… Jabari Asim, author of “The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn’t, and Why,” had this to say.
10 “As long as there is no consensus about the use of certain language,” Asim said, “it’s not okay for me to use.” What about artists? Journalists?
The word nigger seems to come up most often today in discussions of hip-hop music. Asim argues for the importance of putting these discussions in context. In 1895, he said, the Parker Brothers — yes, the same boys who brought you Monopoly — introduced a game called 10 Little Niggers, a version of the card game Old Maid.
So, who ought to be using the word today?
Artists can, Asim said. But only sometimes. Only, he said, if it is being used to “send up, satirize or expose” the use of the word.
“I think there’s a danger in being absolutist about this,” Asim said about the use of epithets.
How, though, should such words be used by reporters?
I think this is worth another tip.
11 “Journalists should use [epithets] sometimes,” Asim said. “People have a right to know. If I read, ‘Mel Gibson went on an anti-semitic tirade.’ I want to know what he said.”
Here’s a suggestion from Asim. If you have to use an epithet, use it sparingly. Write the word once, near the beginning of the story and refer back to it as “the epithet” later.
How exactly, though, should journalists use the epithet on which Asim’s recent book focused? For an answer, the author directed me to Poynter dean Keith Woods‘ comments about the O.J. Simpson trial. Here, is a 1995 essay from Woods.
And here’s one more tip, derived from, if not stated directly in, Asim’s presentation.
12 Apply the full breadth of the language to scenes, situations and stories that are difficult to write about. “Hip-hop relies on verbal dexterity,” Asim said, “so why not apply that standard to the vocabulary that is used?” Like hip-hop artists, journalists craft words into stories. When it comes to using epithets, there are no hard and fast rules for journalists. Be careful, Asim said, but tell the truth.
Coming soon >>> Lunch. Chip Scanlan on the literary history of Hartford. And, since I know you can’t get enough of him, Chip on how to acheive “wild success.”
