Sandwich and discussion of terms

A quick list of what editors found to be interesting reads:

• More Americans leaving religious ties of their youth : Individual concept of faith increasing in U.S. A lot of newspapers used this newswire story on their front pages today, managing editor Gary Graham. Part of his morning routine is to take a look at how newspapers around the country tackled ‘story play.’
• Huetter election turmoil remains : Residency settled, but 2 not on rolls
• Elderly couple ambushed
• Spokane council approves photo-red : It’s $124 a ticket if camera catches them running light
• Then & Now: Allison Beatty
• Jury pool queried in Schrock case : Focus was on children’s deaths, phone use while driving. (One editor asked who was the woman in the photo - The average reader might assume she is Helm’s wife, but we don’t know for sure)

Clifford Helm leaves Spokane County Superior Court Monday February 25. 2008 after the start of his trial stemming from criminal charges after a vehicle crash that left five children dead. Christopher Anderson photo .

Disabilities and the newspaper

When it comes to wheelchair-user vs. wheelchair-bound, the proper term is wheelchair-user, multimedia editor Nancy Malone said. A person is not literally bound to the wheelchair — he or she uses one for mobility. (See the related story: ” Al-Qaida widens tactics ” features a wheelchair term in the sub-headline. The print edition says wheelchair-bound but the online edition has been changed.)

The Spokesman-Review follows standards of the Associated Press when describing people with disabilities, and only when the disability is important to a story. Some of the preferred terms include forms of ‘visual impairment’, ‘hearing impairment’, and ‘speech impairment’; and in general one would say that a person has a disability or a medical condition rather than to say a person suffers from it.

Here is what the ethics code draft says on this topic under Sterotypes and Race:

Journalists should avoid using terms and phrases that demean or reflect assumptions about people’s religion, race, sexual preference, gender, ethnic background, status or physical condition. References to a person’s racial or physical characteristics may be used when appropriate in providing readers an accurate and balanced news account.

A video for the day (Produced by Thomas Clouse)

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