Great little journalistic stylebook here from News Watch as to what you can/can’t/should/shouldn’t call people/races/religions/groups/regions/etc. Something to offend or outrage everyone here, no doubt. My favorite:
religious zealots
Avoid. Stereotypical term generally referring to Arabs.
Which is all fine and good when it comes to what should show up in the newspaper, but I can’t say that I’ve usually — if ever — heard this used to refer to Arabs (or, more properly, since the book points out that “Arabs” is not synonymous with “Muslims,” to Muslims). At least in the crowds I read, it’s almost always used to refer to Christian fundamentalists.
But, then, the list of contributors …
It was compiled with the help of the Asian American Journalists Association; National Association of Black Journalists; National Association of Hispanic Journalists; National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association; the Native American Journalists Association; the National Center on Disability and Journalism; the South Asian Journalists Association; and “100 Questions and Answers About Arabs: A Journalist’s Guide” by the Detroit Free Press.
… doesn’t seem to focus on that particular interest group.
(via J-Walk)