rev. Clarence Teddy Williams of Savannah,” the Ledger wrote. “Williams recently organized a candidate forum for people running for mayor in November. The problem was his guest list. The event was held primarily for black voters with the intent to get Savannah’s black community behind one of the three black candidates invited to the forum (two attended), while prominently posted on the door of the hosting church was a sign that read ‘Black Press Only!’ If you don’t see the reason for our gig, re-read that last sentence and substitute the word white for the word black.”

Stassy Olmos of WSAV-TV in Savannah reported Saturday, “Bolton Street Baptist Church in Savannah posted [this message] on its Facebook page Saturday morning . . . ‘Our church is a bridge building congregation; we do not condone division and exclusion based on race, color, gender, national origin or religious affiliation. We regret any misunderstanding and are instituting new policies to ensure any signs related to future meetings reflect our values and beliefs.’ . . .

“A number of media outlets were kept outside of the church due to the color of their skin. Flyers for the event also read ‘Black Media ONLY!’ . . .”

Olmos also wrote, “There are only two African Americans who have active campaigns for the mayor’s race in Savannah this year: Regina Thomas and Van Johnson.

“Both received invitations to the meeting and only Johnson accepted. Johnson held a press conference Friday and apologized for attending the event.

“Mayor Eddie De Loach also held a press conference and called the event a ‘national embarrassment.’ . . . ”

Wanda Lloyd, a former editor of the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser who now lives in Savannah, explained for Journal-isms, “This tactic of winnowing down the list of black candidates is straight out of the Civil Rights Movement, and from the era of mass meetings.

“It is well known that in the 1960s, black postal workers would accept flyers from the NAACP or other groups and put them in the bottom of their bags. They would then deliver the mail and the flyers to black households at the same time. This was admittedly illegal, but I am not aware that any postal worker (in Savannah, at least) was prosecuted.

“I was young at the time, but my assumption is that the local mainstream (white) media organizations probably didn’t care about covering these mass meetings so it wasn’t an issue back then.

“Times have changed. What happened last week just doesn’t work or make sense. We can no longer advocate for diversity and inclusion in media and then exclude media from covering all aspects of our communities. The organization of this event was unquestionably handled inappropriately.”

[April 4 update: Statement to Journal-isms from the National Association of Black Journalists is in the Comments section, below.]

“It’s easy to root for a man who sold copies of his mixtapes out of the parking lot of a strip mall and turned right around and opened a shop in that same mall the second he could afford it,” Gerrick D. Kennedy wrote in the Los Angeles Times. (Credit: Los Angeles Sentinel)

L.A. Times: Let’s Also Remember the Others

“The killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle on Sunday afternoon was especially heartbreaking because of his journey — from his participation in Los Angeles street gang life in his young adulthood to musical and commercial success and ultimately leadership in the fight against violence,” the Los Angeles Times editorialized on Monday. “He emerged, he created, he invested in his neighborhood, and he led, only to be shot dead in the bright afternoon outside his own clothing store in what police suspect was a gang killing.

“Born Ermias Davidson Asghedom, Hussle earned the deep respect of other artists, many of whom paid him tribute in the aftermath of the killing. That’s as it should be, but in mourning his death and decrying the killing, it’s essential to remember that too many young men whose names are known only to their families and friends are lost to violence before they have a chance to make their own mark in the world.

“Some of the most gifted hip-hop artists have come from the streets of South Los Angeles and used their considerable talents to document and comment upon a life that a modern, wealthy society like our own should not countenance. Young African American men deserve the same life as their counterparts in other parts of town, without guns, without gangs, without hustling, with education rather than incarceration, with safe streets, with adults able to find good jobs. Struggle and inequality can make for great art among a select few; but as Hussle’s killing reminds us, their artistry and their success does not necessarily free them. . . .

“In remembering Hussle, let’s remember as well those many young men and women, their families and their neighbors, who continue to be affected by violence.”

(Credit: Politico)

Gaffes Dot Candidates’ Spanish-Language Sites

“Using Google to translate Spanish text into English is a trick used by high school students to avoid doing their Spanish homework — not something you’d expect to see from candidates for the highest office in the land,” Jesus Rodriguez wrote Sunday for Politico.

“Yet several Democratic White House hopefuls appear to be doing precisely that. They’re posting passages in Spanish on their websites that bear striking similarities to the output from Google’s translation service, appearing to perform only minor cleanup before publishing the copy on their sites. While Google Translate can serve as a workable starting point, more often than not it needs a human hand to produce Spanish that would pass muster with a native speaker.

“Every campaign site that POLITICO reviewed had mistakes, ranging from minor typos to truly incomprehensible passages. The website of Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, posted shortly after her Feb. 20 announcement, addresses her mother using a masculine adjective. Sen. Kamala Harris at one point wrote that she had ‘wasted’ her life defending American democracy. And Julián Castro’s website [extols] the possibility of building an ‘América’ that works for everyone, seemingly not realizing that he’s making promises about the entire American continent.

“The Spanish-language sites represent an effort by the Democratic candidates to court the burgeoning Latino electorate, estimated at 27 million by Voto Latino, a group that works to register Latino voters. But good intentions aside, the errors risk producing the opposite effect, prompting Spanish speakers to question how seriously the candidates are taking them if they can’t even get basic English-to-Spanish translation right. . . .”

Who’s Covering the 573 Tribal Nations?

“There are roughly 2.6 million tribal citizens in America and they are of every stripe,” Jenni Monet wrote Friday for Columbia Journalism Review.

“Their socioeconomic outcomes and access to education are often determined by pervasive inequality and discrimination; this lack of access also limits their representation in American media. Compared to other colonizing nations with sizeable Indigenous populations — Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway — the US lags far behind when it comes to including Indigenous affairs in daily news coverage.

“Statistically, it’s rare for a Native American journalist to join the staff of an elite newsroom, much less to report for such an outlet on ‘Indian Country,’ the legal term for the nation’s 326 Indian reservations and, more colloquially, the smattering of US cities where the majority of Native Americans live. Less than .05 percent of all journalists at leading newspapers and online publications are Native American, according to 2017 data from the American Society of News Editors. The odds that an established media outlet will hire an Indigenous reporter in a capacity to write exclusively about the lands and issues they know well is virtually unheard of. There is no beat in the American legacy press devoted solely to covering the country’s 573 tribal nations. But there should be — and it should be assigned to an Indigenous journalist. . . .”


(Credit: Associated Press)

‘Missing in Indian Country’ Wins Diversity Award

“Sharon Cohen, David Goldman and Mary Hudetz of The Associated Press are the winners of the Dori J. Maynard Award for Justice in Journalism, which celebrates journalism that overcomes ignorance, stereotypes, intolerance, racism, hate, negligence and indifference,” the American Society of News Editors and Associated Press Media Editors announced Tuesday.

The two groups, who are merging to become the News Leaders Association, made the award for “Missing in Indian Country.”

The judges said, “In a story made more difficult because of the lack of a national database, three Associated Press journalists sifted through thousands of missing persons reports and did countless interviews to ‘bring attention to a largely invisible plight: Native American women who have gone missing or been murdered, their cases too often unsolved or forgotten,’ as the nomination letter notes. The compelling reporting sparked local newspaper editorials in North Dakota and Montana, demanding that Congress pass legislation to improve data collection and help address the problem. The Justice Department doubled the funding it gives tribes for public safety programs and crime victims.”

In other awards, the staff of the Washington Post won the Punch Sulzberger Award for Innovative Storytelling in the large newspaper category for “1968.”

“The Washington Post told an interactive story of how the 1968 riot happened locally,” the judges said, “as well as the story of what occurred globally with 2,000 declassified Secret Service reports, archival photographs, handwritten logs and interviews. It was a stunning comprehensive account of the year. The UI/UX was clean and the interconnectivity between text, photo, video and audio was thoughtful.”

Knight Plans Diversity in Next Round of Grants

Sunday’s announcement by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation that it is investing $6 million in three organizations to boost local news did not mention any led by people of color, but the foundation says it does have diversity in mind.

“Another round of grants is in the works for June. I think you know our track record over time, so please stay tuned,” foundation spokesman Andrew Sherry messaged Journal-isms on Monday.

‘These grants are explicit, however, about supporting diverse leadership within nonprofit news.

“From the press release:

“ ‘Nonprofit news sites that reflect the communities they serve can strengthen community and build trust in democracy,’ said Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation vice president for journalism. “Organizations such as the Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Publishers, and the News Revenue Hub are providing the infrastructure to build a sustainable future for local news. We want to see them support not only existing nonprofit news sites, but more and more startups led by people of color and others whose voices have been missing from traditional media.’

“And from Karen Rundlet’s blog post on the latest grants:

“Making local journalism more diverse and inclusive is part of the core mission of these organizations, as it is of the American Journalism Project, Report for America and the Solutions Journalism Project, which Knight announced funding for in February. If we help build a future for local news that has a new economic model but the same complexion as the old one, we will have failed. Just as these organizations are seeking to support local news ventures that not only have diverse staff but diverse ownership, Knight is planning to announce investments in a number of organizations led by people of color in the next stage of our initiative.’

“Our first round of messaging has been focused on attracting new funders for grantee partners. Now, in response to much interest, we’re developing additional materials for nonprofit news sites looking to take advantage of these partners’ support. We want to get these out not only to existing sites but to community journalists and leaders who may be thinking of starting sites to tell their community’s story. . . .”

For TV References to Africa, Look to ‘Jeopardy’

“Answer: In March 2018, it was the fourth-most mentioned African country on American television, after Egypt, South Africa and Kenya.

“Question: What is Wakanda?

“This year, the University of Southern California (USC) released new research showing Africa is mostly invisible to American television viewers,” Alexander Wooley reported Saturday for NPR. “But while the rulers of Black Panther’s mythical homeland intentionally shield Wakanda from the outside world, Hollywood extends a veil of obscurity to the entire continent.

“Combing through 700,000 hours of U.S. television news and entertainment programming and commercials for an entire month, the USC researchers found that Africa and Africans rarely get star billing.

“On scripted shows, there were just 25 major storylines about Africa during that period. Across entertainment programs, news and advertising, the total number of mentions of Africa or one of the 50-plus African countries was much higher at 134,000. But there were 7 times as many references to Europe or European countries.

“Meanwhile, 20 percent of all unscripted entertainment mentions of the continent came courtesy of the game show Jeopardy!

“Funded by the Ford Foundation, the research-driven initiative is based at USC’s Norman Lear Center (named for legendary producer Lear, driving force behind groundbreaking sitcoms like All in the Family.)

” ‘Were we shocked by the findings?’ asks Michelle van Gilder, founder of The Africa Narrative, a project that aims to ‘engage the world in new stories of Africa.’ . . .”

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