- The Conscious Language Newsletter by Karen Yin
- Posts
- The Conscious Language Newsletter: September 2025
The Conscious Language Newsletter: September 2025
Advanced methods for detecting AI-generated fakes.
Karen Yin
September 25, 2025
A Note From the Founder
 | On September 10, 2018, I launched the Editors of Color Database to raise the visibility of editorial professionals of color. Like many POC, I was tired of being left out of projects, interviews, panels, and jobs because the people in charge claimed we don’t exist. Someone told me to my face “I can’t find any editors of color” at an editor's conference attended by editors of color. |
From the World of Conscious Language
Note: The authors' viewpoints are not necessarily shared by CSG.
DESIGN + IMAGES / VERIFICATION
“This guide teaches journalists how to try to identify AI-generated content under deadline pressure, offering seven advanced detection categories that every reporter needs to master.”
HEALTH
“Dramatic causes like terrorism, pandemics and natural disasters receive disproportionate attention, while chronic illnesses such as heart disease, kidney disease and stroke—the world’s biggest killers are underreported or ignored.”
ETHNICITY, RACE + NATIONALITY
“‘Your English is good’ is rarely just about language. It is about who is presumed competent, who is presumed to belong, and who must constantly prove themselves.”
APPEARANCE
“The world feels entitled to comment on women’s appearance and bodies, and Black women like Williams face heightened analysis and scrutiny compared to their counterparts.”
COLONIALISM
“An Indigenous-inspired lens can help us envision and build a future with stewardship and shared responsibility, not competition and conquest.”
ABILITY + DISABILITY
“Accessibility is not a checklist—it’s a mindset. Designing with semantic labels and assistive technologies in mind ensures we’re building inclusive and usable experiences for everyone.”
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
“The debate around the name has been a source of geopolitical tension between Iran and its neighbours across the Gulf for more than six decades.”
Amazon | BAM! | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org
For a bulk discount, please email Hachette Book Group at [email protected].
CLIMATE + ENVIRONMENT
“The era of casual climate language is over. Companies must adopt a new lexicon—one that matches the complexity of carbon markets with clarity, humility and transparency.”
ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY + RACE
“Criminal. Illegal. Alien. Repeated over and over, those words can convince us that immigrants are something less than human—and legitimately undeserving of rights or dignity afforded to Americans.”
TEACHING CHILDREN
“Try not to lead with what not to do. Telling a young person not to have sex or watch pornography is unlikely to stop them doing it and may shut down future conversation.”
ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY + RACE
“To consider being ‘no sabo’ as to be more aligned with American values, inadvertently and inaccurately categorizes the speaking of Spanish as ‘un-American.’“
TEACHING CHILDREN
“We must act now to confront the lasting harm caused by cruel, critical or controlling language. We need to build children up—not knock them down.”—Jessica Bondy, founder, Words Matter
JOURNALISM
“Although other opinion journalists like Jamelle Bouie, M. Gessen, Jonathan Chait and nearly every MSNBC anchor have been labeling Trump an authoritarian for some time, much hard news coverage of the Trump administration has not.”
New and Notable on CSG
TEACHING CHILDREN > RESOURCES
Words Matter
“Words matter. They stick. They last a lifetime. Their impact shapes who we are and who we become.”
Most Popular Posts
• Queer Language: Borrowed Grammar, Made-Up Words, and Chosen Family
• “I Fixed That for You”: Why Mainstream Headlines Keep Failing
• How a Simple Metaphor Can Save Planet Earth
You Need This!
 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! |
 | Make More Space! Fans of Whole Whale will love the huggable 9” by 9” board book format. In this raucous rhyming tale about making space, 100 unusual animals try to squeeze into the pages of the book. Features an expansive double gatefold and a list of the animals. "This simple rhyming book packs a powerful message."—School Library Journal. Visit KarenYin.com/Books to learn more. |
 | New Ghoul at School: Mimi doesn’t look like the other ghosts—but she wishes she did. “A pun-tacular ghost story.”—Booklist. Themes in So Not Ghoul: new student, blending in, bullying, cultural misappropriation. For a free 12-page activity guide, a signed bookplate, or ways to buy, visit KarenYin.com/Books. |
More 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!
Shop for Diverse Picture Books: On DiversePictureBooks.com, find exceptional picture books that spread understanding, compassion, and joy through diverse representation.
Get More Tips on Instagram: Follow @ConsciousStyleGuide for examples of context that supports sensitive content.
Did Someone Forward This to You?
Get The Conscious Language Newsletter in your in-box!
There’s no other newsletter like it.