Edward Schumacher-Matos, the ombudsman for NPR tasked with holding the organization accountable on questions of journalistic integrity and ethics, published a lengthy piece on March 19, 2014 calling for the network to end its use of the phrase “Redskins” when discussing Washington, D.C.’s NFL team.
The use of the word ‘Redskins’ has been a hot issue in the 2010’s. The term has been described as racist by some, and traditional by others. Meanwhile, the Washington Redskins have faced their own scrutiny regarding their decision to keep their mascot as the ‘Redskins,’ or change in favor of what many argue would be a more politically correct mascot. This article highlights the struggle between banning the use of a discriminatory word and the need to use it based on the content of reports.
For the full article: Ethics, Morality And A Ticking Clock For How To Report On The R**skins