The Conscious Language Newsletter: January 2026

What language do people in larger bodies actually prefer?

Author

Karen Yin
January 29, 2026

From the World of Conscious Language

Note: The authors' viewpoints are not necessarily shared by CSG.

EMPOWERMENT

Style guidance for talking about AI, including “avoiding using it as the subject of a sentence when it is actually a tool.”

HEALTH

“True respect involves not only awareness of the ‘recommended’ terms, but also remaining open to correction and feedback from the people those terms are meant to describe.”

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

“Person-centered alternatives [e.g., “person convicted of a crime” instead of “convict”]…have demonstrated better outcomes for both reducing recidivism and safeguarding human rights.”

JOURNALISM / TRANSPARENCY

“Anyone on the internet can claim that an image is verified and true, whether it actually is or not…That’s why, as credible journalists, it’s important you not only say content has been verified but also share how you verified it.”

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

Tips from the Trans Journalists Association on being clear, specific, and accurate when writing about trans and intersex people.

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ABILITY + DISABILITY

“The NSA encourages journalists to avoid framing stuttering as a ‘struggle’ to overcome or portraying success as happening ‘despite’ a stutter—language that can unintentionally reinforce the misconception that stuttering is a limitation rather than a natural form of human communication.”

JOURNALISM

“Today, we explore just how editors at NPR are determining when to adopt the proper nouns that President Trump seeks to change, and when to stick with common parlance.”

PLAIN LANGUAGE

“By framing monarchy as a corrupt system rather than a misguided institution, Paine shifted the debate entirely. The problem was no longer a particular king or an overreaching parliament. The problem was the system that allowed such concentrated power to exist at all.”

EMPOWERMENT

“An apology generated by an algorithm, no matter how polished, signals that the relationship wasn’t worth the 20 minutes it would have taken to write it yourself.”

New and Notable on CSG

TEACHING CHILDREN > RESOURCES

“Teaching children the correct names of their private body parts is far more than a linguistic choice, it is a critical element of personal safety education.”

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY > ARTICLES > GENDERED LANGUAGE

“When women are called or referred to as girls, the subtle message—whether intentional or not—is that they are not responsible, professional or mature.”

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