Tell the New York Times to Stop Using the "I-Word"
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Phil Corbett, New York Times Deputy News Editor
After years of controversy, the Associated Press has announced that it will no longer use the word "illegal" to describe undocumented immigrants. Now, let's ask the New York Times to do the same.
The use of the term "illegal" rather than "undocumented" only serves to reinforce the already rampant racism commonly employed when discussing immigration issues in the United States. Declaring an entire group of diverse people to be "illegal" only serves to further dehumanize them.
Many major TV networks have already denounced what campaigns are calling "the I-word." The AP has now made a pivotal move in the world of print media.
Thus far, the New York Times has been hesitant to adopt any sort of public stance on the matter, but if we push hard enough, this well-respected paper could be a model for the rest of the nation's media.
Tell New York Times Deputy News Editor Phil Corbett to take a stand for objectivity and erase the "I-word" from his paper's vocabulary!
Dear Phil Corbett,
Most of America's top college newspapers and major TV networks (including ABC, NBC, and CNN) have vowed to stop using the word “illegal” when referring to people of different origins. As the term is neither neutral nor accurate, two standards your publication purports to uphold, I ask that you take a public stance against using the term in your articles.
Now that AP has removed the “I-word” from their Stylebook, the public's attention has again shifted to the legitimacy of our fourth estate's practices. Don't let this moment pass you by!
[Your Comments here]
This would be a major accomplishment for our nation's public record, and would help lay foundation for a more just society. I implore you heed the call.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
