News organizations around the country might be making a subtle but significant change to the way they refer to those who don’t believe in climate change.
The Associated Press announced Tuesday it will no longer use the terms “climate change deniers” or “climate change skeptics” to refer to those who don’t believe the world is warming or don’t accept climate science.
The wire service, which sets the style standard for many news organizations, reported it will instead refer to individuals who reject climate change as “climate change doubters” or “those who reject mainstream climate science.”
In a blog post, Associated Press Stylebook editors Sally Jacobsen, Dave Minthorn and Paula Froke wrote that scientists had complained that using the term “skeptics” was inaccurate.
“They say they aren’t skeptics because ‘proper skepticism promotes scientific inquiry, critical investigation and the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims,'” the trio wrote.
They added that the term “climate change deniers” would not be used either because those who reject climate change believe that term “has the pejorative ring of Holocaust denier.”
The change was made by Associated Press Stylebook editors with the consultation of Associated Press science writer Seth Borenstein.
