10 • June 21 - 23, 2020 NATIONAL NEW YORK (AP) — As journalists grapple with massive protests and sweeping changes in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, U.S. newsrooms are debating an important style change: whether to capitalize the “b” in black when describing people. The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and NBC News last week changed their practices to do that, and the National Association of Black Journalists urged other news organizations to follow. Many are studying the idea, including The New York Times and The Associated Press. The AP Stylebook of usage policies is highly influential in the industry with many news organizations, government and public relations agencies using it as a guide. The death of Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck, has sparked nationwide protests and has given momentum to an idea that has essentially been dormant for a number of years.“It does seem like now is the time,” said Doris Truong, director of training and diversity at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank. “It’s a change, as the NABJ points out, that doesn’t cost you anything and ... is very meaningful to the people who are affected.” It’s also a relatively simple step for news organizations suddenly dealing with many complex issues, like whether bransonglobe.com Newsroom quandary: Should ‘black’ be capitalized? its journalists can be opinionated on social media or march in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Nearly a century ago, sociologist W.E.B. DuBois waged a letter-writing campaign to get newspapers to capitalize Negro, saying a lowercase “n” was a sign of disrespect and racism. The New York Times took his advice in 1930, calling it an act of recognition and respect for those who’d spent generations in “the lower case.” Negro fell out of fashion with the Black Power movement of the 1960s, coming to symbolize subservience. African American was often used, but is not always accurate — some black people don’t trace their lineage to Africa. The USA Today Network said Friday it would adopt uppercase style for black immediately, a move that affects more than 260 newsrooms including SEE QUANDARY, PAGE 11
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