Race and Ethnicity

When writing about the institution of slavery in the US, many advocates offer the term “enslaved person” to separate a person’s identity from their involuntary circumstance. Similarly, many argue that using “enslaver” rather than “owner” or “master” serves to disempower the enslaver and humanize the enslaved person. However, some scholars argue that phrasing such as “enslaved person” amounts to sugarcoating the brutal reality of slavery.

Ethnicity is a social construct that refers to common cultural markers such as language, ancestry, beliefs, and customs that may be used to identify groups of people (or that they may use to self-identify). As with any identifier, following a person’s preference whenever possible, including only when pertinent to coverage, and identifying people equally (don’t only identify people of one ethnicity but not others) is important for precision. Compound ethnic identities do not need to be hyphenated (e.g., Indian American, British Nigerian, etc.).

While the US Census Bureau uses “Hispanic,” and Pew Research Center uses “Hispanic” and “Latino” interchangeably, some draw a distinction between the two terms, arguing that Hispanic refers to individuals from Spain or from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, while Latino signifies individuals from Latin America regardless of language. Several gender-neutral alternatives to Latino/a have gained use recently, including Latinx, Latin, and Latine, though they are not always popular with the communities they purport to describe. As with any identifier, being as specific as possible and taking into account an individual’s preference whenever possible ensures coverage accurately reflects how someone self-identifies.

Implicit bias is a subconscious bias that includes negative associations about individuals or groups of people. Techniques to counter implicit bias in journalism could include finding as wide a variety of sources as possible, considering everyone as an individual rather than a “type,” and consulting trusted colleagues or third-party inclusivity readers on specific issues.

Inclusion is sharing power by bringing historically underserved groups into processes and decision-making. Inclusivity in journalism can look like using gender-neutral language, featuring people (experts and non-experts) from a wide array of backgrounds, and ensuring stories about historically underserved groups do not only center on trauma.

Intersectionality is the simultaneous intersection of discrimination and disempowerment that creates overlapping vulnerabilities. Considering intersectionality means remembering that one factor, such as race or religion, doesn’t drive all of someone’s behaviors or opinions. Similarly, one individual cannot “stand in” for an entire group, and no group has monolithic views or behaviors.