NAHJ asks newsrooms to drop the use of “minority” when referencing communities of color

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 4, 2020

(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will ask newsrooms to stop labeling people of color as ‘minorities.’ For too long, the term “minority” has referred to groups of people that are outnumbered by non-Hispanic Whites. The term “minority” is not accurate when describing nonwhite communities. Accurate phrases depend on the context or the group; but appropriate terminology could include: communities of color, marginalized communities, underprivileged, or even emerging majority when referencing statistics and data.  

According to the Pew Research Center, by 2055, the United States “will have no racial or ethnic majority group.” The Census Bureau expects the country will have more people of color than white people. As communities continue to grow and diversify the country, newsrooms also need to shift language appropriately, so coverage remains accurate and fair. 

“Minority” is often used to refer to a group that is smaller and nonwhite. When people use the word “minority”, they rarely specify race or background. Many people use “minority” when they mean African American, Asian American, Native American, or Hispanics and Latino. The word holds the connotation of an “oppressed group”. The way it is too often utilized minimizes historically marginalized people and promotes erasure. The people who are considered part of “minority groups” are diverse and deserve the proper context. The world is not a place where everyone can nor should be described under one term. Avoidance of inaccurate and offensive words are critical in the journalism industry’s fight for sustainability and the public’s trust. 

Times and tones change as the years go by, “people of color” got a powerful lift when Martin Luther King Jr. referred to “citizens of color” in his “I Have a Dream” speech, linking “of color” to self-empowerment.

“There will be white newsroom leaders across the country that probably haven’t thought twice about this,” said Hugo Balta, NAHJ president. “This outdated terminology perpetuates an ‘us vs. them’ narrative, and their ‘journalism’ is being delivered into homes across the country with a stereotype attached.” 

Newsrooms may improve language by being more descriptive and specific; referring to groups or individuals by their nationality, race and/or ethnicity is when appropriate. Using the word community of color can be a sufficient replacement since it is more inclusive and it always needs to be paired with the name of the community of such group. If there is a need to emphasize that a group is fewer in numbers, always mention that it is outnumbered. Now more than ever, journalists but be highly aware of the terms referenced, how they are received and interpreted by people, and the connotations that they have.

About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) 

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 3,000 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ. 

Media Contact: 

BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@VeritasAustin.com