The Conscious Language Newsletter: May 2025

What conscious language for resistance looks like.

Author

Karen Yin
May 20, 2025

In partnership with

A Note From the Founder

Black-and-white portrait of Karen Yin, a light-skinned Chinese American woman with long, wavy hair. Her arms are folded on a table in front of her. She smiles gently at the camera, with head tilted.

Dear readers,

My sincere apologies for the monthslong absence. If you follow me on LinkedIn or Bluesky, you may have read that I lost my home in the Eaton Fire and have been slowly finding my way back.

I wish I had the wherewithal to articulate my observations on how language evolved among self-described “fire folks.” Many in my neighborhood became homeless and described themselves as such; others identified more as or only as displaced or homeless-adjacent or another term that captures the nuance of either having a home they cannot return to (due to fire damage), being housed somewhere that is not their home, or having no home but many economic advantages. I myself used the hopeful phrase between homes until I found a home last month. Language helps us make sense of things when nothing makes sense.

Why publish this newsletter while in the early stages of recovery? First, I miss it. I miss sharing interesting and exciting developments in the world of conscious language. Second, my critically acclaimed book The Conscious Style Guide turns 1 on May 28! So a bit of fanfare is in order. And third, I didn’t want the older articles I had collected over the last four months to get any older. 🙂 

Thank you for sticking around. If you would like to help me in my recovery, please consider donating to my ongoing fundraiser.

~Karen Yin

From the World of Conscious Language

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

JOURNALISM

“First, stop with the pussyfooting about what’s happening.”

ADVOCACY

You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism

“Researchers have found that the viral outrage disseminated on social media in response to these ridiculous claims actually reduces the effectiveness of collective action. The result is a media environment that keeps us in a state of debilitating fear and anger, endlessly reacting to our oppressors instead of organizing against them.”

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

“Medically relevant terminology and inclusive language follow evidence based reporting standards or are matters of individual journal style and policy. They do not follow political orders.”

JOURNALISM

Trump Wants News Outlets to Get on Board With “Gulf of America”—or Else. Will They?

“If Trump is going to start barring reporters over [house style], maintaining the old name [‘Gulf of Mexico’] is the only reasonable choice.”

TEACHING CHILDREN

Tips compiled by PBS on how to talk to young children about wildfires and help them cope.

JOURNALISM

“The way we handle consent from vulnerable sources must evolve beyond outdated assumptions that prioritize access over ethics. People’s dignity should matter more than any story.”

TRANSPARENCY

“Share enough to demystify the process and highlight the human judgment behind the work.”

On a graphic featuring the navy-blue cover of The Conscious Style Guide are a series of quotes from readers. S.R. says "A game changer." Gael says "One of the most important books I've ever read." David says "Teaches you how to think about how you use language." Bridgitte says "Everyone must read this! Not just for writers."

For a bulk discount, please email Hachette Book Group at [email protected].

ETHNICITY, RACE + NATIONALITY

“Particular words illustrate the truth of Australia’s Blak history and Indigenous peoples, while other words sanitise, minimise, misrepresent or even outwardly deny this confronting history. For instance, the British didn’t ‘settle’ [in] Australia; they invaded it.”

HEALTH

The Words of Health Care Providers During Prenatal Care Visits Can Influence How Parents See Their Children

“The results of the two experiments carried out by this research team suggest that the words of health care providers during pregnancy can in fact have lasting effects on how parents view their children’s personality, while also potentially impacting the children’s development.”

JOURNALISM

“According to one study, publications routinely speculate about white perpetrators’ mental health as a possible explanation for their actions, painting a complex picture of their motivations, whereas suspects of color are reduced to racial stereotypes.”

ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY + RACE

“The less international players are shown as human through commodifying metaphors, the more ‘disposable’ they are seen by the public, especially if they are cut by teams.”

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

“Just keep in mind that the way in which you talk about us says everything we need to know about you.”

ABILITY + DISABILITY

Should AI Write Your Alt Text?

“Alt text should describe the image in the context of the webpage, but AI only describes the image itself.”

CSG in the Spotlight

“I don’t believe in banning words. I believe in being creative and being contextual.”

New Reviews: The Conscious Style Guide

“‘Practice’ is the book’s longest chapter and the one that most resembles a traditional stylebook. Yin offers recommendations on language choices on topics such as climate change, mental health, and religion.”—Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly (republished on The Editor’s Desk)

“[Karen Yin] sets out a system that encourages readers to decide what conscious language means to them and how best to incorporate it into their own work.”—BoldFace (Editors Toronto)

New and Notable on CSG

MISCELLANEOUS > CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND INCARCERATION

Don’t Be a Copagandist

“Don’t repeat police narratives unchecked.”

In Case You Missed It

• How Black Culture Is Erased by Terms Like “Gen Alpha Slang”
• The Right (and Wrong) Things to Say to a Grieving Friend
• Let’s Talk About “Joyfriend” Love & the Perks of Having a “Second Queer Adolescence”

You Need This!

Photo of an ocean-blue tee on a white-washed fence.

Photo by Uni-T.

Play, work, and sleep in the super soft “Make Peace With Words” T-shirt. Choose from a variety of colors. (Fitted shirts available in XXS through XXL, and straight-cut shirts available in XS through XXL.) Hand-printed with love. Your purchase supports two small businesses owned by women of color. Why make peace? Read the article!

Other Resources

Join Our Online Community: Are you on Facebook? Join the Conscious Language + Design Facebook Group to learn, share, and chat with others who are curious or serious about conscious language.

Find Editors of Color: The Editors of Color Database, one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers, helps recruiters connect with editors, proofreaders, and sensitivity readers of color in the U.S. and Canada. You can submit job listings for distribution to our private network and explore the 100+ resources in Diverse Databases, which highlights underrepresented groups. Diversify your sources now!

Get More Tips on Instagram: Follow @ConsciousStyleGuide for examples of context that supports sensitive content.

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