Posted on 07/12/2017 9:58:20 AM PDT by MarchonDC09122009
How the AP Stylebook censors ‘pro-life’ and other conservative words | TheHill
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/media/341210-how-the-ap-stylebook-censors-pro-life-and-other-conservative-words
July 09, 2017 - 04:20 PM EDT How the AP Stylebook censors ‘pro-life’ and other conservative words AssociatedPress
By Rachel Alexander, opinion contributor
A journalism stylebook is supposed to provide universal guidelines for writers when it comes to stylistic things like punctuation, capitalization and so on. This includes choosing certain words over others.
The original intent of word preference was to use words that are more neutral than others. But in recent years, that concept has changed.
More often than not, style writers have been more interested in censoring conservative words while promoting language that liberals tend to favor. That’s been especially true of the AP Stylebook published by The Associated Press. It’s unfortunate, because that’s the guide most journalists rely upon.
Even when individual authors do not adhere to the bias of AP Style, it often doesn’t matter. If they submit an article to a mainstream media outlet, they will likely see their words edited to conform. A pro-life author who submits a piece taking a position against abortion will see the words “pro-life” changed to “anti-abortion,” because the AP Stylebook instructs, “Use anti-abortion instead of pro-life and pro-abortion rights instead of pro-abortion or pro-choice.” It goes on, “Avoid abortionist,” saying the term “connotes a person who performs clandestine abortions.”
Words related to terrorism are sanitized in the AP Stylebook. Militant, lone wolves or attackers are to be used instead of terrorist or Islamist. “People struggling to enter Europe” is favored over “migrant” or “refugee.” While it’s true that many struggle to enter Europe, it is accurate to point out that they are, in fact, immigrants or refugees. “Illegal immigrant” and “undocumented” aren’t acceptable anymore either. “Illegals” and “alien” were already forbidden a few years ago. Although “illegal immigration” is still acceptable, it’s not clear what words are supposed to replace the forbidden words. The word “amnesty” contains no reference to illegal immigrants, instead instructing, “See pardon, parole, probation.”
The stylebook also instructs writers to use confusing language about guns in order to create a negative impression about them. Semi-automatic rifles that have add-on parts intended to increase shooting accuracy are to be called “assault weapons,” despite the fact the term has referred to fully automatic weapons used by the military for years. The latter are now referred to as “assault rifles,” and the two are often conflated. Adding even more to the confusion, the phrase “military style” is recommended to describe assault weapons.
Although AK-47s — which have been used in some fatal shootings — used to be fully automatic military weapons used by the Russians, that’s no longer the case — but the stylebook still instructs that they be labeled “AK-47 assault rifles.”
Separately, the phrase “climate change deniers” is everywhere today in news articles. This is because the stylebook instructs, “To describe those who don’t accept climate science or dispute that the world is warming from man-made forces, use climate change doubters or those who reject mainstream climate science. Avoid use of skeptics or deniers.” The entry includes an extensive discussion with seemingly authoritative evidence of manmade global warming. These words tell the reader that climate change theory is true, or at least “mainstream.”
And there’s one more problem. Journalists don’t always use the AP Stylebook when it would “water down” words that favor liberals. For example, the guide instructs journalists to “try to avoid describing political leanings.” However, journalists usually ignore the guide in referring to Republicans as “right wing.” At the same time, they almost never describe Democrats as “left-wing.”
AP also discourages use of the phrase “ultra-rightist,” defined as “an individual who subscribes to rigid interpretations of a conservative doctrine or to forms of fascism that stress authoritarian, often militaristic, views.” The problem is that journalists routinely use this term, as well as “right wing” or even “alt-right” to describe regular American conservatives interchangeably along with radical, violent extremists. This lumps them all in together as if there’s little difference.
Journalists also ignore the stylebook’s instruction on using the word “controversial” in order to fit their own political leanings.
“An overused word,” the stylebook states. “Most issues that are described as controversial are obviously so, and the word is not necessary.” Yet it is still everywhere in news articles and titles, frequently used to describe conservatives and their issues.
Some news publications have their own stylebooks, such as the The New York Times. They’re not much different than the AP Stylebook. After the presidential election last year, management at the Times vowed to eliminate the bias. But how can the mainstream media correct their bias, when the bias is already built into their stylebooks?
Rachel Alexander (@Rach_IC) is a senior editor at The Stream and founder of Intellectual Conservative. She previously served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Arizona, corporate attorney for Go Daddy Software, and special assistant and deputy county attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
AP - journalists pay special attention to the issues near and dear to their leftist hearts:
From revised 2017 AP “STYLEBOOK”:
” https://www.apstylebook.com/help?query=migrant#/questions/163722-Whats-new-in-the-2017-edition
What’s new in the 2017 edition
This edition of the Stylebook contains nearly 200 new and modified entries.
We now allow use of they as a singular pronoun in limited cases. However, we stress that it is usually possible and always preferable to rework a sentence instead.
A new entry covers gender-related issues and terms, including cisgender, gender nonconforming (n.), gender-nonconforming (adj.) and intersex. We say the terms LGBTQ and LGBT are both acceptable in all references. We accept the word homophobia in broad uses, along with xenophobia and Islamophobia.
We added a detailed entry on addiction, noting that addiction to alcohol and other drugs is considered a disease and cautioning against words like abuse or problem. We also advise to avoid words like alcoholic, addict, user and abuser unless they are in quotations or names of organizations.
A new chapter provides extensive guidance on data journalism.
Among the many new or modified entries: discussion of fact checks and fake news, and updated guidance on immigrants, migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers under a new entry titled immigration. A new and detailed entry cautions against misuse of the term cyberattack. The suicide entry has been expanded with discussion of the terms death with dignity, right-to-die and euthanasia. A new entry covers Indigenous Peoples Day.
We say the word cocktail should not be used to refer to a mixture of drugs used for executions; the word incident should be reserved for minor events; and the word reform is not synonymous with change. We changed our spelling to flyer in most cases, including frequent flyer.
The quotations in the news entry now notes that quotes from written material should retain the style used by the writer, even if that differs from AP style. The comma section of the Punctuation chapter now offers further explanation. A new entry shows why jargon and cliches should be avoided (like the plague). One cliche to avoid: baby bump.
We are changing our style to Walmart for the stores, because that is what readers most recognize. New business-related entries include autonomous vehicles and vacation rentals. In tech, it’s livestreaming, one word. VR is acceptable on second reference for virtual reality.
Sports changes include a new entry for esports, and a football update that ends the use of Roman numerals in reference to the Super Bowl.
Among a number of updates in the Food chapter: We now call it kimchi, not kimchee.”
Stylebook writers are now legitimate targets. With extreme prejudice.
Associated Press Lists Words “Terrorist” & “Islamist” as Politically Incorrect
“Migrants” must now be called “people struggling to enter Europe”
Paul Joseph Watson
- July 12, 2017 159 Comments
Associated Press Lists Words “Terrorist” & “Islamist” as Politically Incorrect.
The Associated Press has forbidden journalists from using politically incorrect words like “terrorist,” “Islamist” and even “migrant,” according to journalist Rachel Alexander.
The 2017 AP Stylebook, intended as a universal guide for writers, censors a number of different words in what clearly betrays the organization’s leftist bias.
In an article for the Hill, Alexander explains how when journalists submit an article to a mainstream media outlet, editors will simply change the offending words and replaces them with politically correct alternatives.
“A pro-life author who submits a piece taking a position against abortion will see the words “pro-life” changed to “anti-abortion,” because the AP Stylebook instructs, “Use anti-abortion instead of pro-life and pro-abortion rights instead of pro-abortion or pro-choice,” she writes.
The words “terrorist” and “Islamist” are also sanitized and replaced with “militant, lone wolves or attackers,” while migrants or refugees are to be referred to as “people struggling to enter Europe”.
“We’re seeing these words increasingly scrubbed from news articles and replaced by politically correct words instead,” Alexander told Fox & Friends.
With “illegals” and “alien” having already been nixed years ago, the AP now cautions that “Illegal immigrant” and “undocumented” are now also unacceptable, but offers no suggested replacements.
“The stylebook also instructs writers to use confusing language about guns in order to create a negative impression about them,” reveals Alexander. “Semi-automatic rifles that have add-on parts intended to increase shooting accuracy are to be called “assault weapons,” despite the fact the term has referred to fully automatic weapons used by the military for years. The latter are now referred to as “assault rifles,” and the two are often conflated. Adding even more to the confusion, the phrase “military style” is recommended to describe assault weapons.”
The guide also forbids referring to those who question man-made climate change as “skeptics” or “deniers,” believing this gives them too much credibility and to instead refer to them as “those who reject mainstream climate science”.
All of these examples not only suggest an Orwellian urge to control language and obfuscate objective meaning, but also to inject a brazen leftist bias into every issue.
“How can the mainstream media correct their bias, when the bias is already built into their stylebooks?” asks Alexander.
An example from the 1984 Newspeak Dictionary:
crimethink - To even consider any thought not in line with the principles of Ingsoc. Doubting any of the principles of Ingsoc. All crimes begin with a thought. So, if you control thought, you can control crime.
see it in full here:
http://moellerlit.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/2/4/10248653/1984_--_newspeak_dictionary.pdf
That “Newspeak Crimethink” came to mind, too.
Thanks for posting that!
The Associated Press has forbidden “journalists” from using politically incorrect words like “terrorist,” “Islamist” and even “migrant,” according to “journalist” Rachel Alexander.
Fixed it for ya. No charge.
I believe Mao Zedong did the same thing...as did Communists Lenin and Marx and Hillary Clinton also tried to curb certain words from being used...the AP Stylebook is a form of censorship...beyond absurd.....
Newspeak...
Wow.
So if my flight to Paris is delayed, and I'm sweltering on the tarmac, struggling to enter Europe, it's the VERY SAME THING as being a refugee.
And now it's the style to refer to Super Bowls WITHOUT Roman numerals?
Dafuq is WRONG with these "journalists"?
Do they ever listen to how moronic they sound?
This issue was pointed out years ago:
How Word Preferences in the AP Styleguide Reveal Bias
https://hubpages.com/literature/Built-in-Bias-in-the-AP-Styleguide
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