Some outlets like the New York Times have their own style guides for journalists to follow when writing stories, but most reporters rely on the Associated Press Stylebook — it’s what we use here at Twitchy when looking up things like whether to capitalize “evangelicals” or “constitutional.”
Over the years we’ve made note of some revisions to the style guide: In 2013 the AP dropped “illegal immigrant” from its Stylebook, and in 2017, the AP added a “Q” to LGBT and gave the OK to use “they” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun to take the place of the binary “he or she.”
Now the Associated Press style guide has made a change we haven’t quite caught up to yet: When referring to race, Black is now capitalized while white remains in lowercase. The AP explains that “there was clear desire and reason to capitalize Black.” Well, maybe the desire was clear, but the reason isn’t.
AP style will continue to lowercase the term white in racial, ethnic and cultural senses. (1/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
This decision follows our move last month to capitalize Black in such uses. We consulted with a wide group of people internally and externally around the globe and considered a variety of commentary in making these decisions. (2/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
That includes the shared experience of discrimination due solely to the color of one’s skin. (4/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
There is, at this time, less support for capitalizing white. White people generally do not share the same history and culture, or the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color. (5/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
In addition, we are a global news organization and in much of the world there is considerable disagreement, ambiguity and confusion about whom the term includes. (6/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
We explain our decision process in greater detail in a blog post about how AP leadership weighed the pros and cons of capitalization: https://t.co/lgNlxijxa6 (7/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
“We agree that white people’s skin color plays into systemic inequalities and injustices, and we want our journalism to robustly explore those problems. But capitalizing the term white, as is done by white supremacists, risks subtly conveying legitimacy to such beliefs,” reads the blog entry.
As the AP Stylebook currently directs, we will continue to avoid the broad and imprecise term brown in racial, ethnic or cultural references. If using the term is necessary as part of a direct quotation, we will continue to use the lowercase. (8/8)
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) July 20, 2020
So “brown people” is out. It may take a while for the new style to catch on here. Sure, capitalize African-American, but having both black and white in lowercase made a lot of sense to us.
Associated Press: From now on, we will uppercase the 'B' in Black people, and lowercase the 'w' in white people. https://t.co/hOSz5x9sfO pic.twitter.com/ogWqz0zsvA
— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 20, 2020
You did it!!!! You cured racism!!! WOW!!
— Emilita WWG1WGA ?? @emilita on parler (@Emilita10459158) July 20, 2020
Nope. If I have to capitalize B for Black, I'm happy to, but will also be capitalizing W in White. You're welcome.
— PeopleSuck (@sht_storm) July 20, 2020
This virtue signaling is beyond ridiculous anymore. How do you take anything seriously that comes from them or any one else that is so wrapped up in political correctness??
— Cynthia Ford (@CynthiaFord6764) July 20, 2020
We’re curious about the ratio of white to black people who had input into this decision.
I won’t be satisfied until the Associated Press fires every white person on their staff and hires a black only staff.
Then, I’ll know their really mean it.
They should be canceling themselves.
— msdeplorable2?? (@msdeplorable2) July 20, 2020
After reading this a second time it really seems like they’re saying ‘Black people are all the same so we can lump them together but white people are diverse so we can’t lump them all together’.
Am I misreading that?
— Brad (@therealbradDE) July 20, 2020
We know from that graphic from the Smithsonian that whites in the United States all share a common white culture. We’re wondering how their reasoning for black African-Americans applies to Africans, who “generally do not share the same history and culture.”
That’s gonna help so much.
????— Debmoley (@Debmoley) July 20, 2020
Looking forward to future announcements from the thought police.
— Marty on the Cell ?? (@shadow_case) July 20, 2020
Will I be arrested if I don’t comply?
— Maddie Adams (@MaddieAdams75) July 20, 2020
Wait I'm confused. I've always capitalized B for Black and W for White. So what does that make me??
— Ashley Gregory (@AshleyGregory00) July 20, 2020
I believe "normal" is the term you're looking for. ?
— garlic powder (@garlicpowder2) July 20, 2020
Unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence, I see no need to capitalize either. This shouldn’t even be an issue.
— John (@pushinon) July 20, 2020
What is wrong with these people? It seems like a mental disorder at this point. Obsessed with every part of race including the capitalization of letters yet not really understanding anything.
— TheJessicaNumbers (@jmrX0310) July 20, 2020
This is what it looks like when kids fed with the pseudo-intellectualism of critical theory in college begin to assume decision-making positions in society.
— Onida (@jollofery) July 20, 2020
I’ll lower case all, unless it starts a sentence. Enough pandering.
— GinaStevens ?? (@ginadstevens) July 20, 2020
Skin colors are not all equal? Some are more important than others? Honestly, what was wrong with the traditional standards for proper adjectives and nouns?
— 17f110 (@17f110) July 20, 2020
They unwittingly confirm here that gross generalizations about whiteness that have promulgated notions such as white privilege, etc. with broad brush strokes, are entirely baseless.
— Brian McKeon (@Bbbmckeon) July 20, 2020
Shorter AP: “It’s because Black people are all the same and white people aren’t.”
— Victory Gin (@DrinkVictory) July 20, 2020
My point is that one cannot coherently claim the following…
1. Ethnic group “A” has no shared history/culture/experience.
2. Ethnic group “B” has a collective identity shaped by the shared history/culture/experience of group “A”.
3. Group “A” must take responsibility for this.— Aurelian of Rome (@AurelianofRome) July 20, 2020
I’d love to hear more from Mr. York about the strong historical and cultural experiences shared by a Jamaican, a Nigerian, and an Ethiopian. Seems to me the only thing shared is skin color.
— Ceci n'est pas une Doge (@dogeson_of_doge) July 20, 2020
We've never been dumber, collectively as a nation than we are today and I hope we never will go this low again. Pretty soon we'll be capitalizing eye colors to elevate one over the others while other countries surpass us in every way possible.
— BlondeAmericanChick ╰დ╮╭დ╯ (@PonyGirl_04) July 20, 2020
How many lives will that save?
— Brian Smith (@BVTech) July 20, 2020
Piece coming soon from @nytimes. “If you capitalize the w in White you’re a racist”
— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) July 20, 2020
That does run the risk of subtly conveying white supremacy, after all.
Aren’t you guys supposed to be the voice of reason?
— Robert Scott III (@rjscottsports) July 20, 2020
As we veer deeper and deeper into the twilight zone. What’s next?
— I'm the Norm (@norm_ray) July 20, 2020
I'm afraid to find out.
— Wildly so-so (@MarlieTweetin) July 20, 2020
I know people who have emigrated from Nigeria and Zimbabwe who would find this statement racist and baffling. Way to go, bigots. Perhaps lumping all people that share a physical trait together and making assumptions about them is just a bad idea.
— Polkabecky (@polkabecky) July 20, 2020
Nigerians would laugh at the idea of some presumed strong commonality across the different ethnic groups.
— Onida (@jollofery) July 20, 2020
I would like to start a new movement. We should no longer refer to people as black, brown, white, yellow, or red. From now on, everyone falls onto the scale from light to dark. Now color won't matter, only light intensity!
— Sassypaws ?? (@Sassypaws) July 20, 2020
Or you could be like Nick Cannon and divide people into melanated and non-melanated categories.
How do you solve racism by continually pointing out that everyone is a separate group that needs special or retaliatory treatment?
It doesn’t.
It actually serves to drive the wedge deeper. This is their (Marxist activists) actual goal.
I’m not playing their game
— Gov Free Zone (@govfreezone) July 20, 2020
I can not believe what the hell im witnessing in front of my very own eyes. Wake me up, this cant be real!!
— CT (@CTomme2) July 20, 2020
AP proud winner of the July 20th Wokester Award .
— Sparktrocity (@JohnONe43899663) July 20, 2020
Sometimes a movement becomes the very thing they fought against.
— Frau_Lein ?? ⭐️⭐️⭐️Best is Yet to Come! (@Frau_Lein55) July 20, 2020
This addresses police brutality how?
Related:
‘This is crazy’: Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture alerts everyone about signs of ‘whiteness and white culture’ https://t.co/oXhadqlmdB
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 15, 2020
Join the conversation as a VIP Member