Don’t Declare Murder Or Imply Guilt
There were several Web summaries posted over the weekend that flatly said Jamal Khashoggi was murdered. We should not be doing that in any stories, online or on air. NPR agrees with the AP that:...
View ArticleGuidance On ’17 Intelligence Agencies’
As we continue to report about the president and his view of what the U.S. intelligence community has concluded regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election, we need to be careful about...
View ArticleLike Other Loaded Language, ‘Catch And Release’ Is For Others To Use
There have been a few occasions recently where some listeners thought it sounded like we were using the phrase “catch and release” as if it’s a neutral description of what happens to some people who...
View ArticleThis Is A Must-Read Note About Things We Must Do
As a newsroom, we are producing more content than we ever have and that can be overwhelming. But, we also know we have to do the things on this list, and more. If they aren’t done, stories aren’t ready...
View ArticleAhead Of Saturday’s ‘March For Our Lives,’ Some Reminders
As you know, there will be student-led rallies and marches across the country on Saturday to call for stricter laws and other steps that organizers say would reduce gun violence. We’ve discussed...
View ArticleGuidance On ‘Chain Migration,’‘Family Reunification’ And ‘Children Brought...
It’s long been our position that “when language is politicized,” we should “seek neutral words that foster understanding.” In the immigration debate, one side has latched on to an old term that in the...
View ArticleGuidance On The Vulgar Word Attributed To The President:
These notes were sent to NPR journalists on Jan. 12, 2018: 1. With the president having now addressed the reports, we feel is it necessary to say the word “shithole” so that listeners have the full...
View ArticleThank You, And A Few Things To Keep In Mind About The Las Vegas Mass Shooting
The language we’ve been using about the mass shooting in Las Vegas has been precise and carefully attributed. Thank you. Please continue to: - Attribute the death toll and number of injured to police...
View ArticleGuidance On How To Discuss Other News Outlets’ Reports
When credible news organizations are reporting things that we have not confirmed or knocked down and we decide it’s important to let our audience know about those reports, our language has to be...
View ArticleArticle 0
NPR’s Ethics Handbook is organized around 10 sections that focus on the core principles that drive our journalism. There are discussions and guidance about the role and proper use of social media...
View ArticleRequired Reading: The Do’s And Don’ts’ Of Anonymity
Everything in this note has been said before, but needs to be said again. Click the links to read more. 1. First, ask these questions: – Is the person going to be in danger if we use a full name? – Is...
View ArticleReminder On Attribution In Stories About The Cleveland Murder Suspect
We’ve done pretty well so far, but it’s important to remember and say that the man being sought for the murder in Cleveland is a suspect. “Allegedly” is also an important word at this point. And: We...
View ArticleGuidance On Crowd Estimates Today And Saturday
There will be claims and counterclaims from partisans this weekend about how many people came to watch the Inauguration and then how many came to Saturday’s march. Stay away from those claims. We...
View ArticleA ‘Major’ Speech? Says Who?
If we’re going to say that a candidate is set to deliver a “major” address about something, in almost all cases we need to make clear that’s how the candidate’s campaign is characterizing it, not NPR....
View ArticleThe NPR Accuracy Checklist: It’s A Must-Read & A Must-Use
This list went out last January. A year later, we’re still making too many of the same mistakes. See for yourself on the corrections page: http://www.npr.org/corrections As we said last year: The...
View ArticleWhat Did We Say About That? A Guide To The 2015 ‘Memmos’
What did Mark annoy us about in 2015? Here are the year’s “Memmos,” divided into categories: ANONYMITY AND SOURCING - An Anonymous Editor Thinks What The ‘Times’ Did Was Funny -...
View ArticleWhen There’s No Evidence To Support A Claim, We Should Say That
Politicians, public officials and — yes — members of the press will say things that don’t check out. – Brian Williams’ helicopter was not shot down. – Hillary Clinton did not have to run to her car...
View ArticleStories About Illinois Police Officer’s Death Underscore Need To Attribute
A look back at our coverage of what happened to Illinois police Lt. Charles Gliniewicz, who authorities now say killed himself, highlights the importance of attributing information and not getting...
View ArticleGuidance On Key Words That Come Up In The Planned Parenthood Stories
Flatly saying or writing that Planned Parenthood officials have been secretly recorded discussing the sale of fetal tissue is akin to concluding that they committed a crime. That is a problem. We...
View ArticleThe NPR Accuracy Checklist
Mistakes happen, but lately we’ve been making too many. See for yourself on our corrections page: http://www.npr.org/corrections The checklist that follows is a reminder of things we all know we should...
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