Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images.
Update: WAMU has said they’re going to limit use of the Washington football team’s name. Here’s their new, updated policy:
WAMU has issued new guidelines to its editorial staff regarding the use of the name “Redskins.” These guidelines were created after a thorough review of the issue and discussion with NPR management.
WAMU, along with NPR, will not ban the use of the name. It is our job to report news, not to take a position on the name. We will ensure balanced coverage by referring to the NFL team’s legal name where it is integral to the meaning and spirit of the story.
But the name itself offends some of our listeners. Mindful of our listeners, WAMU will focus on using alternative names when we can.
As the public discussion continues, and we continue to play the role of medium in that debate, we will continue to refine and mature these guidelines further.
Original post:
Though NPR declared that they’d continue to use the name of the Washington football team in news reports months ago, it looks like they’re altering that policy a bit. NPR Ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos writes that a memo from standards editor Mark Memmott urges staffers to limit their use of the team’s name.
From the memo:
NPR News does not plan to prohibit the use of the full team name. The team’s name is the name and our job is to report on the world as it is, not to take a position or become part of the story.
But, our policy on potentially offensive language states that “as a responsible broadcaster, NPR has always set a high bar on use of language that may be offensive to our audience. Use of such language on the air [and online] has been strictly limited to situations where it is absolutely integral to the meaning and spirit of the story being told.”
That guidance should be kept in mind.
While this might not seem like a huge deal, Schumacher-Matos says that it is. “NPR becomes the first large national news organization to pull back on the use of a name that is a slur to many Native Americans,” he says.
So why now? Schumacher-Matos cites an investigation he did in March about how media outlets should report on the team’s name that ended with a recommendation that NPR stop using it as one reason. But more directly, Memmott said the reason was because WAMU reportedly want to talk about the issue of NPR affiliates using or refusing to use the team name on air.
What caused the recent NPR switch, Memmott said, was that local Washington member station WAMU asked to talk about the issue. “That led us to think more about our guidance,” Memmott told me. “It seemed like we could sharpen the wording. I don’t know what, if anything, WAMU will do.”
Is this an indication that WAMU, the local NPR affiliate here in D.C., is going to stop using the team’s name on their website and on the air? A spokesperson for WAMU writes to DCist that “in common with other news organizations, we have had a lot of discussion about this topic. We will be issuing guidelines to our staff as well.”
Meanwhile, Glenn Beck says he is attending Sunday’s game with owner Dan Snyder. He might wear a headdress.
