The Conscious Language Newsletter: December 2022

From the World of Conscious Language

Note: The authors’ viewpoints are not necessarily shared by Conscious Style Guide.

Editors Have Long Been Publishing’s Hidden Handmaidens—What Might We Gain if We Acknowledged Their Role? | The Conversation

“The easiest change to implement—one that is free and that we could start today—is to add the name of a book’s editors to every imprint page.”

Credit Where It’s Due | Nieman Lab

“Who gets credit directly relates to who is paid more, who receives more opportunities, and what the industry as a whole looks like.”

I’m a “Type 1 Diabetic,” Not a “Person With Type One Diabetes”: Rejecting Person-First Language | The Georgetown Voice

Person-first language “is a norm that many non-disabled people have attempted to universalize, regardless of personal linguistic preferences within the disabled community.”

5 Helpful Tips for Explaining Autism to Kids and Teens, According to Autism-Affirming Experts | Insider

“The most important advice to keep in mind when explaining autism to kids: It’s not a taboo topic.”

For Adolescents, Word Choice Matters When Talking About Body Weight | UConn Today

“Body weight is a sensitive topic for many youth, and the way that parents talk about it can have an emotional impact on their children.” —Rebecca Puhl, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health

IMDb Will Allow Industry Professionals to Remove Age and Birth Names | IndieWire

“In agreement with SAG-AFTRA and GLAAD, IMDb users can now hide their birth dates, birth names, and more from both IMDb and IMDbPro for free.”

6 Tips for Improving News Coverage of Older People | The Journalist’s Resource

Tips include: improving terminology, avoiding stereotypical images, flipping the narrative, and checking your bias.

Left side: Screenshot of CSG homepage. Right side:

How the News Media—Long in Thrall to Trump—Can Cover His New Run for President Responsibly | The Conversation

“Recommendations for giving due respect to Trump’s candidacy without amplifying his false claims or promoting his anti-democratic beliefs.”

Cambridge Dictionary Updates Definition of “Woman” to Include Trans Women | The Washington Post

“The Cambridge Dictionary recently updated its definitions for ‘woman’ and ‘man’ to include transgender people, becoming the latest dictionary to formally expand what it means to be a woman.”

Dungeons and Dragons Will No Longer Use the Word “Race” | GameRant

“In the real world, race has been historically used to divide and oppress different groups of people. In fantasy, race goes from a social construct to real, physical differences, unwittingly giving teeth to the discrimination present in both places.”

Plain Language and Health Literacy Series | WordRake

Learn about plain language and health literacy in this four-part series by plain language advocate Iva Cheung.

When to Give Verbal Feedback—and When to Do It in Writing | Harvard Business Review

“We avoid conversations precisely because the difficult emotions are painful to confront. Make no mistake, however: just because you don’t see the other person’s immediate reaction, doesn’t make it go away.”

How to Identify and Eliminate Exclusionary Language at Work | HBR Ascend

“If love, awareness, and respect are actively pursued, exclusionary language, though challenging to eliminate completely, will be at a minimum.”

CSG in the News

What Is Sensitivity Reading and Do You Need It? | The Artful Editor

“Authors will continue to write their and others’ realities into books, which means they will continue to cross outside the boundaries of their own knowledge…For those authors, a sensitivity read is worth the investment because it can help eliminate stereotypes, harmful content, or false information.”

From the Archives

Young People and Ageist Language | By Karen Yin, Conscious Style Guide

“Avoiding double standards in ageist language doesn’t mean treating children like adults, but it does mean treating children like individuals.”

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