Quiz 7
waiter, waitress
(male) waitress (female)
spouse
A gender-neutral alternative in place of wife or husband. For example: physicians and their spouses, not physicians and their wives.
Hispanic
A person from — or whose ancestors were from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture. Latino, Latina or Latinx are sometimes preferred. Follow the person's preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican or Mexican American
Ku Klux Klan
A secretive society organized in the South after the Civil War to assert white supremacy, often using violence. The organization splintered, and not all successor groups use the full name. But each may be referred to as the Ku Klux Klan. The klan or the KKK may be used on second reference.
Kwanzaa
A seven-day celebration, based on African festivals, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.
Chicano
A term that Mexican Americans in the U.S. Southwest sometimes use to describe their heritage. Use only if it is a person's preference.
Oreo
A trademark for a brand of chocolate sandwich cookie held together by a white filling.
Chinese names
A variety of systems are used for spelling Chinese names. For personal and place names from China, use the official Chinese spelling system known as Pinyin: Senior leader Deng Xiaoping, Beijing, or Zhejiang province. In personal names, Chinese generally place surnames first and then given names, Deng Xiaoping. Second reference should be the family name, Deng in this case. Some Chinese have Westernized their names, putting their given names or the initials for them first or sometimes using both an English name and a Chinese name: P.Y. Chen, Jack Wang, Frank Hsieh Chang-ting. In general, follow an individual's preferred spelling. Normally Chinese women do not take their husbands' surnames. The Pinyin spelling system eliminates the hyphen or apostrophe previously used in many given names. Use the new spelling for Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, but keep the traditional American spelling for such historical figures as Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. If the new Pinyin spelling of a proper noun is so radically different from the traditional American spelling that a reader might be confused, provide the Pinyin spelling followed by the traditional spelling in parentheses. For example, the city of Fuzhou (Foochow). Or use a descriptive sentence: Fuzhou, long known in the West as Foochow, is the capital of Fujian province, on China's eastern coast. Use the traditional American spellings for these place names: China, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Tibet. Follow local spellings in stories dealing with Hong Kong and Taiwan. Capitalize the animal names for years in the Chinese lunar calendar: Year of the Sheep, Year of the Dog.
Indians
American Indians, Native Americans Both are acceptable terms in general references for those in the U.S. when referring to two or more people of different tribal affiliations. For individuals, use the name of the tribe; if that information is not immediately available, try to obtain it. He is a Navajo commissioner. She is a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Some tribes and tribal nations use member; others use citizen. If in doubt, use citizen. Avoid words such as wampum, warpath, powwow, teepee, brave, squaw, etc., which can be disparaging and offensive. In Alaska, the Indigenous groups are collectively known as Alaska Natives. First Nation is the preferred term for native tribes in Canada. Indian is used to describe the peoples and cultures of the South Asian nation of India. Do not use the term as a shorthand for American Indians.
Aborigine
An outdated term referring to aboriginal people in Australia. It is considered offensive by some and should be avoided.
deaf-mute
Avoid the term. The preferred form is to say that an individual cannot hear or speak. A mute person may be deaf or may be able to hear. Do not use deaf and dumb
harelip
Avoid. Cleft lip is preferred
race
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: In stories that involve significant, groundbreaking or historic events, such as being elected U.S. president, being named to the U.S. Supreme Court or other notable occurrences. Barack Obama was the first Black U.S. president. Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Jeremy Lin is the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. In cases where suspects or missing persons are being sought, and the descriptions provided are detailed and not solely racial. Any racial reference should be removed when the individual is apprehended or found. When reporting a demonstration, disturbance or other conflict involving race (including verbal conflicts), or issues like civil rights. In other situations when race is an issue, use news judgment. Include racial or ethnic details only when they are clearly relevant and that relevance is explicit in the story. 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.
transgender
Describes people whose gender identity does not match the sex they were identified as having at birth. Does not require what are often known as sex reassignment or gender confirmation procedures. Identify people as transgender only if pertinent, and use the name by which they live publicly. Generally, avoid references to a transgender person being born a boy or girl, since it's an unnecessary detail and excludes intersex babies. Bernard is a transgender man. Christina is transgender. The shorthand trans is acceptable on second reference and in headlines: Grammys add first man and first trans woman as trophy handlers. Do not use as a noun, such as referring to someone as a transgender, or use the term transgendered. Not synonymous with terms like cross-dresser or drag queen, which do not have to do with gender identity. See cross-dresser, drag performer. Do not use the outdated term transsexual. Avoid derogatory terms such as tranny. Follow guidelines for obscenities, profanities, vulgarities as appropriate. Use the name by which a transgender person now lives. Refer to a previous name, sometimes called a deadname,
his, her
Do not presume maleness in constructing a sentence. Usually it is possible, and always preferable, to reword the sentence to avoid gender: Reporters try to protect their sources. If essential, the pronoun they may be used as a singular, with a plural verb: The Obama administration told public schools to grant bathroom access even if a student's gender identity isn't what's in their record. The official said they are afraid for their safety. Be sure the context makes clear that only one person is involved
derogatory terms
Do not use a derogatory term except in extremely rare circumstances when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event. Flag the contents in an editor's note
ghetto, ghettos
Do not use indiscriminately as a synonym for the sections of cities inhabited by minorities or poor people. Ghetto has a connotation that government decree has forced people to live in a certain area. In most cases, section, district, slum area or quarter is the more accurate word.
obscenities, profanities, vulgarities
Do not use them in stories unless they are part of direct quotations and there is a compelling reason for them. Try to find a way to give the reader a sense of what was said without using the specific word or phrase. For example, an anti-gay or sexist slur. If a profanity, obscenity or vulgarity must be used, flag the story at the top for editors, being specific about what the issue is: Eds: Note use of vulgarity "f---" [or "s---"] However, online readers receiving direct feeds of the stories will not see that warning, so consider whether the word in question truly needs to be in the story at all. When possible, confine the offending language, in quotation marks, to a separate paragraph that can be deleted easily by editors. In reporting profanity that normally would use the words damn or god, lowercase god and use the following forms: damn, damn it, ******* it. If the obscenity involved is particularly offensive but the story requires making clear what the word was, replace the letters of the offensive word with hyphens, using only an initial letter: f---, s---. In some stories or scripts, it may be better to replace the offensive word with a generic descriptive in parentheses, e.g., (vulgarity) or (obscenity). When the subject matter of a story may be considered offensive or disturbing, but the story does not contain quoted profanity, obscenities or vulgarities, flag the story at the top: Eds: Graphic details of the killings could be offensive or disturbing to some readers. For guidelines on racial or ethnic slurs, see race-related coverage.
she
Do not use this pronoun in references to ships or nations. Use it instead.
N-word
Do not use this term or the racial slur it refers to, except in extremely rare circumstances — when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event. Flag the contents in an editor's note.
Oriental
Do not use when referring to East Asian nations and their peoples. Asian is the acceptable term for an inhabitant of those regions.
illegal immigrant
Entering or residing in a country without authorization in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant. Acceptable variations include living in or entering a country illegally or without legal permission. Do not use the terms alien, an illegal, illegals or undocumented (except when quoting people or government documents that use these terms). Do not describe people as violating immigration laws without attribution. Specify wherever possible how someone entered the country illegally and from where. Crossed the border? Overstayed a visa? What nationality?
Islam
Followers are called Muslims. Their holy book is the Quran, which according to Islamic belief was revealed by Allah (God) to the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century in Mecca and Medina. The place of worship is a mosque. The weekly holy day is Friday. It is the religion of more than 1 billion people in the world, making it the world's second-largest faith, after Christianity. Although Arabic is the language of the Quran and Muslim prayers, not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. Most of the world's Muslims live in a wide belt that stretches halfway around the world: across West Africa and North Africa, through the Arab countries of the Middle East and on to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other Asian countries, parts of the former Soviet Union and western China, to Indonesia and the southern Philippines. There are two major divisions in Islam: -Sunni The biggest single sect in Islam, comprising about 85% of all Muslims. Nations with Sunni majorities include Egypt, Saudi Arabia and most other Arab nations, as well as non-Arab Turkey and Afghanistan. Most Palestinian Muslims and most West African Muslims are Sunnis. The Saudis sometimes are referred to as Wahhabi Muslims. This is a subgroup within the Sunni branch of Islam. -Shiite The second-largest sect. Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan all have Shiite majorities. Lebanon and Yemen have large Shiite communities relative to their population. (The schism between Sunni and Shiite stems from the early days of Islam and arguments over Muhammad's successors as caliph, the spiritual and temporal leader of Muslims during that period. The Shiites wanted the caliphate to descend through Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law. Ali eventually became the fourth caliph, but he was murdered; Ali's son Hussein was massacred with his fighters at Karbala, in what is now Iraq. Shiites considered the later caliphs to be usurpers. The Sunnis no longer have a caliph.) Titles for the clergy vary from sect to sect and from country to country, but these are the most common: Grand Mufti - The highest authority in Quranic law and interpretation, a title used mostly by Sunnis. Sheikh - Used by most clergymen in the same manner that the Rev. is used as a Christian clerical title, especially common among Sunnis. (Not all sheikhs are clergymen. Sheikh can also be a secular title of respect or nobility.) Ayatollah - Used by Shiites, especially in Iran, to denote senior clergymen, such as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Hojatoleslam - A rank below ayatollah. Mullah - Lower-level clergy. Imam - Used by some sects as a title for the prayer leader at a mosque. Among the Shiites, it usually has a more exalted connotation. The adjective is Islamic. Islamist is an advocate of political Islam, the philosophy that the Quran should rule all aspects of life - religious, political and personal. Islamic fundamentalist should not be used as a synonym for Islamic militant or radical.
redneck
From the characteristic sunburned neck acquired in the fields by farm laborers. It refers to poor, white rural residents of the South and often is a derogatory term.
boy, girl, man, woman
Gender is not synonymous with sex. Gender refers to a person's social identity, while sex refers to biological characteristics. Not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender, according to leading medical organizations, so avoid references to both, either or opposite sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people. When needed for clarity or in certain stories about scientific studies, alternatives include men and women, boys and girls, males and females.
Eskimo, Eskimos
In general, avoid the term Eskimo for the native peoples of northern North America except when paired with a group's ethnic name in Alaska: Inupiat Eskimos, a Yup'ik Eskimo community, a Cu'pik Eskimo, etc. Follow the preference of those involved in the story, such as identifying someone simply as Yup'ik. The term Eskimo was assigned by non-native people and in some cultures, has since taken on offensive connotations. The term Inuit is used in Canada, Greenland and by some groups in northern Alaska.
Arabic names
In general, use an English spelling that approximates the way a name sounds in Arabic. If an individual has a preferred spelling in English, use that. If usage has established a particular spelling, use that. Problems in transliteration of Arabic names often are traceable to pronunciations that vary from region to region. The g, for example, is pronounced like the g of go mainly in Egypt, and the j of joy in the rest of the Arab world. Thus it is Gamal in Egypt and Jamal in nations on the peninsula. Follow local practice in deciding which letter to use. Arabs commonly are known by two names (Hassan Nasrallah), or by three (Mohammed Mahdi Akef). Follow the individual's preference on first reference. On second reference, use only the final name in the sequence. The articles al- or el- may be used or dropped depending on the person's preference or established usage. (Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Zawahri, or Moammar Gadhafi, Gadhafi). The article al- or el- should not be capitalized. The Arabic word for son (ibn or bin) is sometimes part of a name. On second reference, it is often dropped, using only the final name. In cases of personal preference or common usage, it should be retained. (Osama bin Laden, bin Laden; Abdul-Aziz bin Baz, bin Baz). The word abu or abou, meaning father of, occasionally is used as a last name (Abdel-Halim Abou Ghazala). Capitalize and repeat it on second reference: Abou Ghazala. The word abdul, meaning "servant of (God)," generally does not stand alone as a name, except sometimes in South Asia and Afghanistan. It is used in combination with a second name (an Arabic word for an attribute of God). This combination should be hyphenated, unless the individual prefers otherwise, and capitalized (Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Abdul-Mahdi). In Egypt and some other countries, Abdul is often written Abdel, reflecting local pronunciation. For royalty, the titles king, emir, sheikh and imam are used, but prince usually replaces emir. Some Arabs are known only by the title and a given name on first reference (King Abdullah). Others are known by a complete name (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum). Follow the common usage on first reference. On second reference, drop the title and use only the first name (Abdullah, Mohammed). The full names of many Gulf royals include the word Al, which in their case should be capitalized without a hyphen since it means family of. The al should be capitalized in front of most Muslim and Arab institutions, universities, newspapers and major mosques, as in Al-Azhar, the university in Cairo; Al-Aqsa, the Jerusalem mosque, the newspaper Al-Ahram and the satellite television news network Al-Jazeera.
husband, widower
In obituaries: A man is survived by his wife. A woman is survived by her husband. In same-sex marriages, a man is survived by his husband. A woman is survived by her wife. Guard against the redundant widow (widower) of the late.
Latino
Latino is often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. Some prefer the recently coined gender-neutral term Latinx, which should be confined to quotations, names of organizations or descriptions of individuals who request it and should be accompanied by a short explanation. Hernandez prefers the gender-neutral term Latinx. For groups of females, use the plural Latinas; for groups of males or of mixed gender, use the plural Latinos. Hispanics is also generally acceptable for those in the U.S. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican American.
mailman
Mail or letter carrier is preferable.
African American
No hyphen (a change in 2019 for this and other dual heritage terms). Acceptable for an American Black person of African descent. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable. Americans of Caribbean heritage, for example, generally refer to themselves as Caribbean American. Follow a person's preference.
homosexual
Refers to the sexual orientations of gay and/or lesbian. Gay and lesbian is preferred as an adjective; homosexuality is acceptable when an umbrella term is needed. Avoid homosexual as a noun.
refugee
Refugees are people forced to leave their home or country to escape war, persecution or natural disaster.
dialect
The form of language peculiar to a region or a group, usually in matters of pronunciation or syntax. Dialect should be avoided, even in quoted matter, unless it is clearly pertinent to a story. There are some words and phrases in everyone's vocabulary that are typical of a particular region or group. Quoting dialect, unless used carefully, implies substandard or illiterate usage. When there is a compelling reason to use dialect, words or phrases are spelled phonetically, and apostrophes show missing letters and sounds: "Din't ya yoosta live at Toidy-Toid Street and Sekun' Amya? Across from da moom pitchers?"
Asian, Asian subcontinent
The nations of the Indochina Peninsula and the islands southeast of it: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
mentally disabled
The preferred terms, not mentally retarded. See disabilities.
Korean names
The style and spelling of names in North Korea and South Korea follow each government's standard policy for transliterations unless the subject has a personal preference. North Korean names are written as three separate words, each starting with a capital letter: Kim Jong Un. Use Kim on second reference. South Korean names are written as two names, with the given name hyphenated and a lowercase letter after the hyphen: Moon Jae-in. Use Moon on second reference. For South Korean place names, use the revised Romanized spellings introduced by the South Korean government in 2000: Incheon (formerly Inchon), Busan (formerly Pusan). In both Koreas, the family name comes first.
chauvinism
The words mean unreasoning devotion to one's race, sex, country, etc., with contempt for other races, sexes, countries, etc. The terms come from Nicolas Chauvin, a soldier of Napoleon I, who was famous for his devotion to the lost cause.
colored
Use Negro or colored only in names of organizations or in rare quotations when essential.
lady
Use female as an adjective, not woman. She is the first female governor of North Carolina. Treatment of the sexes should be evenhanded and free of assumptions and stereotypes.
women
Use female as an adjective, not woman. She is the first female governor of North Carolina. Treatment of the sexes should be evenhanded and free of assumptions and stereotypes.
black
Use the capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black studies, Black colleges.
abortion
Use the modifiers anti-abortion or abortion-rights; don't use pro-life, pro-choice or pro-abortion unless they are in quotes or proper names. Avoid abortionist, which connotes a person who performs clandestine abortions.
divorcee
Use the same standards for men and women in deciding whether to mention marital status in a story. Avoid describing a woman as a divorcee, or a man as a divorce, unless used in an essential quote. When the news isn't about a marital breakup, but marital status is relevant, say in the body of the story that the woman or man is divorced.
lesbian, lesbianism
Used to describe people attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual. Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent to a story, and avoid references to sexual preference or to a gay or alternative lifestyle. Gays is acceptable as a plural noun when necessary, but do not use the singular gay as a noun. Lesbian is acceptable as a noun in singular or plural form. Sexual orientation is not synonymous with gender.
Native American
acceptable terms in general references for those in the U.S. when referring to two or more people of different tribal affiliations. For individuals, use the name of the tribe; if that information is not immediately available, try to obtain it. He is a Navajo commissioner. She is a member of the Nisqually Indian Tribe. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. Some tribes and tribal nations use member; others use citizen. If in doubt, use citizen. Avoid words such as wampum, warpath, powwow, teepee, brave, squaw, etc., which can be disparaging and offensive. In Alaska, the Indigenous groups are collectively known as Alaska Natives. First Nation is the preferred term for native tribes in Canada. Indian is used to describe the peoples and cultures of the South Asian nation of India. Do not use the term as a shorthand for American Indians.
actor / actress
actor In general, use this term for any gender. Use actress for a woman only in stories about the Oscars, Emmys or Tonys, all of which use the word actress in their awards.
disabled, handicapped, impaired
disabled A general term used for a physical, mental, developmental or intellectual disability. handicap It should be avoided in describing a disability.
firefighter, fireman
firefighter Not fireman.
gay
gay, lesbian Used to describe people attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual. Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent to a story, and avoid references to sexual preference or to a gay or alternative lifestyle. Gays is acceptable as a plural noun when necessary, but do not use the singular gay as a noun. Lesbian is acceptable as a noun in singular or plural form. Sexual orientation is not synonymous with gender.
man, mankind
humanity, humankind, humans, human beings, people Not mankind.
senior citizen
older adults older person/people Preferred over senior citizens, seniors or elderly as a general term when appropriate and relevant. It is best used in general phrases that do not refer to specific individuals: concern for older people; a home for older adults. Aim for specificity when possible: new housing for people 65 and over; an exercise program for women over 70. Definitions and understandings vary about the age range denoted by the term older adult, as well as by the terms senior citizen, senior and elderly. When an official or organization uses one of these terms, ask for specifics. Provide context and specifics to make the meaning clear. For example, a story might begin by referring to cuts in programs for older adults, but explain soon thereafter that the programs are for people 62 and older. Another example: The researchers found that weekly exercise decreased the risk of diabetes among people in their 70s and 80s. The term elderly is acceptable in headlines when relevant and necessary because of space constraints. But aim for specificity when space allows: Couple in their 90s die in Manhattan luxury high-rise blaze rather than Elderly couple die in Manhattan luxury high-rise blaze. Terms like senior citizen and elderly are acceptable in reference to an individual if that person prefers them. Do not use the elderly in reference to a group
elderly
older adults, older person/people Preferred over senior citizens, seniors or elderly as a general term when appropriate and relevant.