Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Should Journalists use the term Alt-Right?

Lauren Walinski
Staff Writer

Donald Trump, the new president-elect of the United States, has gained a following amongst a group which calls itself the “alt-right.” The group holds beliefs that the United States government should not extend equal rights to minorities such as women, people of color, Jewish people, and LGBTQ+ people, beliefs which directly violate the United States Constitution. The group calls itself the “alt-right” to make these beliefs sound more acceptable to the general population, since the name is unspecific. Because of this group’s controversial beliefs, many journalists are unsure whether they should be using the term “alt-right” or find another, since they do not want to hide the beliefs these groups hold.
 According to the AP Stylebook, a guide by the Associate Press which many journalists refer to in order to write their articles, the term “alt-right” should be avoided. The only time the term “alt-right” is okay to use in an article, according to the AP stylebook, is if it is specified to be what the group calls itself. A description of the group’s beliefs should also be given, so they cannot hide their bigoted beliefs behind an unclear name. The AP Stylebook also says that the group should be called what it really is and what it has been called in the past: white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and racist. This way the group cannot hide the beliefs they hold.