The Columbia Chronicle Stylebook, Spring 2023

Stylebook 2023

This stylebook contains style guidelines specific to The Columbia Chronicle. Always use Chronicle Style when writing for the Chronicle. Do not edit quotes to fit the stylebook. For any entry that is not specified here, refer to the AP Stylebook. If still in doubt after consulting the Chronicle and AP stylebooks, consult the copy desk or someone in management.

EDITED BY

Olivia Cohen, Editor-in-Chief

Ruth Johnson, Managing Editor

Elizabeth Rymut, Managing Editor

Leah Love, News Editor

Justice Lewis, Opinions Editor

K’Von Jackson, Co-Director of Photography

Bianca Kreusel, Co-Director of Photography

Amanda Burris, Copy Chief and Lead Page Designer

Andres Guerra, Executive Producer

ADVISOR

Jackie Spinner, Faculty Advisor

COPYRIGHT 2023 COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

ACADEMIC DEGREES

Spell out bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, etc. Avoid abbreviations such as B.A. and M.A. Use “graduate student” rather than M.F.A. or master’s student. Ex: “Graduate student studying creative writing.”

ACADEMIC TITLES

Do not use “Dr.” when referring to a person with a PhD. Use “Dr.” only for medical doctors and never on second reference. Adjuncts and teaching faculty are attributed as instructors, only using professors if they are tenured or on the tenure track. “Professor of Instruction” is still attributed as a professor. Correct titles can be checked in the Columbia directory.

ACADEMIC YEARS

Use “first-year” instead of freshmen, and then continue to use the traditional sophomore, junior and senior grade sequence for the following academic years. Lowercase before and after a source’s name as it is not a formal title. For example, “First-year graphic design major Jane Doe and John Smith, a junior journalism major.”

ADDRESSES

Only include an address if it is relevant to the story, an acceptable use of addresses outside of this rule would be when referring to Columbia buildings that do not have an official name. Ex. the 33 E. Ida B Wells Dr. building.

AFRICAN AMERICAN

Acceptable for Black or African Americans. When possible use the preference of the source. See Black entry.

ALDERMANIC REFERENCES

An alderperson is a member of Chicago’s City Council, when referencing an alderperson include their ward in parentheses following the name. Use the gender-neutral “alderperson” and abbreviate as “ald.” Ex: Ald. Sophia King (4th Ward). Do not refer to an individual alderperson as a city council member, but city council members are acceptable for reference to older people in a group. It is acceptable to say that someone is running or is on the city council.

ALUMNA, ETC.

Use the gender-neutral alum for all. Use alumni as the plural form.

AS REPORTED BY ATTRIBUTION

Use when waiting to hear from a source, usually an administrator, and expect it may come after publication. Ex: “Marcella David did not respond as of publication time.” Do not use “as of press time.” If a source responds after publication, add it later and note at the end of the story that an update has been made.

As reported by the Chronicle (with hyperlink). Use date when necessary.

Reporters should be asking sources their name and spelling, major if they are a student. If they are a faculty/ staff member at Columbia, ask for their specific title. If they are not associated with Columbia, ask for a job title and neighborhood. This should be done at the beginning of an interview or when getting a photo, for attribution. Do not include age unless relevant to the story.

Use “said” when attributing to a live source. Use “according to” when attributing to an article or other publication, report or citation. Use said before the name only on the first introduction, and said following in subsequent references. Use “told” when grammatically necessary.

For quotes received from email interviews use “said in an email to the Chronicle.” For information received as tips from emails use “shared in an email to the Chronicle.”

Long titles should be offset by commas following the name. Ex: Lambrini Lukidis, assistant vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations, said.

In general if a title is more than three words, it should follow the name. Exceptions are made for high-ranking officials, i.e., Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David.

In most cases, the title should be separated by commas and follow the name.

Ex: Cynthia Grunden, assistant vice president for Student Financial Services, said …

Abbreviated titles such as “spokesperson” should be used in audio/video production.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BANDS/TEAMS/CLUB BLACK BLACK AND BROWN BIPOC BRACKETS

When referring to bands, sports teams or clubs, use the pronoun “they/their.” Use it/its when referring to corporations or other groups. Ex: “XYZ’s Basketball team made it into nationals last year. They traveled to Washington DC.” Vs. “Chicago Department of Transportation is releasing its 2024 budget in November.”

Capitalize in all references regarding race in acknowledgment of the contributions Black people have made to the country, including, but not limited to art, culture, politics, government and overall experience. As the Associated Press stated in a June 2020 update to its stylebook, “these changes align with long-standing capitalization of other racial and ethnic identifiers such as Latino, Asian American and Native American.”

Acceptable when referring to the Black and Brown communities.

Black, Indigenous and people of color. Spell out on first reference. BIPOC is acceptable on subsequent references.

Always capitalize.

Avoid at the beginning of a quote. Ex: Don’t use “[The board] made a terrible mistake,” Instead, The board “made a terrible mistake.”

When using brackets to clarify a quote, do not include the word the brackets are replacing. Ex: “I told her [Simpson] it was on Tuesday.” Instead, “I told [Simpson] it was on Tuesday.”

Use sparingly in quotes and avoid multiple bracketed word replacements in a single sentence.

CAMPUS BUILDINGS

When referencing campus buildings, refer to them using their full address. Any building with an official name does not need an unless relevant. For formal names and addresses, see Columbia’s website.

Ex. “The Columbia Chronicle held a meeting in the 33 E. Ida B Wells Dr. building.” “The dance team hosted a performance at the Student Center.”

CAPTIONS

For captions for photographs describe in the present tense who is pictured and what is going on within the photo.

Name the city and state where the image was made. For U.S. states, follow AP guidelines.

Provide the date the photo was made, including the day of the week if the photo was made within the past two weeks, and preceded by a comma. (e.g., Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015).

Names should be listed in order, left to right, unless it is impossible for the caption to read normally otherwise. With multiple people identified within the caption, enough representations to placement are necessary so there is no confusion as to each subject’s identity. It is not necessary for (left) and (right) for two people.

*The second sentence of the caption is used to give context to the news event or describe why the photo is significant.

Example: As election results roll in on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, members of the crowd at Paul Vallas election party located at 838 W. Kinzie St. converse with each other after news that Lori Lightfoot, previous Mayor of Chicago, has conceded. Lightfoot is the first one-term mayor in 40 years to lose the reelection bid.

CFAC CHICAGO

Spell out Columbia’s part-time faculty union on first reference, but use CFAC for subsequent references.

Do not use “city of Chicago,” unless it is in a quote. In this case, note that the city is lowercase.

CHICAGO REGIONS AND NEIGHBORHOODS

Use in reference to the city’s elected body of representatives.

Use South Side, West Side and North Side when applicable. Capitalize neighborhoods and community areas. Ex: South Loop, Austin, Chatham. See directions entry in AP Stylebook for more information.

COURSE/CLASS

CITY COUNCIL CLUBS

COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS

A course pertains to a specific subject and usually contains a number of classes. Ex: The fall course schedule was updated with a mixture of online, in-person and hybrid classes. Course names should be capitalized and put in quotation marks.

For list of Columbia’s official clubs, see Columbia’s website.

Spell out full names of a college or school on first reference, except for Columbia. Ex: University of Illinois at Chicago on first reference. UIC on second reference.

Use the article “the” when an institution begins with “University of.”

When referring to multiple institutions together, lowercase colleges or universities: “DePaul, Roosevelt and Northwestern universities”

THE CHRONICLE

Use “the Chronicle” when referencing ourselves in a story. Reference the Chronicle as “The Columbia Chronicle” in all other cases.

DDATES

If an event occurs within seven days of the current date, use the day of the week AND date. Only use day and month; do not include the year unless you are writing a caption. If an event occurs more than seven days before or after the current date, use only the date, as per AP Style. If referring to an event that occurred the day prior to the article’s publication, do not use the word yesterday. Instead, use the day of the week and the date. Do not use dates or addresses in the lede of a story.

FOR DATES AND YEARS, USE FIGURES

Always capitalize months and spell out the month unless it is used with a date.

Lowercase and use as an adjective 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 who were born Deaf and consider sign language to be their first language. Always ask whether or not a source prefers “deaf” to be upper or lowercase in reference to their identity. Avoid using “hearing-impaired.”

Add a note at the bottom of the story if an ASL interpreter is used.

DEPARTMENTS/ MAJORS

Capitalize department names. Do not capitalize majors. For example, “However, this is not unique to the Photography Department, which was quick to provide clarity to its students regarding plans for the rest of the semester.”

“Senior commercial photography major Alie Stanton was worried when she learned that her last semester had been “put on hold” due to the coronavirus.”

DIVERSITY IN COVERAGE

DEAF AND DEAF CULTURE DISABILITY

Consult Robert Maynard’s Faultlines, as a way to make sure to produce a story that appeals to a diverse audience. And for more information on producing diverse and inclusive reporting, consult the Online News Association’s diversity guide.

Ask the source if they prefer person-first or identity-first language. Follow guidelines from the National Center on Disability and Journalism when referring to a group with a disability. Examples of person-first language include “people with diabetes” or “person with epilepsy.” Examples of identity-first language include “autistic person” or “asthmatic people.” Avoid Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD when referring to Autism.

Never use “suffer” when writing about disability. Never use the term “Aspergers” in relation to an Autism diagnosis or identifier. Never use the term “mental disability,” instead use “intellectual and developmental disability.” When referring to a person with a mental illness, use person-first language, i.e. “a person with anxiety.”

EDITORIAL BOARD

The Chronicle Editorial Board is comprised of staff members who are independent of most news production. It holds the same standards of fact and after debate among its members, presents the viewpoint of the Chronicle on issues of importance to the Columbia community.

ENSLAVED VERSUS SLAVE FACULTY SENATE

Use enslaved person or enslavement on all references. Avoid using “slave” or “slavery” terminology.

The Faculty Senate is an officially sanctioned body within the governance structure of the College. Always capitalize. Spell out subcommittees of the Faculty Senate such as “Executive Committee.”

FACULTY TITLES

Faculty are categorized by ranks of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, and adjunct faculty member. Note that some faculty are instructional and have similar rankings, such as associate professor of instruction and/ or assistant professor of instruction. Some faculty also work in administrative departments. In these cases, use the person’s administrative position or title and include their teaching position in a subsequent reference. For example, “senior associate provost Nate Bakkum, … Bakkum, associate professor in the Music Department.”

Adjuncts and teaching faculty are attributed as instructors, Only professors if they are tenured or on the tenure track. “Professor of Instruction” would still be attributed as a professor. Correct titles can be checked in the Columbia directory.

For sources that have more than one faculty title, list the relevant title first.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The state of Illinois’ legislative body, made up of the Illinois State Senate and the Illinois House of Representatives, also referred to informally as the state legislature. When used following a state name, “Legislature” is capitalized. Ex: the Illinois Legislature.

GENDER-INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Make all titles gender-neutral except when used in a quote. Ex: Use spokesperson, alderperson, congressperson, etc. Do not use spokeswoman, congressman, etc. Note: The plural of person is persons, not people; i.e. Alderpersons, spokespersons.

No hyphens when using the phrase gender nonconforming.

IMMIGRATION

Never use “illegal immigrant” or “alien.” Use “undocumented immigrant” instead. Use Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on first reference and DACA on subsequent references. See the immigration entry in the AP Stylebook for more information.

INDIGENOUS/ ABORIGINAL

The Chronicle follows guidance from the Native American Journalists Association: Capitalize in reference to the original inhabitants of a place. Avoid referring to Indigenous people as possessions of a location.

Ex: “the Indigenous people of central Illinois,” not “central Illinois’s Indigenous people.” Prefer Indigenous and specific tribal affiliation over Native American, but go with the individual’s preference if specified.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT

LATINO

Do not capitalize, as it is not a formal title.

Prefer for groups of people with Latin American ancestry. Use Latino/a/x/e for individuals depending on their personal preferences. Do not use Hispanic unless someone identifies as such [e.g. Someone from Spain], if it is in a quote or if it is used in a data set. Reporters should ask about an individual’s preference.

LGBTQ+

Always use LGBTQ+. Avoid terms such as “homosexual” and “transexual.” Always check with sources for pronouns and labels in reference to their sexual orientation. For example, gay, or lesbian. If someone uses multiple pronouns, ask for them and use what they prefer in print. For example, a source may use she/they pronouns and clarify how they would like to be referred to in print. Use of multiple pronouns throughout a story is acceptable, but only use one pronoun per graf.

Trans is the preferred term over transgender or transexual. Transgender may be used in some situations, but transexual should never be used unless explicitly preferred by the person in question.

As directed by the Trans Journalists Association, avoid using the phrase “identifies as” to write about a person’s gender or sexuality when replacing it with “is” doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence. For example, “Smith is genderfluid,” not “Smith identifies as genderfluid.”

NAMES

For performance names: If a current Columbia student, use both their given name and their performance name. For professional performers, use their stage name unless their given name is pertinent to the story. For example, “John Smith, an attorney, is performing as drag queen Jane Doe for a charity event.”

Ex: Are you comfortable that this interview may be used online and in print and possibly in our podcast? (In addition to pronoun identification.)

Exception: If covering a lawsuit involving a person of prominence, always use their legal name.

NATIONALITY

NATIVE AMERICAN/ AMERICAN INDIAN

Ask for specifications when necessary for a story

The Chronicle follows guidance from the Native American Journalists Association: Either is generally acceptable and are used interchangeably, but defer to an individual’s preference. Both terms should be used only to refer to groups—two or more people of different tribal affiliations. Always refer to people by their preferred tribal affiliation when reporting on individuals or individual tribes. Never refer to someone as “an Indian” unless specified explicitly.

OFF THE RECORD/ DECLINE TO COMMENT

Assume all conversations are on the record after you have identified yourself as a Chronicle reporter. If there is an off-the-record or background conversation, make sure the reporter and the source are on the same page and there has been a thorough discussion specifying the terms of the conversation. There are many definitions of off the record and related terms. Following is one set of definitions from the Missouri Group publishers and the Chronicle:

Off the record: You may not use the information. Not for attribution: You may use the information but with no reference as to the source.

Background: You may use it with a general title for a source, for example, “a White House source said on background.” (Make sure you and your source have agreed to this arrangement.)

Deep background: You may use the information, but you may not indicate any source.

Refused/declined to comment: When using such terms, be specific and state exactly what the source refused to discuss. The source may be willing to talk, but just not on one specific issue. This must be clearly explained for your readers.

Anonymous sources: Allowed only in special circumstances and only with the approval of the EIC(s). The EIC(s) must be told the name of the source.

Did not respond: Used when waiting on a quote from a source and you expect you will not hear back before publication time. Before use, you will want to note that there was an attempt to contact made. Ex. “Marcella David did not respond as of publication.

ON/OFF CAMPUS

Hyphenate the phrase only when using it as an adjective. Ex: “On-campus housing applications closed on June 14.”

“The clubs recruited new members at an event held on campus.”

P/S/T/U

Over generally refers to spatial relationships or to designate a physical location. More than is preferred with numerals.

TRIBAL AFFILIATION

Always ask a source “What pronouns would you prefer to have appear in print” at the beginning of the interview. It is important to specify “in print” as someone may have a preference as to what is seen by the general public. If necessary, explain that this is done to be sure everyone is identified correctly to avoid misgendering, being disrespectful or unintentionally outing anyone.

Over generally refers to spatial relationships or to designate a physical location. More than is preferred with numerals.

Spell “theatre” when referring to Columbia majors, departments, etc. Use the American “theater” spelling for other mentions not relating to the school.

The Chronicle follows guidance from the Native American Journalists Association: Always refer to Indigenous people by their specific tribes, nations and communities. Always ask sources which terms are preferred, or look at tribal government websites for correct terminology.

USoCC

Columbia’s staff union. Spell out the full title on first reference, and use USoCC on subsequent uses.