Media inquiries should be directed to Anne Sittner Anderson at anne.sittner-anderson@state.mn.us or 612-404-2441.
We ask journalists to follow recommendations provided by the Cronkite Center on Disability and Journalism. They created an online disability reporting style guide, which covers vocabulary and how to respectfully approach reporting on disability issues and people with disabilities. Quick takeaways include:
NCDJ recommendation: Lowercase when referring to a hearing loss condition or to a deaf person who prefers lowercase. Capitalize for those who identify as members of the Deaf community or when they capitalize Deaf when describing themselves. Use as an adjective, not as a noun. AP style: The stylebook uses deaf to describe a person with total hearing loss and partially deaf or partial hearing for others. It calls for a use of a lower case "d" in all usages.
NCDJ recommendation: Use the terms the person prefers. AP style: Not addressed.
NCDJ recommendation: Hard of hearing is almost always acceptable. However, use the term the person prefers. AP style: Not addressed.
Uses people first language and is often preferred by individuals with age-related hearing loss.
Avoid offensive terms such as hearing impaired, deaf and dumb, and deaf-mute.
