Tuesday November 26, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Another Fact That Needs To Be Right: A Person's Pronouns

November 26, 2019 • A pronoun is a biographical detail that has to be correct. Getting it wrong not only means we've made a mistake, it means we may have hurt the person we interviewed.

Tuesday November 12, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance Reminder: About DACA And 'Dreamers'

November 12, 2019 • We need to be careful when we cite figures and refer to those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Monday November 4, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: On Covering The 'Whistleblower' If A Name Is Revealed

November 4, 2019 • The decision on what, if anything, to say will be made by Nancy Barnes (with input, obviously, from senior editors).

Monday October 28, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: Keep Adding 'According To' Or Other Attribution To al-Baghdadi Reports

October 28, 2019 • Also: As stories such as this evolve, it is tempting to refer to details that turn out to be wrong as having been "fake news." That's a term we should not use.

Wednesday October 2, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

This Is No Mistake: There's Good News About Corrections

October 2, 2019 • We reached our goal (on reducing mistakes) in September.

Wednesday September 25, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: On The Word 'Transcript'

September 25, 2019 • Other ways to refer to the account of the conversation President Trump had with the president of Ukraine include "an account of the call" or "a memorandum."

Monday September 23, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: The Capital Of Ukraine Is Spelled 'Kyiv'

September 23, 2019 • It's not "Kiev."

Thursday August 8, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance Reminder: Use Names Of Mass Shooting Suspects Sparingly

August 8, 2019 • We can be respectful of the feelings of those in the audience who find it disturbing to hear the name over and over, and respectful of those who believe repeating the name glorifies a horrible person.

Monday August 5, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: More About The Word 'Manifesto'

August 5, 2019 • We should continue to carefully consider how we use the word in order not to diminish its meaning.

Friday July 26, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: Embargoed Reports Must Be Flagged In DACS Lines

July 26, 2019 • Instructions on how to enter information about exclusives that have embargo times.

Friday July 12, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: When Victims Are Minors, They Are Not 'Women' And 'Men'

July 12, 2019 • Also, when someone is accused of assaulting both minors and adults, be sure to use phrases such as "women and girls" or "men and boys."

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance Reminder: The Agency Is 'Customs And Border Protection'

July 9, 2019 • There is a "U.S. Border Patrol" within it and there are border patrol agents, but the name of the agency ends with "Protection," not "Patrol."

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance Reminder For The 4th: Beware Of Videos And Other Things That Go Viral

July 3, 2019 • As we've said before, we don't necessarily have to report about them "until we have more to say than that they exist."

Monday June 17, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Reminder: A Child Is Not 'Illegitimate'

June 17, 2019 • As an NPR public editor once observed, that's a "pejorative" birth label.

Tuesday May 28, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance & Reminder: No Bumper Stickers, No Signs, No Advocating

May 28, 2019 • We want to be seen as "rigorous and impartial pursuers of truth." That's why we work hard to challenge our own perspectives and to avoid doing things that raise questions about our impartiality.

Friday May 17, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: About Historical References To Citizenship Questions On The Census

May 17, 2019 • Hansi Lo Wang or Luis Clemens should be consulted on all stories that look at the debate.

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: On Naming Both Defendants In The STEM School Shooting

May 17, 2019 • We can use the names, though as we have said before we do not need to say them often.

Wednesday May 15, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance Reminder: On Abortion Procedures, Terminology & Rights

May 15, 2019 • We need to be precise, accurate and neutral.

Monday May 13, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: On References To Attitudes About Vaccines

May 13, 2019 • In particular, avoid the use of the terms "anti-vax" and "anti-vaxxer." It's important to stick to the science — and to use neutral language in describing peoples' positions.

Friday April 26, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Reminder: All Requests To Use NPR Material Must Go Through 'Permissions'

April 26, 2019 • This applies to materials we have broadcast and published, and to such things as raw tape and unpublished photos that have not been included in our reports.

Friday April 19, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: Today's Foul Language

April 19, 2019 • In a tweet this morning, the president uses the word "bullshit" to characterize some of the "statements made in the 'Report' about me."

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

On References In The Mueller Report To Evidence Of Lying

April 19, 2019 • When reporting about this, frame it as "evidence," not proof, that the aides to the president were "asked to lie." And attribute the evidence to Mueller's investigation.

Thursday April 18, 2019

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: On The President's Use Of The F-word

April 18, 2019 • We are not going to repeat on the air a quote attributed to President Trump in the Mueller report in which he dropped an F-bomb.

Editorial Guidance from the Managing Editor

Guidance: Social Media Rules Of The Road For 'Mueller Report' News

April 18, 2019 • Today is as important as any to protecting NPR's reputation as a trusted news source. How we behave on social media is going to matter a lot.