Respect & Identity
• Ask people for their pronouns; don’t assume.
• Don’t “out” someone unless they’ve chosen to be public.
• Avoid “deadnaming” (using a past name) unless the person requests it.

When It’s Relevant
• Only mention gender identity or sexual orientation if it’s directly relevant to the story.
• No need to describe someone as “openly” gay/bi/trans unless it adds meaning.

Language & Terms
• Use LGBTQIA+ as the umbrella term.
• Use accurate, current terms (nonbinary, queer, intersex, asexual, etc.).
• Stay away from outdated or offensive terms unless someone self-identifies with them.

Reporting on Harm
• In hate crime or policy coverage, respect people’s identities and avoid repeating harmful language without context.
• Include voices from the LGBTQIA+ community when reporting on issues that affect them.

Tone & Fairness
• Don’t give “both sides” equal weight if one side is rooted in hate or misinformation.
• Context matters: frame facts clearly and responsibly.

Link to Full Styleguide Here

Respect & Identity
• Capitalize “Black” when referring to people, communities, culture, institutions, etc.
• Capitalize other racial identifiers (“White,” “Brown”) when appropriately describing race.
• Use “Black people” instead of just “Blacks.” In general, use race adjectives (e.g., Black), and avoid using race as a noun.

Accuracy & Specificity
• Use hyphens for “African-American” when it’s an adjective. Example: “African-American community.”
• Don’t assume “Black” = “African-American.” Many Black people are immigrants or have Caribbean, African, or other ancestries. Respect individual preference.

Tone & Fairness
• Only include race when it is relevant to the story.
• If you don’t have a subject’s preference, “Black” is generally acceptable; be as specific as possible when more detail is available.
• Avoid using race alone in police descriptions unless it’s paired with other identifying details.

Link to Full Styleguide Here

Respect & Identity
• Always ask people how they identify — Hispanic, Latino/a, Latinx, Latine, Chicano/a, etc.
• Don’t assume a single term applies to all people of Latin American descent.
• Avoid using “Spanish” unless referring to the language or someone from Spain.

Accuracy & Specificity
• Be as specific as possible: use Mexican American, Cuban American, Colombian, etc., when relevant to the story.
• “Hispanic” is a U.S. government category (referring to people with ancestry from Spanish-speaking countries).
• “Latino/Latina” generally refers to people from Latin America, including non-Spanish speakers (e.g., Brazil).

Language & Terms
• Latine has emerged as a gender-inclusive term but always follow the subject’s preference.
• Use gendered forms (Latino/Latina) only when referring to someone who identifies that way.
• Avoid outdated or offensive terms like “illegal alien.” Use “undocumented immigrant” instead.

When It’s Relevant
• Only mention ethnicity/national origin if it’s pertinent to the story.
• Do not assume immigration status or language ability based on someone’s background.

Reporting on Harm & Stereotypes
• Avoid reducing Latin/Hispanic people to immigration stories only, ensure to include them in coverage of all beats (politics, business, culture, science, etc.).
• Don’t reinforce stereotypes around crime, poverty, or gangs.
• Provide context when reporting on border and immigration issues and center affected voices, not just official sources.

Tone & Fairness
• Recognize the diversity of the community. Latin America spans more than 20 countries and multiple races, cultures, and languages.
• Include Afro-Latinos, Indigenous people, and other underrepresented groups within Latinx communities.
• Use care with translations, accents, and names. Spell and pronounce them correctly.

Link to Full Styleguide Here

Respect & Identity
• Ask people how they identify, don’t assume nationality, ethnicity, or heritage.
• Use hyphenated identities (e.g., “Korean American”) without a hyphen, unless someone prefers otherwise.
• Avoid blanket terms like “Oriental” or “Asiatic”; these are outdated and offensive.

Accuracy & Specificity
• Be as specific as possible when describing someone’s background (e.g., Chinese American, Vietnamese American) rather than “Asian” in general, when it adds relevance or clarity.
• Do not conflate Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian as they are distinct groups.
• “South Asian” and “Southeast Asian” are umbrella terms, but use them carefully and only when accurate.

Language & Terms
• Use “Asian American” (no hyphen) for people of Asian ancestry in the U.S.
• Use “Pacific Islander” for people from islands in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.
• “Native Hawaiian” should not be shortened to “Hawaiian” unless referring specifically to Indigenous Hawaiians.

When It’s Relevant
• Only include someone’s ethnicity, race, or national origin if it is germane to the story.
• Avoid assumptions as being Asian American does not mean someone is an immigrant, foreign, or speaks another language.

Reporting on Harm & Stereotypes
• Avoid perpetuating the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype and don’t ask, “Where are you really from?” unless it is relevant and the subject brings it up.
• Don’t generalize “the Asian community”; acknowledge diversity of nationalities, languages, and cultures.
• Be cautious when reporting on crime: don’t single out race unless it’s central to the story and backed by detail.

Tone & Fairness
• Don’t exoticize food, customs, or languages, and write about them the same way you would for European cultures.
• Include voices from Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities when reporting on issues that affect them.
• Provide historical and social context when covering discrimination, hate crimes, or policy debates.

Link to Full Styleguide Here

Respect & Identity
• Use the names Indigenous people use for themselves rather than imposed names.
• Recognize tribal sovereignty as each tribe has political as well as cultural identity.
• Respect Indigenous peoples’ right to define their own identity (tribal citizenship, language, culture, etc.).

Terminology & Language
• Use “Indigenous,” “Native,” “Native American,” or “American Indian” depending on the preference of the people you’re writing about.
• Use “tribe,” “tribal nation,” “First Nation,” etc., as appropriate to the specific community.
• Avoid “tribe” or “tribal” as adjectives when they reduce identity to historical or stereotypical notions.

Accuracy & Specificity
• When possible, identify the specific nation, tribe, or community (e.g. Navajo Nation, Oglala Lakota, Miꞌkmaq), rather than using broad terms.
• Acknowledge if someone is Indigenous to a place and their relationship to land, treaty territory, or region.
• Use accurate descriptions of cultural, linguistic, historical facts; verify with reliable Indigenous sources.

When It’s Relevant
• Mention Indigenous identity only if it is relevant to the story.
• Avoid tokenizing and don’t include Indigenous people just to represent diversity unless they are directly connected to the subject.

Reporting on Harm & Stereotypes
• Avoid perpetuating stereotypes about poverty, alcoholism, “lost culture,” or exoticism.
• When covering issues like land rights, treaties, environmental harm, etc., include Indigenous voices, legal realities, and treaty obligations.
• In historical or colonial contexts, avoid glorifying colonial perspectives; include Indigenous perspectives and resist simplistic narratives.

Tone & Fairness
• Treat Indigenous cultures, traditions, and knowledge systems with respect and seriousness.
• Use precise language: don’t “celebrate” stereotype and don’t romanticize.

Link to Full Styleguide Here