Basic TV Reporting, 2nd Edition

Avoiding Unnecessary Offence

Any heightened awareness of the importance of accurate English must take account of the need to avoid sexist, racist or other language likely to cause offence.

Sexism

Words which fail to recognise the proper place of women in modern society are offensive, especially when there are neutral alternatives. Sexist language is also often inaccurate. Progress towards its elimination is being made, particularly in the United States and Western Europe, although there is still a long way to go, and resistance to some of the alternatives which the more conservative members of the older generation especially find difficult to accept. As a reporter you should make a conscious decision to use gender-free words without going so ...