[lg policy] NPR Changes Abortion Language

[Harold Schiffman]

NPR Changes Abortion Language
5:39 pm

March 24, 2010

comments (158)



Last week, I wrote a post about how NPR identifies people who support
or oppose abortion. It engendered a lively debate inside and outside
NPR. Today, some top editors got together to review the 2005 policy
and decided to no longer use "pro-choice" or "pro-life."

Here's the memo that was just distributed to all NPR staff:

"NPR News is revising the terms we use to describe people and groups
involved in the abortion debate.

This updated policy is aimed at ensuring the words we speak and write
are as clear, consistent and neutral as possible. This is important
given that written text is such an integral part of our work.

On the air, we should use "abortion rights supporter(s)/advocate(s)"
and "abortion rights opponent(s)" or derivations thereof (for example:
"advocates of abortion rights"). It is acceptable to use the phrase
"anti-abortion", but do not use the term "pro-abortion rights".

Digital News will continue to use the AP style book for online
content, which mirrors the revised NPR policy.

Do not use "pro-life" and "pro-choice" in copy except when used in the
name of a group. Of course, when the terms are used in an actuality
they should remain." [An actuality is a clip of tape of someone
talking. So if a source uses those terms, NPR will not edit them out.]

Thanks
David

David Sweeney
Managing Editor

http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/2010/03/npr_changes_abortion_language.html

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