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[Erin S Kittens]

Looks like the Associated Press aren't putting up with journalistic obfuscation of what the 'alt-right' movement is about... this is a big shift from a lot of journalism we've been seeing recently that's been refraining from defining the 'alt-right' for what they are: white nationalists. They put up the new guidelines tonight, here's the link and some selected quotes.

AP Definitive Source: Writing about the 'alt-right'

The movement criticizes “multiculturalism” and more rights for non-whites, women, Jews, Muslims, gays, immigrants and other minorities. Its members reject the American democratic ideal that all should have equality under the law regardless of creed, gender, ethnic origin or race.

“Alt-right” (quotation marks, hyphen and lower case) may be used in quotes or modified as in the “self-described” or “so-called alt-right” in stories discussing what the movement says about itself.

Avoid using the term generically and without definition, however, because it is not well known and the term may exist primarily as a public-relations device to make its supporters’ actual beliefs less clear and more acceptable to a broader audience. In the past we have called such beliefs racist, neo-Nazi or white supremacist.

Again, whenever “alt-right” is used in a story, be sure to include a definition: “an offshoot of conservatism mixing racism, white nationalism and populism,” or, more simply, “a white nationalist movement.”

We should not limit ourselves to letting such groups define themselves, and instead should report their actions, associations, history and positions to reveal their actual beliefs and philosophy, as well as how others see them.

 

[MooseKnuckles]

This is good, I hope it is followed through.

It's unbelievable how quickly and directly some media organisations began playing into the hands of white nationalists attempts to normalize their horrid beliefs.

 

[The Illiterati]

Good. This needs light thrown on it in the hopes these human cockroaches can be forced back into their holes.

 

[jWILL253]

Well done.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

I want to see more outlets put their foot down like this.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Accurate and proper. Good to see this happening.

 

[Subpar Spatula]

It's really unfortunate America tolerates all this alt-right shit. Even gives it spotlight. In Canada you get smacked and shamed for it: http://www.richmond-news.com/news/a...o-richmond-targeting-chinese-people-1.2892211

 

[eyeball_kid]

It's really just neo-Nazism. "White nationalist movement" is a polite spin on what it is.

 

[Joni]

Very timely...

 

[Marion Cobretti]

I'll take it. Better late than never.

 

[Palmer_v1]

It's really unfortunate America tolerates all this white supremacist shit. Even gives it spotlight. In Canada you get smacked and shamed for it: http://www.richmond-news.com/news/a...o-richmond-targeting-chinese-people-1.2892211

fix'd

 

[True Underdog]

Bothers the hell out of me that this and other similar sentiments weren't displayed until very recently.

I get wanting to appear impartial but when a large group of people are being shitty, they need to be called out for being shitty.

 

[FStop7]

oh hey the horse escaped from the barn a year or two ago, maybe we should discuss closing the door

The media's attempt to sanitize white supremacists with the label has been sickening to watch, and they do it with straight faces, the idiots.

Still smh @ the LA Times and Mother Jones "Esquire/GQ" style photo shoot profiles of fucking "dapper" white nationalists.

 

[MogCakes]

The media's attempt to sanitize white supremacists with the label has been sickening to watch, and they do it with straight faces, the idiots.

 

[Vagabundo]

I like Alt-Reich better.

 

[chaobreaker]

The media's attempt to sanitize white supremacists with the label has been sickening to watch, and they do it with straight faces, the idiots.

It's especially harrowing after these news outlets had a collective epiphany and realized that they contributed to Trump's victory by giving him as much free coverage as any presidential candidate could ever want. CNN's head is on camera saying that maybe they shouldn't have been airing his hateful rallies unedited.

They will normalize hate and will continue to normalize it if it gives them ratings, clicks, and views. Fuck these news outlets.

 

[Codeblue]

It's incredible that it took a catastrophic election for news outlets to think about not letting hate groups define themselves and forging false equivalencies.

Maybe next people can stop printing Trump quotes as headlines even though he is perpetually spouting nonsense.

 

[Ozigizo]

Still smh @ the LA Times and Mother Jones "Esquire/GQ" style photo shoot profiles of fucking "dapper" white nationalists.

When did this happen?

 

[Vice]

Nice. Plenty(most?) of outlets follow AP style.

 

[chaobreaker]

When did this happen?

Tweets critical of news outlets like Mother Jones was all over twitter last week. Example:

Here's an article:

Mother Jones roasted for 'dapper white nationalist' description of racists

 

[How About No]

When did this happen?

Meet the new think tank in town: The "alt-right" comes to Washington

baaaarfffff

 

[Crimson-Death]

The press is going to have to step up in the next few years and call people out on their bullshit.
I have faith. I look forward to all the Trump controversies during his Reich.

 

[chaobreaker]

The press is going to have to step up in the next few years and call people out on their bullshit.
I have faith. I look forward to all the Trump controversies during his Reich.

They didn't even have the balls to call out on Trump's bullshit until he started directly insulting them. I bet they'll continue to be "impartial" during Trump's reign just because.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

The press is going to have to step up in the next few years and call people out on their bullshit.
I have faith. I look forward to all the Trump controversies during his Reich.

The press is why trump is president.

They will sacrifice their integrity for ratings.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

The press is why trump is president.

They will sacrifice their integrity for ratings.

It seems like at least for some, Trump was kind of a wake-up call. This is the second major "let's call them racists if they are", no?

 

[KernelPanic]

Press will do what they need to do for ratings.

Nothing more nothing less.

 

[Big Baybee]

It seems like at least for some, Trump was kind of a wake-up call. This is the second major "let's call them racists if they are", no?

Nah, just watch and be disappointed.

 

[Erin S Kittens]

I have to wonder if there'll be consequences for the AP under the Trump administration.

 

[John Kowalski]

Should do the same on gaf tbh.

 

[Bruce Springsteen]

already liking the new head of the AP

 

[David H Wong]

It's really just neo-Nazism. "White nationalist movement" is a polite spin on what it is.

Well they're two separate groups who share a lot of beliefs, but it only confuses things when you call them by the same name - not because it makes the alt-right look bad, but because people will see that they don't shave their heads or wear swastikas and assume the Nazi stuff was just an ugly smear.

In my mind the alt-right is MUCH more dangerous, specifically because they don't have the trappings of Neo-Nazis (which everyone but a tiny minority despises). They've disguised those beliefs in a very different package and calling them Nazis is like insisting ISIS and Al Qaeda are the same thing. If you want to understand the situation (and you should - knowledge is power) it starts with understanding the important ways the groups are different, who is the leadership of each. who they appeal to, etc.

For example, the recruiting methods between the two are very different, and target different demographics (in many cases).

 

[Akuun]

Good job. AP style is standard for a lot of places.

It's doing its job of being as accurate and consistent as possible, which... of course also means that it will be dismissed by all those assholes who seem to be against anything rational like that, but that's how it is.

 

[ebullientprism]

We should not limit ourselves to letting such groups define themselves, and instead should report their actions, associations, history and positions to reveal their actual beliefs and philosophy, as well as how others see them.

FUCKING A!

 

[David H Wong]

Tweets critical of news outlets like Mother Jones was all over twitter last week. Example:

Here's an article:

Mother Jones roasted for 'dapper white nationalist' description of racists

I don't agree with the criticism. They were trying to point out something that is not only true but crucial: These white nationalists don't look and sound like the ones you know from pop culture. They're well-dressed and well-spoken and know exactly what language to avoid. They're not complimenting them, they're trying to say, "This is what white nationalism looks like now, here is why people are getting sucked in."

 

[studyguy]

Saw foreshadows of this with some sites like thinkprogress and some others eschewing the term Alt-Right for White Nationalist, fullstop last week too iirc.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

I don't agree with the criticism. They were trying to point out something that is not only true but crucial: These white nationalists don't look and sound like the ones you know from pop culture. They're well-dressed and well-spoken and know exactly what language to avoid. They're not complimenting them, they're trying to say, "This is what white nationalism looks like now, here is why people are getting sucked in."

Feels like the Rolling Stone cover of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev all over again, though. The optics of it are going to be challenged because the line between 'psychopaths look just like normal people, stop looking for monsters' and 'these are just sexy normal people, what is context' is very very fine, and poorly communicated at best over a medium like twitter, as the backlash pointed out:

 

[Zach]

Too late? Hopefully not. Go forward and do good.

 

[AstroNut325]

Is there a way we can have other, major news networks and organizations do the same?

 

[FStop7]

I don't agree with the criticism. They were trying to point out something that is not only true but crucial: These white nationalists don't look and sound like the ones you know from pop culture. They're well-dressed and well-spoken and know exactly what language to avoid. They're not complimenting them, they're trying to say, "This is what white nationalism looks like now, here is why people are getting sucked in."

Then you say that. You don't go out and do a fashion shoot with a white supremacist like the LA Times did and lead with a blurb on Twitter making it look like a goddamn style piece. They set the tone in a very specific way.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Thank you Associated Press

Sincerely

 

[Man Called Aerodynamics]

I've noticed in the last few days that NPR is starting to describe Trump's statements as "baseless" or "false". Not in a "some experts may disagree" sense, but just matter-of-factly as in "Trump tweeted the false claim etc. etc." Better late than never I guess.

 

[Nikodemos]

Lose the tie and that "dapper white" fucktard wouldn't have looked out of place next to Goebbels.

 

[QuantumBro]

Feels like the Rolling Stone cover of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev all over again, though. The optics of it are going to be challenged because the line between 'psychopaths look just like normal people, stop looking for monsters' and 'these are just sexy normal people, what is context' is very very fine, and poorly communicated at best over a medium like twitter, as the backlash pointed out:

If people want the news to be held to a higher standard, then people themselves need to hold themselves to a higher standard as well. If you actually read either of those articles, then there's no way you can come away without thinking the alt-right is white nationalist and very scary for this country, unless you sympathized with them beforehand. Both articles also follow the AP rules in the OP.

If you only judge a news article based on a headline and photo, then why should news companies actually bother with in-depth journalism? Honestly, if you get most of your news and views only from twitter posts, you're a fucking idiot and news companies should stoop to get you to understand.

 

[DedValve]

I like Alt-Reich better.

Winner.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

If you only judge a news article based on a headline and photo, then why should news companies actually bother with in-depth journalism? Honestly, if you get most of your news and views only from twitter posts, you're a fucking idiot and news companies should stoop to get you to understand.

In a perfect world, everyone reads past the headlines.

We don't live in that world and 'dapper' was a bad call in the MJ headline, and the LA Times is definitely not in compliance with their headline.

 

[eyeball_kid]

Well they're two separate groups who share a lot of beliefs, but it only confuses things when you call them by the same name - not because it makes the alt-right look bad, but because people will see that they don't shave their heads or wear swastikas and assume the Nazi stuff was just an ugly smear.

In my mind the alt-right is MUCH more dangerous, specifically because they don't have the trappings of Neo-Nazis (which everyone but a tiny minority despises). They've disguised those beliefs in a very different package and calling them Nazis is like insisting ISIS and Al Qaeda are the same thing. If you want to understand the situation (and you should - knowledge is power) it starts with understanding the important ways the groups are different, who is the leadership of each. who they appeal to, etc.

For example, the recruiting methods between the two are very different, and target different demographics (in many cases).

There are differences, but the white power neo-Nazi groups have been headed in this direction. It's far more important to call out what it represents in the clearest terms. Most people have no idea what "white nationalism" is and it sounds benign. Almost as benign as "alt-right" does. So using a shorthand for Americans that says "these people are scary racist bigots with tendencies towards fascism" is the best course of action right now.

 

[old manatee]

Ted Bundy Frolics in Boxer Briefs, film at eleven.

 

[Jawbreaker]

I'll be more impressed when they adopt the Oxford comma.

 

[benicillin]

Better late than never. This kinda stuff is going to be vital going forward.

 

[Cyrano]

There are differences, but the white power neo-Nazi groups have been headed in this direction. It's far more important to call out what it represents in the clearest terms. Most people have no idea what "white nationalism" is and it sounds benign. Almost as benign as "alt-right" does. So using a shorthand for Americans that says "these people are scary racist bigots with tendencies towards fascism" is the best course of action right now.

Yeah, calling them neo-Nazis would be more appropriate but I also agree, that actually sounds scary and people won't have that. Gotta gloss over everything that sounds bad because in America everything is roses and sunshine.