I’m pissed.

I did an interview for the @LegalExaminer on Pell Restoration. The piece went to print riddled with stigmatizing & derogatory language. I reached out to @WriterElaineS requesting that the article be updated using person-first language. 1/8 https://www.legalexaminer.com/legal/new-law-restores-college-grants-to-prison-inmates/

I sent her @MorganGodvin & @szarlotka’s timely article, “The words journalists use often reduce humans to the crimes they commit. But that’s changing,” as a reference. She forwarded my request to her editor @EditorRoy1. 2/8 https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2020/the-words-journalists-use-often-reduce-humans-to-the-crimes-they-commit-but-thats-changing/

Roy wants to keep using words like inmate & convict because the @AP still uses them and because he needs to make “stories clear, concise, and readable.” But Roy, there are a lot of words that make stories clear, concise, and readable that are unacceptable to use (e.g faggot). 3/8

@EditorRoy1, the @AP, & the media at large are under some illusion that their language choices are akin to natural axioms. In fact, those language choices are rooted in racisms & a status quo that daily mobilizes oppressive language to inflict systemic violence. 4/8

The stigmatizing & derogatory language that the @LegalExaminer & other outlets use to describe incarcerated & formerly incarcerated people serve to reinforce popular reductionist stereotypes & caricatures, further marginalized directly impacted people. 5/8

@EditorRoy1 tries to justify his choice of language by arguing that unlike LGBTQ people, justice impacted people “weren’t born inmates” so he doesn’t see it as a “parallel argument.” This is unsurprising from a guy who still “chafes” at gender neutral pronouns. 6/8

And yet, illogically, he wants to use language that reduces crime/criminality to an inherent trait. He’s fine with reducing a person to an inmate & someone who commits a burglary to a burglar. For him, the violence of his language choice is perfectly acceptable usage. 7/8

Dear: @EditorRoy1, @LegalExaminer, & @AP, the language you use is not neutral. It is not clear, concise, & readable. Words like inmate are deeply stigmatizing, loaded with racist innuendo. Has this past year, and all your reporting on it, taught you nothing? #LanguageMatters 8/8

@akhan1437 @iamdarrenmack @Giioohhhh @Jawanza @StephanieBazell @GrandmaCheesy77 @JessicaNeptune @mr_bl0unt @DavidLeegarlock @MorganGodvin @Vivian_Nixon_WW @bm_mansamusa @LynnNovick