NPR Public Editor by Poynter's Kelly McBride

Coded language is a common tool used by slick communicators, including politicians, corporate spokespeople and organizations, to signal an idea or shape public perception without being overt. Coded language can soften a blow — like when an organization says “we’re restructuring,” rather than “layoffs are coming.” It can disguise controversial ideas — as when a politician talks “tough on crime” and is really referring to law enforcement policies that have historically, disproportionately affected communities of color.

Journalists have a responsibility to identify coded language and should seek to clarify and explain what the speaker really means, to be able to give the audience complete and contextual information. But that’s not always easy to do.

In order to avoid inadvertently repeating coded language when the audience needs accuracy instead, journalists first need to identify coded language and what the words are masking. Then they need to understand how and when to provide context or explanation to the audience. This is where educators come in.

In the last of our language miniseries for the Educator Edition of the NPR Public Editor newsletter, we’re exploring examples of when and how coded language is used, and how journalists can navigate around it so the audience has the facts it needs to understand an issue. — Nicole Slaughter Graham

Illustration by Carlos Carmonamedina

We examine the topic at hand to provide a starting point for conversation that you can use in the classroom.

To understand this concept, journalists have to be aware of the differences between coded language, euphemisms, jargon and dog whistles.

Coded language hides or blurs meaning, to make an idea more palatable. It’s similar to a euphemism, which is a nice way of talking about a difficult topic, but less clear. Saying someone “passed away” is a euphemism for saying they died, because death is a sensitive topic. But saying an area is “urban” is often a code, because the real meaning is obscured. Urban can mean high crime, high poverty, mostly Black residents or all of the above. And the only way to know what the speaker really means is to ask.

Jargon, on the other hand, is bureaucratic language used by a group of insiders. For example, “officer-involved shooting” is a phrase often used by police, but it doesn't convey who shot whom. Jargon can be a form of coded language, but sometimes it's just confusing language that doesn’t convey clear meaning. For instance, “high-net-worth individual” means a rich guy.

Finally, a dog whistle is a term or phrase that seems innocuous on the surface, but is a signal to a small group of people.The phrase “states’ rights” was invoked during the Civil Rights era, because the term had come to signify resistance to racial integration in schools and neighborhoods.

The Public Editor receives many questions about how journalistic decisions are made at NPR. We explore the importance of these topics in the wider journalism sphere and articulate why they're necessary in the classroom.

When a journalist mimics unclear language in their reporting, they’re not providing enough information for the audience to come to its own informed conclusions.

The phrase “traditional family values,” for example, often hides its true meaning. It appears neutral on the surface, but it is often used to evoke narrow definitions like two-parent families and stay-at-home moms, and to frown upon every other kind of family, including same-sex couples, single parents and nonnuclear families. For this reason, journalists should avoid quoting sources who use it without seeking a deeper explanation of what the speaker means.

Coded language often reflects and perpetuates existing stereotypes about race, class, gender or geography. “Good schools” and “safe neighborhoods,” for instance, often correlate to white, affluent areas — using that language uncritically normalizes those biases. On the flip side, “inner city” or “urban” can become shorthand for “Black” or “poor.” Rather than using “inner city,” journalists should instead use specific and precise descriptors. If the speaker is discussing poverty, include information about household income. If the speaker is discussing high crime, include ZIP code or neighborhood-specific data.

Where it applies, journalists should also explain why a place being referred to as “inner city” is being described as such. Often, this means understanding the area’s history. Curiously, as city centers are developed and gentrified, the economic conditions change, and people stop calling it the “inner city.”

Likewise, the label “illegal aliens,” is used by politicians and influencers to evoke fear or resentment toward immigrants. The definition of “alien” is “not of this world,” so using it to refer to a person is dehumanizing. The word “illegal” implies criminal behavior. It’s a word that describes an action, not a person, according to the Associated Press Stylebook, so it should only be used to describe actions rather than people; “illegal immigration” works, but “illegal immigrant” does not.

When a source or politician uses this language to describe immigrants, a reporter should use direct quotes when needed to help the audience understand that politician’s stance, and then they should use descriptors like “people without legal immigration status” throughout the reporting.

In some cases, it might help to explain why the term is controversial as well. This can help the audience understand the political rhetoric and its function.

Journalists who use terms like “illegal alien” or “safe neighborhoods” or “inner city” without examining them may unintentionally pass along prejudice as fact.

Here are a few questions student journalists can ask themselves as they report:

Who is speaking or being quoted, and what is their motive or position of power?
What does this phrasing allow the speaker to avoid saying directly?
Am I using this term because it’s accurate, or because it’s familiar?
Have I explained what the speaker means rather than simply repeating the phrase?
Can I replace this term with specific, verifiable details (who, what, where, why, how)?
How can I add historical or policy context to show why this language emerged?

Here, we offer some suggestions and a handout to get your students going.

Once a student journalist has been trained to pick out coded language and understands the hidden meanings behind these phrases, they have to determine when it’s useful to include those terms in the reporting, and what else the audience needs to understand.

Let’s use the examples above:

For “officer-involved shooting,” a reporter can identify the shooter and the victim in the story. This gives the audience clear information and helps hold power to account.

For “traditional family values,” rather than writing, “The senator’s speech focused on traditional family values,” journalists need to explore the context that gets to the root of the message. If the senator is using “traditional family values” in the speech to oppose same-sex marriage or say that the most important role for a woman is motherhood, then that should be expressed clearly in the story.

For “inner city,” if a podcaster is referring to Detroit’s “inner city” as a place that is crime-ridden and dangerous, journalists need to be specific about the area in question and why that area is facing certain issues. The descriptor “neighborhoods in downtown Detroit” more accurately describes the place in question. Context like “neighborhoods in downtown Detroit that have faced higher rates of violent crime than the city as a whole” gives the audience precise information, so they can better understand the nature of the problem.

Journalists should simply avoid “illegal aliens,” in their reporting. The term might be used in direct quotes with necessary context, or it might be useful to paraphrase when needed. For example, say “The senator referred to undocumented immigrants as ‘illegal aliens’ …”

Interpreting and working around coded language is a skill that takes time and practice to cultivate. Use this handout to give your students a starting point. — Nicole Slaughter Graham

The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Reporters Amaris Castillo and Nicole Slaughter Graham and copy editor Merrill Perlman make this newsletter possible. Illustrations are by Carlos Carmonamedina. We are still reading all of your messages on Facebook, Instagram, Threads and from our inbox. As always, keep them coming.

Kelly McBride
NPR Public Editor
Chair, Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute

Kelly McBride
Public Editor

Amaris Castillo
Poynter Institute

Nicole Slaughter Graham
Poynter Institute

The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy.

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