Articles

Rethinking Courtesy Titles in Obituaries

Rethinking Courtesy Titles in Obituaries

It’s time to show respect by not overemphasizing gender.

Why We Confuse “Race” and “Ethnicity”: A Lexicographer’s Perspective

Why We Confuse “Race” and “Ethnicity”: A Lexicographer’s Perspective

On our evolving understandings of racial categorization and cultural identity.

Doctor He, She, or They? Changing Gender, and Language, in “Doctor Who”

Doctor He, She, or They? Changing Gender, and Language, in “Doctor Who”

Celebrating the power of speculative fiction to challenge our preconceptions.

Covering Poverty: What to Avoid and How to Get It Right

Covering Poverty: What to Avoid and How to Get It Right

A tip sheet from Journalist's Resource to help journalists think more deeply about how they select and cover stories.

On Calling Little Girls “Princess”

On Calling Little Girls “Princess”

Can this gendered term of endearment be reclaimed as empowering?

You Are Where? The Name Gentrification of Low-Income Neighborhoods

You Are Where? The Name Gentrification of Low-Income Neighborhoods

When trendy areas adopt place names with deep roots, like L.A.’s "Eastside."

“Hapa”: A Unique Case of Cultural Appropriation by Multiracial Asian Americans?

“Hapa”: A Unique Case of Cultural Appropriation by Multiracial Asian Americans?

On embracing a Hawaiian identity without the experience of colonization and inequality.

Are “Fetus” and “Unborn Child” Interchangeable?

Are “Fetus” and “Unborn Child” Interchangeable?

Guidance from Rewire.News and the 2018 Associated Press Stylebook.

Moving Beyond “Default” Language in Pop-Culture Criticism

Moving Beyond “Default” Language in Pop-Culture Criticism

On the practice of assuming that straightness and Whiteness are culturally neutral.

Why We Should Examine Our Culinary Vocabulary

Why We Should Examine Our Culinary Vocabulary

On the importance of using conscious language.

Conscious Language in “The American Heritage Dictionary”

Conscious Language in “The American Heritage Dictionary”

Conscious Style Guide speaks with Steve Kleinedler.

Drop the Hyphen in “Asian American”

Drop the Hyphen in “Asian American”

On the historical divisiveness of an unnecessary punctuation mark.

Young People and Ageist Language

Young People and Ageist Language

Changing our attitudes toward children.

Beyond Terminology: Zooming Out to Focus on Bias

Beyond Terminology: Zooming Out to Focus on Bias

Remarks from "Is This Racist? How Editors Can Identify Hidden Bias" at the 2017 ACES: The Society for Editing conference.

The False Divide Between “Well Educated” and “Less Educated”

The False Divide Between “Well Educated” and “Less Educated”

When imprecise language confuses, conflates, and excludes.

From Bias and Blame to Balance: Sensitive Style for Covering Sexual Violence

From Bias and Blame to Balance: Sensitive Style for Covering Sexual Violence

Basic guidelines for fair and accurate reporting.

“Themself” Is a Perfectly Cromulent Word

“Themself” Is a Perfectly Cromulent Word

Watching language change in action.

Putting Language on a Meat-Free Diet

Putting Language on a Meat-Free Diet

Carnivorous expressions serve to exclude, not include.

Capitalizing for Equality

Capitalizing for Equality

When Black and White are used as racial terms.

Making Web Images Accessible to People Who Are Blind

Making Web Images Accessible to People Who Are Blind

Small touches that help screen-reader users feel included.

Breaking Up With Words

Breaking Up With Words

And forming relationships with new ones to make room for more of us.

Euphemism Is Dead

Euphemism Is Dead

Why inclusive language in the age of Trump means speaking the ugly truth.

How to Speak Up Against Casual Hate

How to Speak Up Against Casual Hate

Guidance from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

An American Nowhere

An American Nowhere

Dealing with discrimination from inside and outside one's communities.

When Bias-Free Language Excludes

When Bias-Free Language Excludes

And when biased language promotes visibility.

Make Peace With Words

Make Peace With Words

On borrowing the wisdom of mindfulness meditation to explore the desire for equanimity and emotional liberation.

How Sexist Language Hurts Men

How Sexist Language Hurts Men

Stereotyping one gender means simultaneously stereotyping another.

When “Coming Out” Puts People in the Closet

When “Coming Out” Puts People in the Closet

The problem with using language shrouded in assumptions.

Disability Style Guide Expands Coverage

Disability Style Guide Expands Coverage

Basic guidelines for covering the disability community.

AP and Chicago on Sexist Language

AP and Chicago on Sexist Language

We might not get it right, but we must try. Notes and resources (and tweets!) from Karen Yin's presentation at the “Sexist Creeps: How to Catch and Fix Sexist Language” panel session at ACES 2016.

Trans Terminology 201

Trans Terminology 201

Talking about members of the transgender community with sensitivity and accuracy.

Pruning Hedges: Editing for Confidence

Pruning Hedges: Editing for Confidence

When hedging gets in the way.

What Needs to Change

What Needs to Change

The consequences for editors of being invisible.

When Bisexual People Marry

When Bisexual People Marry

How biased language promotes stereotypes and erasure of bisexual people.

Calibrating Terminology

Calibrating Terminology

Accepting the challenges inherent in understanding one another.

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