Blend Magazine, produced by National Scholastic Press Association and Ball State University, features in the Winter 2008 issue 10 tips for stories about race and ethnicity written by Poynter’s Keith Woods, Dean of Faculty.
Woods writes:
1. Make sure the story offers voice, context, and complexity. Include the fullest range of voices and opinions as possible when writing stories about race/ethnicity. Remember that context explains facts. Expect every story to have a layer of complexity. Pursue it.
2. Avoid turning people into primary colors by using race as a noun. “A black.” “Many whites.” By reducing a person to a color, you dehumanize. Use black/white as adjectives. Add a humanizing noun: black man; white student.
3. Pursue precision. Avoid euphemisms and coded language. “Inner city” is not a synonym for “black” or “brown” or “poor.” It’s a geographic reference. “NASCAR dad” is a poor substitute for “working-class white man.” Watch for the other euphemisms and codes: Mainstream (white), exotic (Asian), local (Native Hawaiian).
4. Use the active voice when talking about events in which race/ethnicity is a factor. Things don’t happen. People do things to other people. Consider the difference. “She hurt him.” [active] “He was hurt.” [passive] The former places the action where it belongs. The latter leaves out the person responsible for the action.
5. Be thoughtful about using slurs. If a slur is the reason there’s a story, it probably should be spelled out. Avoid euphemisms whenever possible. For example, if someone said the word “nigger” and it’s crucial to the understanding of the story, don’t use “the n-word” or “n—-.” The more powerful the person uttering the word or the more profound the context for its use, the stronger the case for spelling it out (“The teens called him a ‘spic’ just before striking the fatal blow.”)
6. Minority is not a synonym for black, brown, Asian or Native American. It’s a numerical reference. A person is minority only in relation to a majority. To use “minority” as a synonym for “Asian” or other ethnic groups is to perpetually speak of those groups in relation to white people. Be specific: “Racial and ethnic minorities” when speaking of all people of color. Black, Latino, Vietnamese, Cherokee, etc., when speaking of individuals.
7. “Alien” alienates. “Illegals” dehumanizes. When referencing people in the country illegally, remember you’re talking about people. Consider the person’s status before choosing the language. One way to think about this:
a. “Undocumented immigrant” presumes legal entry but lapsed or incomplete documentation. A student or worker who came to the country legally but overstayed a visa is undocumented.
b. “Illegal immigrant” presumes a person unintentionally violated U.S. border laws by coming into the country without documentation.
c. “Illegal alien” presumes a visit from E.T.
8. Be careful when conflating. Illegal immigrants come from many countries. If you mean those coming from Mexico and the rest of Latin America, say so. Avoid using “immigration” as a synonym for “illegal immigration.” Don’t switch between “Hispanics” and “immigrants,” lest you intend to suggest that all Hispanics are immigrants.
9. Use race/ethnicity when it’s needed. Explain why it’s relevant. Put it where it belongs.
10. Use descriptions that truly describe. Skin color and hue; features and textures. Race/ethnicity adds no true, reliable information to any physical description.
