NPR Public Editor : NPR

Carlos Carmonamedina for NPR Public Editor

Meals stamps are sometimes referenced in information tales in regards to the federal funds and financial inequality. Fifteen years in the past the federal government modified the title from the Meals Stamp Program to the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, SNAP. But most individuals nonetheless name this system “meals stamps.” Recipients name it meals stamps. Researchers name it meals stamps. Politicians who assist this system and who wish to finish this system each name it meals stamps. Even the federal government nonetheless calls it meals stamps, along with SNAP.

Why? As a result of it is universally understood.

Initially, recipients would use precise stamps to pay for his or her meals on the grocery retailer, a course of that drew consideration, and typically judgment, to their participation in this system. Finally this system moved to plastic debit playing cards, and the federal government later modified the title, acknowledging there was a stigma.

However the effort to name it one thing else hasn’t fully changed the unique terminology. An NPR listener wrote in critiquing NPR’s use of the time period. Our analysis turned up a number of tales the place “meals stamps” have been talked about in connection to the debt ceiling negotiations.

We talked to the requirements editor and a nationwide correspondent who usually covers the federal program in regards to the time period. Learn on to see what we discovered.

FROM THE INBOX

Listed here are a number of quotes from the Public Editor’s inbox that resonated with us. Letters are edited for size and readability. You may share your questions and issues with us by means of the NPR Contact page.

Stamps and stigmas

Christian Elberfeld wrote on Could 29: [NPR] makes use of the outdated time period “meals stamps” as a substitute of SNAP. The title of this system was modified nicely over a decade in the past; furthermore it now has develop into considerably stigmatic. NPR information ought to maintain to its normal excessive requirements.

NPR makes use of a number of phrases to explain federal meals help. They embrace ” SNAP benefits,” “SNAP food assistance” and sure, “food stamps.”

The program, which was initially known as the Meals Stamp Program and allowed individuals to purchase stamps to increase their meals funds, was carried out in 1939. One other model of this system would comply with within the Sixties, after which the Meals Stamp Act of 1964 made this system everlasting.

The historical past web page, beneath the part in regards to the 2008 Farm Invoice, famous: “In efforts to struggle stigma, the regulation modified the title of the federal program to the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program or SNAP as of Oct. 1, 2008, and adjusted the title of the Meals Stamp Act of 1977 to the Meals and Vitamin Act of 2008.”

The federal government data web page does not elaborate additional on the referenced stigma or different causes for the title change, however we discovered a 2008 press release that mentioned the brand new title, SNAP, “extra precisely displays this system’s true mission to offer meals help and vitamin schooling to help members as they transfer to a more healthy life-style and self-sufficiency.”

The discharge added, “Immediately, members entry advantages with Digital Profit Switch (EBT) playing cards, just like debit playing cards — not stamps or coupons.”

Although individuals receiving SNAP advantages now not use bodily stamps, the time period has caught.

“We use ‘meals stamps’ as a result of it is nonetheless extra recognizable for many individuals than the time period SNAP,” NPR nationwide correspondent Jennifer Ludden instructed us in an e-mail. Ludden covers financial inequality, together with systemic disparities in housing, meals safety and wealth.

Ludden mentioned the time period “meals stamps” appears to be generally utilized in NPR tales, together with tales from The New York Times and another media retailers. “I do combine it up, although, utilizing each meals stamps and SNAP in addition to meals support or help,” she mentioned.

In an e-mail, requirements editor Tony Cavin instructed us NPR has not issued any steerage on the time period “meals stamps.” He famous {that a} web page from the U.S. authorities’s official web site has “food stamps” within the URL. “In case you click on on the hyperlink and skim the primary line it says: How one can apply for meals stamps (SNAP advantages),” Cavin added.

Cavin additionally quoted from a New York Metropolis authorities website that explains how the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program works: “Get assist paying for groceries with SNAP. SNAP advantages are typically known as meals stamps. They arrive on a debit card that you should utilize at many grocery shops and farmers markets.”

Cavin added that a part of NPR’s excessive requirements is writing in a approach that almost all clearly communicates what its journalists try to say.

“Most listeners and readers know what ‘meals stamps’ are, I am undecided as many will perceive ‘SNAP,'” he mentioned. “This is able to clarify why the federal government net pages I discussed really feel the necessity to use each phrases.”

He additionally challenged the concept the time period “meals stamps” is an issue.

“I see no proof that the time period is both outdated or stigmatic,” Cavin mentioned. “If there’s compelling proof that both is the case, we might after all rethink as we do with all points surrounding language.”

It is vital to not conflate stigma round participation in this system with stigma across the language used to explain this system.

As Ludden put it: “I’ve heard individuals speak about feeling stigmatized after they use this system in a grocery retailer, however not particularly in regards to the time period ‘meals stamps,'” she mentioned.

Individuals who obtain meals help from the federal government have traditionally been stigmatized, as author Janelle Harris describes in this piece.

A paper with recommendations to finish the stigma from SNAP members themselves mentioned, “They really feel judged by elected leaders, the press, individuals in grocery shops ready behind them in line, and grocery retailer cashier clerks. Feeling judged and devalued was some of the usually reported challenges amongst members in research …”

We didn’t discover analysis that backed up the declare that SNAP recipients really feel shamed by the time period “meals stamps” particularly. NPR’s use of a number of phrases when writing in regards to the federal program, together with meals stamps, is a considerate method, supposed to speak clearly and educate the viewers.

We’re open to taking a look at further analysis and language analysis if it is on the market. — Amaris Castillo

The Workplace of the Public Editor is a staff. Editor Kayla Randall, reporters Amaris Castillo and Emily Barske, and duplicate editor Merrill Perlman make this text attainable. Illustrations are by Carlos Carmonamedina. We’re nonetheless studying all your messages on Facebook, Twitter and from our inbox. As all the time, hold them coming.

Kelly McBride
NPR Public Editor
Chair, Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute

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