In the biggest newspaper industry clusterfuck since refusing to use the word "torture" for torture, lest it be accused of taking sides, the Associated Press has said that "climate change skeptic" and "climate change denier" are both OUT.
"Doubter" is the official modifier.
However, this is itself taking the side of deniers.
It's just like not using the word "torture" to describe tortures that military and civilian representatives of the United States committed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And AP knows that. This is an issue of "legacy journalism." Sometimes, using particular language requires "taking sides" in an issue that has largely been settled scientifically (this) or otherwise empirically (torture).
And, if AP doesn't have the balls to do that, it can slide downhill along with individual legacy newspapers and other legacy properties.
And, of course, it has, for 20 years, since good old Dean Singleton was the chairman of AP's board, and started its clusterfuck on the business side. (Deano was a primary touter of the "TV model" of revenue for online newspapers, which of course was horribly wrong, including ignoring that, already in the 1990s, not only had cable TV been around for multiple decades, but pay cable channels like HBO had been around for a decade or more.) And, it's always fun to kick Singleton and his alleged newspaper business genius. (I've met him before.)
Unfortunately, when conservative pundits claiming to be reporters engage in philosobabble over this, the AP will continue to think it has to appease, yes, appease, "both sides."
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