Diverse groups worry about media's word choices
Words have power to define groups, so many diverse groups are concerned about the terminology the media use when writing about them. Reporters might be misled by their own beliefs, in which they don’t even think to check the AP Stylebook because the offending word is one they always use. Or they are misled by sources who are still using terms that have fallen out of favor. Whatever the reason, using incorrect terms to refer to people or groups becomes an accuracy issue.
The Associated Press Stylebook is clear on these terms, and various societal groups typically approve its entries. Reporters should follow The AP Stylebook or other style guides used by their media organizations, and each guide indicates the preferred terms. Using the wrong terms can cause ill will between the media and community groups, which in turn can affect a group’s trust of the media and make diversity coverage more difficult.
For example, wheelchair users rightly explain that they are not “bound” or “confined” in their chairs; in fact, wheelchairs allow people to have mobility and independence, not confinement. Although The AP Stylebook clearly states NOT to use terms such as “handicapped,” “wheelchair-bound,” or “confined to a wheelchair,” journalists continue to use those terms. For disability terms that The AP Stylebook doesn’t cover, journalists can go to the online style guide created by the National Center on Disability and Journalism in Boston, www.ncdj.org.
Beth Haller, Towson University, Towson, Md.