Animal Rights/Vegan Activists' Strategies Articles



Change the World for Animals With Your Words: "It" Matters

From IDA In Defense of Animals
May 2023

While the scientific consensus is that nonhuman animals are conscious beings—they are someone, not something—they are often described as though they might be nothing more than a couch when they are referred to as it, that or which. Not using personal pronouns for individual nonhuman animals is especially problematic in mainstream media, which not only has a huge impact on our perception, but a responsibility to give a voice to the voiceless.

caged Piglet

Our lives are intertwined with nonhuman animals in so many ways, and they're part of some of the most important stories shaping our world right now. Unfortunately, they continue to be described as though they are inanimate objects who aren't also stakeholders, and that desperately needs to change. You can help by supporting our call to end the use of objectifying language in the media, and pledging to make the change yourself.

While the scientific consensus is that nonhuman animals are conscious beings — they are someone, not something — they are often described as though they might be nothing more than a couch when they're referred to as it, that or which.

Not using personal pronouns for individual nonhuman animals is especially problematic in mainstream media, which not only has a huge impact on our perception, but a responsibility to give a voice to the voiceless.

In an effort to change this and carry on the legacy of our founder Dr. Elliot Katz, who was passionate about shifting our language, we recently partnered with Animals & Media to call for an update to the Associated Press Stylebook, and we were joined by more than 80 leaders in animal advocacy and conservation who signed onto our open letter, including Dr. Jane Goodall.

This widely used and respected stylebook isn't just a guide for journalists, but for writers in other industries as well, and an update would go a long way towards promoting accurate communication and ending the use of objectifying language for nonhuman animals.

The AP Stylebook currently recommends not using personal pronouns unless an animal has a name, or their gender is known, but this is too limiting and inaccurate. Instead, the guidance should be to use she/her/hers or he/him/his when their sex is known, regardless of species, or the gender-neutral they, he/she or his/hers when their sex is unknown. And we should also say who, instead of that.

When an animal's sex has been established, use the appropriate personal pronoun. Elliott gets excited when he goes to the dog park. The mother cat, who heard her kittens cry, ran to her basket. The bull tosses his horns. If the sex of the animal is unknown, follow the rules as used with humans, so as not to refer to anyone as “it.” Try to rewrite the sentence with a plural subject so that the gender-neutral “they” would work. If the subject must remain singular, either choose “they” or use “his or her” or “he or she” rather than the inanimate “it.” Regardless of sex, use “who” rather than “that” or “which” when describing any animal individual. The dog, who seemed to be lost, barked when he or she saw us approaching. A chick is often hesitant to leave the nest for their first flight.

Our words matter; they carry weight and we can use them to normalize inclusive language for all sentient beings to end their objectification and misrepresentation.

ACTIONS 

You can show your support for this campaign and a world where we see nonhuman animals as fellow sentient beings in a number of ways:

1. Write a Letter to the Editor

Send your local news or favorite outlet a letter about why we need to update our language for nonhuman animals. They each typically have their own requirements and word counts, but you can use the following for reference and personalize it to mention your involvement with animals and expertise:

As someone who is concerned with the increasingly troubling state of the world, and our mistreatment of nonhuman animals, I hope to see an update to the way we write and speak about them to reflect the fact that they too are sentient beings.

It's unfortunate that individual nonhuman animals continue to be referred to as “it” — like they are inanimate objects who are here for us to do with as we please. Instead, simply applying a personal pronoun (they, he, or she) in stories that are about them, or that affect them, would go a long way towards changing people's perception of them and creating a world where we can respect and protect them from harm — whether they're wild/free or domesticated.

In an age grappling with industrialized animal cruelty, a sixth mass extinction, a climate crisis, and a pandemic, it's more important than ever to use non-objectifying language; we're all in this together and their lives matter to them as much as ours do to us.

You can also ask that the word “owner” be replaced with “guardian” to reflect the fact that the nonhuman animals we share our lives with are so much more than property.

If your letter gets published, congratulations! Please email the link to [email protected] so that we can share it.

2. Urge Your Favorite Companies and Organizations to Make This Change

Most businesses and organizations default to a particular style guide, like the AP Stylebook, or have their own style guides for producing content you see on the web and in print — and they can make this switch on their own. Reach out and encourage them to make this change, and to check Animals & Media for specific recommendations for journalism, marketing, public relations and advertising.

3. Share Good Examples

When you see a great article about nonhuman animals where personal pronouns are used, share it on social media and thank the writer! You can also add #WhoNotThat #ItMatters #AnimalPronouns and #AnimalsAndMedia.


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