- Home
- About Us
- Contributors
- Departments
- Topics
- Issues
- Archives
- AmSpecBlog
- Subscribe
- Newsletter
- Magazine Archives
- Advertise
- Donate
- Contact Us
- Daily Digest
- Templeton Essays
AmSpecBlog
President Obama? Could you be more specific?
Among the many "firsts" the president-elect will bring to the White House, one less-noticed change is how the daily newspapers will address him. That is, by first name on first reference.
Breaking with a decades-old tradition, the Associated Press -- keepers of the AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, which purports to serve as the "bible" for copy desks everywhere -- announced in a Nov. 12 ruling that henceforth, it would use a president's title, first name and family name whenever he or she is first referenced in a story. In other words, rather than calling him President Obama, newspapers will be expected to spell out that it is President BARACK Obama to whom they are referring (presumably, to distinguish him from the very many other President Obamas out there.)
According to the AP, the change is being made to bring the style for presidents in-line with its rules for addressing other heads of state, whose first and last names have always appeared on first reference. Apparently, showing such deferential treatment as to assume Americans know their own president's first name is the kind of imperialist attitude that no longer can be tolerated.
The old rule came into existence with Franklin D. Roosevelt, which only underscores how one can't attempt to apply logic to an institution like the AP. The Stylebook first started counseling against using first names with the 32nd president, who shared the same family name as the 26th president. They have begun instructing journalists to use them as the 43rd president leaves office, who shared the same first AND last names as the 41st. And the rule goes into effect in earnest with the 44th president, who has arguably the most distinctive name in U.S. history.
Alas, believing these changes will matter much, in practice, requires two rather large leaps of faith. One is the assumption either that newspaper writers will note the changes or that newspaper editors will consistently apply them. A cursory glance even at stories produced by the A.P.'s own staff will disabuse one of that notion pretty quickly.
The other assumption, of course, is that these things we call "newspapers" will still exist by the time the 45th president comes to town.
Comments
Leave a Comment
- The Matter With Myths
- Will the Next Press Be Capitalist?
- On the Prowl
Iran in Turmoil
Is the Obama administration doing a good job handling the aftermath of the election in Iran?
Participating in this survey will subscribe you to the American Spectator email newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time.
SAE| 1.15.09 @ 2:50AM
How about just calling him BAM like Rush does.
Deborah| 1.15.09 @ 5:34AM
I like the use of the three initials -- FDR, JFK, LBJ, GWB, BHO. But, that kind of went by the wayside once Nixon got into office -- RMN wasn't easy to roll off the tongue, I guess. And, does anyone even know Jimmy Carter's middle name?
Michael D. Harmon| 1.15.09 @ 7:00AM
Earl, of course.
Maggie| 1.15.09 @ 7:03AM
Yeah, Jimmy Carter's middle name is "Stupid."
country boy| 1.15.09 @ 7:05AM
The point being that most Americans probably have never known anybody with the first name of "Barack" or surname "Obama" . In fact up until about 18 months ago, I thought his name was Osama Bilama. So the AP is so gracious as to help us all out with our memory exercises.
By the way, my wife works in a public high school. The classrooms have never had any pictures of the sitting president, or any past president either. But as of last week, each classrooms has a framed photo of Obama displayed prominently.
There is probably some pithy quote from lit (Shakespeare, etc) describing this bizarre situation, but i don't know what it is.
Texmex| 1.15.09 @ 7:10AM
Was it something like "First we kill all the journalists"?
njartist| 1.15.09 @ 7:24AM
@country boy
Amazing how the liberals turn on a dime. I expect those pictures of BHO to get larger in the coming years.
Jim| 1.15.09 @ 7:53AM
What troubles me is the recurring rumor that we will all have to tatoo his name on our behinds, like cattle.
shirry Mcafee| 1.15.09 @ 8:02AM
Why don't they call him Obama like they called President George Bush, "Bush" without the courtesy of Mr. They always refer to just plain Clinton as President Clinton.
SAE| 1.16.09 @ 12:02PM
I do not know of a witty Shakespeare quote, but Khruhchev had a good phase for it - "Cult of the Personality".
SAE| 1.16.09 @ 12:20PM
Speaking of middle names.
How about using Barrack HUSSEIN Obama like Ann Coulter does. In fact, how about just President Hussein, since the last user got himself hung, the name is now open.
SLV| 1.20.09 @ 1:54PM
Forget political party preferance. I hope that now as President the courtesy will be extended by all media to not use his first name alone as has been the case.
Darrell | 1.31.09 @ 8:09PM
I think it shows a blatant lack of respect on anyone's part including all media to refer to the President by his first name. It's simply unacceptable. What's wrong with referring to him as "President Obama" and the First lady as "Mrs. Obama" or the "First Lady" instead of Michelle . Will we soon be calling her Michelle "O". It is disresptful and deminishes the office. Are the standards now relaxed because he is the first African-American President?
SKM| 3.17.09 @ 3:48PM
Thank you, Darrell. I have never heard a president referred to as "Mr." or Barack the way the media is now referring to President Obama. When did it become acceptable to drop the title? I'm embarrassed both by how suddenly this change took place in the media, and how little is being said about it. As you said, what a blatant lack of respect.