IBJ, AP changing writing style to capitalize ‘b’ in Black

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7 thoughts on “IBJ, AP changing writing style to capitalize ‘b’ in Black

  1. The Associated Press stylebook for decades cautioned writers to use racial identifications only when they were pertinent to the story. In other words, capitalized or not, “black” or “Black” in a story should appear when it pertains to the story, not the person.

    To do otherwise was considered racist — making race the story.

    Capitalization, of course, calls attention and sets apart. Soft drink is a beverage; Coke is a registered trademark of a profit-making corporation.

    Taken to the extreme, the weather forecast will be attributed to Joe Rainwater, a Black television weather person. Or, worse, identifying players in sports box scores by race.

  2. I just KNEW there would be someone who would complain about Blacks getting a capital “B”. William S., you win today’s prize for first out of the gate with such loathsome comments. Nowhere does it say the IBJ will begin to identify all people with their race (Black or black) unless “when referring to people in a racial, ethnic or cultural context”. Your analogy of “Joe Rainwater, a Black television weather person” is a straw man diversion.

    1. If the AP is making a decision to capitalize “Black” and not capitalize “white”, then this has every bit the tone of a power-play motivated by racial vengeance. (Pretty much everything we’ve seen in the last few weeks has carried this tone, actually.) What’s “loathsome” is that we should even need to preoccupy ourselves with something like this. It only seeks to enflame and divide.

      So much for “content of our character”…sigh.

    2. Eric M., did you skip past the part that says, “The AP said it expects to make a decision within a month on whether to capitalize the term white.”? And, just WOW! A “power-play motivated by racial vengeance”? WTH does that even mean? Oh, wait, now I see you follow that with “Pretty much everything we’ve seen in the last few weeks has carried this tone.” Seems like you’re feeling those Black are too uppity, right? You and your ilk are the only ones who seems to be enflamed. You’re showing the content of YOUR character. I bet you’re also mad you can’t wear your stars and bars t-shirt to NASCAR anymore.

  3. Mark D, you could engage in a dialog to explain your opinion, though that sounds like it might be asking a lot. I don’t know why I should expect many IBJ readers to have anything but bitterness to the BLM movement.

    1. I can’t imagine how infuriating it must be that some people have the audacity to have different opinions. This clearly must stop. If only we could all realize why we must be in 100% compliance with our cultural overlords, but some of us just aren’t enlightened or smart enough.

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