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Maggie Lohmiller

Professor Griffin

Communications, Media and Society

April 11, 2011

Influences of Language Use in Journalism on Society

Trends in word choice in journalism have a direct correlation to how the public perceive

the news. Many news outlets share buzz words that find their way into main stream colloquial

speech. These words have a much greater impact on society than it may appear at face value and

can either enhance or discredit a news story.

The words journalists select can skew the accuracy or how balanced a story is and can

distort the facts. Language choices can have underlying tones that can be construed as

discriminatory and accusatory, as well as cavalier or a host of other feelings and notions. Most

often in news it is found that these tones are received by news followers on the subconscious

level. There are indeed occasions that statements are more overt in nature and can be easily

recognizable by viewers. But it is repeated exposure to language choices that can develop strong

viewpoints in people.

This sensitivity to language occurs in all types of news topics, including political

coverage, breaking news, and world events. This ethical issue is universally present throughout

all news mediums worldwide. It is vital that journalists evaluate their phrasing, to remove any

bias or subtextual content, intentional or otherwise, to promote factual and accurate reporting in

their work.

The words we use in every day speech as news consumers are often selected from what

we hear used in the media. Influences in our own speech patterns and outlooks on society can



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easily be linked with the news outlets we choose, and how those outlets represent world events,

the political landscape, and perceptions of social groups. It is imperative for media executives

and journalists alike to be aware of how words play an integral part in how news is interpreted by

their audience. Furthermore, news organizations must accept responsibility to uphold a strong

ethical code to represent the news free of bias, and keep themselves educated on the ever-

evolving language adaptations.

Language on Political News Coverage

Peter Hart, Activism Director of FAIR Magazine, in a recent address to Quinnipiac

University students explained how language choices adopted by media outlets can influence how

the public identifies with the political landscape. Hart gave the example of how the media is

presenting current initiative of democrats seeking educational reform. Republicans are in

opposition to components of the democrats plan, but not opposed to change in the nation¶s

educational policies. News outlets have stated that republicans are against reform, which has a

negative connotation, when in fact they simply have a contrasting view on how to implement

changes to the educational platform.

This is a superb example of how citizens that may not be familiar with the intricacies of

the stances on education of both parties could perceive republican policy negatively. If

republicans are pegged as µanti-reformists¶ by trusted media outlets then the public may interpret

the stance differently than if another word choice was selected.

In cases such as this it is questionable that fair, balanced, and accurate news is being

covered. The evident subtext can be misleading to news followers since the word choice suggests

a prejudiced message. A journalist may present both sides of the story; however any facts

presenting the republican perspective could be discredited by the title of µanti-reformist.¶ The



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prefix µanti,¶ in nature, implicates an opposition. Such words as antisocial, antithesis, and

antichrist, although not similar in the context of this particular scenario, can be associated

subconsciously by news consumers.

Violations of media objectivity can be found in many other forms of political

predispositions. Politicians themselves are innately partial to the beliefs of their party, so

covering politics requires careful representation of events. It is of vital importance that

journalists remain bipartisan and remove themselves from any relationship to the political

landscape. In a perfect world this would be the case, however on some level a journalist, or

editor, does identify with a particular philosophy. Sometimes this can be subtly reflected in their

work. Coverage of politics in an unbalanced representation does a grave disservice to citizens

seeking truth about government when leaders themselves are dedicated to their own party¶s

agendas.

Many people identify the major media outlets in an overly simplistic vision of being

either conservative or liberal. This makes it appear as if news venues are representatives of

political agendas. Most media outlets do not take a strict stance in the political arena, as this

would prove to be unfair news coverage and a poor branding image. It is difficult to gage a true

political philosophy as a news organization is made up of many people and ideologies that

collectively work together.

War onWords and Other Panic Evoking Terms

Journalists who use buzz words are not inherently wrong in their reporting. Buzz words

that are adopted by media outlets may be used repeatedly throughout the news outlet arena. The

public identifies news stories that receive regular coverage by commonly used vernacular that

has stemmed from their news outlet of choice. People intrinsically seek familiarity when turning



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to a trusted source for the news, and language is one way that people identify with a particular

outlet.

Particular wording trends have made their way into the media culture. The phrase µwar on

terror¶ was frequently used in media, and by politicians, from 2001 to 2008. The term µwar on

terror¶ has strong inferences, and was habitually used throughout the Bush administration to

describe a broad military action. People identified this general term with everything they

understood to be true about the post 9/11 events because of the overabundance of exposure to the

phrase in numerous contexts. Because it lacked specificity, many conclusions could be drawn

from stories that used that terminology.

War terminology used outside of its literal context is something journalists have used

continually in recent years. Story headlines such as µthe fight against obesity¶ or µwar on drugs¶

have worked their way into many headlines. The trend in media vernacular has been used in a

wide variety of contexts and story types. These terms evoke immediacy, struggle, and demand

attention from news consumers. This is inherently true in these story headlines, as they are

serious topics, but they take on a softer meaning when used repeatedly in this fashion. The

cyclical exposure to war terms builds immunity to the masses, and the immediacy these terms

once evoked lose their efficacy.

Megan Garber of the Columbia Journalism Review noted how various news outlets

covered the US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River in January, 2009. This

news story was widely covered, but each news outlet chose their wording for the story

differently. Some news outlets used the word µcrash,¶ which means µa violent collision¶ which

implies there were casualties or injured people. This implication is not only false, but historically



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reminiscent to the American people of the events of 9/11 when coupled with the words µplane¶

and µNew York City.¶

Most print media outlets cautiously wrote their headlines, evading any suggestion that

there were any fatalities. However cable news networks were mixed in how they broadcasted the

story. MSNBC, Fox, and CNN all used the word µcrash¶ to describe the event. During television

coverage certain anchors commented on how µcrash¶ was an inappropriate word, yet the word

was continued to be used. The word does work well for broadcast writing rather than µwater-

landing,¶ however the term µcrash¶ evokes panic.

HowW

ords are Used in Crime News Stories

Words have the power to both sensationalize and trivialize events. The Dart Center for

Journalism and Trauma, a resource center for journalists who cover violence, discovered that this

held true in many cases in reporting on violent crimes. Summer Nelson, a staff writer for the

Dart Center, wrote how when covering sexual violence word choice is imperative. Sexual

violence is a subject that requires great sensitivity when reporting, and there are numerous

examples.

A recent study at the University of Massachusetts showed that when a focus group was

given articles written from a variety of major news sources about sexual violence, they detected

underlying insinuations. Upon reading them, the participants identified how the reporters either

dramatized the event, included unnecessary graphic detail, or used language that subtly blamed

the victim. The main components of the articles were indeed accurate; however the subtext

interfered with providing the news fairly.

These inferences can not only make suggestions about the particular article, but also

certain attitudes on the subject in more general terms. Nelson references news stories that used



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phrases such as µlover¶s quarrel¶s¶ or µarguments¶ when describing sexual violence. This choice

of words trivializes the event when discussing something as solemn as violent crimes. On the

contrary, if a journalist were to write using language that dramatized the situation, it would be

doing a critical disfavor to not only the truth, but also to the victim¶s story.

Crime is an area of journalism that should be approached with particular sensitivity when

writing about the event. When discussing a victim, a chief concern should be how they are being

represented during a sensitive moment in their life. This is especially true when children are

involved.

Diversity in Media

Language used to describe racial groups, religious organizations, ethnicities, sexual

orientation, or societal class is also a prevalent issue in media. The differences in describing

someone as gay or homosexual, or Latino or Hispanic, or Mormons or members of the Church of

Latter Day Saints are significant. Groups of people identify themselves in very specific ways that

journalists should not infringe upon. Denying these groups their rightful identity is a principal

offense.

Addressing people or groups properly is a sign of respect and tolerant of other ethnic and

social group. Although these may by no means be derogatory terms, these terms must be

appropriately used in order to assure fair receptivity of a story and to avoid accidental prejudicial

remarks.

There are changes in what is an appropriate term to identify cultural groups. At one time

it was appropriate to call people of African descent, African-American, whereas now the

preferred term is black. The media is charged to abide by these language changes so as to not

alienate news consumers, and distract from the original intent of the story in which they are



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presenting. The media is responsible for honoring cultural trends as they are often times the

example for the public to follow in what is suitable phrasing.

Recently, there has been a move from using the word µHispanic,¶ to µLatino.¶ The trend

has become adopted by many news organizations throughout North America, but is still in a

transitional period. As time progresses, this trend is anticipated to be adopted universally as the

correct term.

Differences Among News Mediums

Language choices can deter certain consumers from certain news organizations and

develop preferences of how they receive the news. People who view a broadcast or read an

article that has word choices that make suggestions contrary to what a viewer is comfortable with

may turn away from that source in the future. Similarly, they could feel that their viewpoints are

in line with what a certain news outlet is representative. In both cases, a journalist has provided

news that is marked with some sort of bias.

Cable news networks have dedicated a large portion of their programming to editorial

style broadcasts that tend to be more overt in their word choices. These programs carry a voice

about the network as a whole. The strictly news-based programming is thought of as one entity

coupled with the editorial shows. The network is then branded as one. News consumers identify

with outlets based on their personal preferences to certain ideologies represented by their

branding model. Cable news networks are aware of how they represent themselves. They feed a

target demographic, and use the language in their news casts to serve their own marketing

strategy.



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Final Comments

Use of language is a responsibility that dependable journalists take very seriously. Proper

use allows for viewers to receive the news void of opinion and bias. The subtle nuances that can

distract viewers from stories and even dissuade them from drawing their own opinions are ever

present. For journalists to be able to serve their communities fruitfully they must be aware of

how their words are impacting audiences. Once awareness is developed, addressing those

influential language choices are fundamental in order to provide the best news coverage to the

public.



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Works Cited:

Garber, Megan. "Crash : CJR." Columbia Journalism Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

<http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/crash.php>.

Nelson, Summer. "Word Choice Crucial When Reporting Sexual Violence | Dart Center for

Journalism & Trauma." Main | Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma. N.p., n.d. Web.

12 Apr. 2011. <http://dartcenter.org/content/when-reporting-sexual-violence-words-can-

hurt>.

Hart, Peter. "Peter Hart." Fair and Balanced Media. Journalism and Political Science

Departments. Quinnipiac University, Hamden. 30 Mar. 2011. Lecture.

Cotter, Colleen. News Talk: Investigating the Language of Journalism. Cambridge [u.a.:

Cambridge UP, 2010. Print.

"Media." Rhetorica: Press-Politics Journal . Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

<http://rhetorica.net/bias.htm>.

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