Who gets to be called ‘Dr.’ at NPR?

You’re not going to like the answer [View this email online]( [NPR Public Editor by Poynter's Kelly McBride]( [Predictably]( we got a question about why NPR does not confer the doctor title on Jill Biden, the future first lady of the United States. It’s a good question, and researcher Kayla Randall goes through the logic behind the standard. Like I said in the tagline, you’re not going to like the answer. Because it’s just a long-standing rule in the AP Stylebook that instructs journalists to use “Dr.” only when referring to a medical doctor. Writing rules are mostly about clarity for the audience. So I like the general suggestion that journalists should only use Dr. for an M.D. But that guidance should not prevent us from calling Jill Biden a doctor on occasion, when her academic credentials are relevant. Before we address the listener letters, I want to point out what a fabulous service NPR is providing by maintaining [databases]( of COVID-19 information that can be searched by geographic location. I find this information — including [state-by-state]( information and county-by-county updates on [hospital capacity]( — reassuring when I’m overwhelmed by the big picture. I also got a helpful tip from NPR Senior Director for Digital News and Strategy Justin Bank for finding these data sets quickly when you are looking for the latest update: Use Google. Website search engines just don’t work as well as the mother of all search engines. And while some newsrooms have created COVID tabs in the navigation bars, those are mainly the ones that charge for their work and wanted to offer their COVID-related stuff for free. So use Google to get there and look at the data. Hopefully, it will give you confidence in the decisions you are making about if and how to socialize over the holidays. [Jill Biden, on the campaign trail last month in St. Petersburg, Fla.]( Jill Biden, on the campaign trail last month in St. Petersburg, Fla. Chris O'Meara/AP From the Inbox Here are a few quotes from the Public Editor's inbox that resonated with us. You can share your questions and concerns with us through the [NPR Contact page](. Doctor who? This week, following the Wall Street Journal’s publication of the controversial, [much-maligned Joseph Epstein op-ed]( calling for soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden, who holds a doctorate in education, to drop her “Dr.” title, we received several audience comments asking for NPR to uphold the title. Some referenced [a 2018 Public Editor column]( by Elizabeth Jensen which explained why NPR does not confer the “Dr.” title on Ph.D.s. NPR still abides by AP Stylebook guidance: “Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine, or doctor of veterinary medicine.” And “do not use Dr. before the names of individuals who hold other types of doctoral degrees.” Instead, the stylebook says that when necessary or appropriate for a specific audience, to simply describe the person’s degree or list them as Ph.D., for example, Jill Biden, who has a doctorate in education, or Jill Biden, Ph.D. But, the Public Editor’s newsletter is a place for readers and listeners to be heard, so read a couple of their comments below. — Kayla Randall Anne Kasper writes: I am a Ph.D. sociologist who worked very hard to earn that degree. My husband of 56 years worked just as hard to earn his MD in medicine. Why should one of us be called doctor and the other not? Dave McDougall writes: I think the brouhaha over Dr. Biden’s title in the WSJ Op Ed points out that it’s high time you (NPR) and AP change your ill-thought policy on whether to use the academic title Dr. for PhD recipients, reserving it only for the medical profession. A Ph.D is awarded based [on] completion and acceptance of a doctoral dissertation, hence the title Doctor. If journalists feel the need to enhance the public’s understanding of type of Dr. the title is associated with, they should simply clarify. ‘Legal experts agree.’ But do they really? Mark Frey writes: Today [I] listened to All Things Considered, and heard the story about Idaho governor declining to have Idaho join in the Texas lawsuit [against] the four swing states who had huge vote counting fraud in the national election. The explanation he gave for declining was presented well enough. Then the story was concluded with a statement by the NPR commentator, “Legal experts dismiss the case as frivolous.” What legal experts??? You mean a case by one state that has now been joined by 21 other states, and has been received by the Supreme Court of the United States, and has now been added to its docket, is frivolous??? How ridiculous!!! It appears that NPR News has fully joined the corrupt mainstream media to distort national political news, and help those behind the largest voting fraud in the history of our nation to hide themselves from identification & prosecution. I like and value NPR’s cultural programs, but its political programming is clearly rife with dishonesty, fraud, and corruption, and needs to be cleaned up along with those perpetrating the crimes against the American people. At the time of this writing, the [Supreme Court had already rejected the Texas lawsuit]( challenging the presidential election results. The complaint was denied “for lack of standing.” According to NPR, the court wrote that "Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.” The resolution of this case seems to confirm NPR’s choice to characterize the legal opinions on the case as near unanimous. Below I’ve collected some of the stories in chronological order. Dec. 9: NPR’s Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg [spoke to an election law expert]( for this story about Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announcing he would be filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court against the four key states. Dec. 11: NPR’s Ari Shapiro [interviewed Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul]( about the lawsuit. Wisconsin is one of the four key swing states that helped Joe Biden win. Dec. 11: Totenberg [returned with a more detailed report]( about the Supreme Court’s action alongside Barbara Sprunt, a producer on NPR’s Washington desk. Totenberg also spoke to Audie Cornish about it on [All Things Considered](. Dec. 12: NPR’s Scott Simon spoke to Miles Parks, a reporter on NPR’s Washington desk, about the court’s rejection. Parks [explained the three-sentence order]( and later pointed out that the U.S. Attorney General William Barr has said the Justice Department has not found any evidence of widespread voter fraud in this year's election. He also cited a University of Pennsylvania law professor in reference to all the lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign. — Amaris Castillo Fair comparison? Kris Petron writes: Good morning, I love NPR and listen to public radio all the time. I heard, yet again, this morning this horrible Coronavirus death toll being compared to death tolls incurred in war conflicts. This is comparing apples to oranges. Please keep coronavirus news in comparison with other viral outbreaks. It is extremely disrespectful to our nation’s veterans, who write a blank check with their lives, to defend our constitution, including our freedom of speech. There are plenty of biological disasters to compare the coronavirus death tolls to. Please leave the heroes who sacrificed their lives for our freedom out of this. The news on Monday that the number of people dying from the coronavirus in the United States passed 300,000 was a somber milestone. The comparison you speak of is common in journalism. When the number reached 250,000 last month, [an NPR correspondent on Morning Edition]( struggling to put it into context, offered a few comparisons, one of which was the figure being five times the number of U.S. troops killed in combat in Vietnam. And [The New York Times]( for example, reported that almost the same number of Americans are being lost to the disease each day as were killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks or the attack on Pearl Harbor. This comparison to war fatalities [aired in a Morning Edition segment]( on Monday. The story early that morning focused on the U.S. approaching 300,000 deaths. (A correction issued later that day stated the host incorrectly reported that the death toll from COVID-19 of 300,000 is already more than the total of American fatalities in World War II. The reporter, Will Stone, says the toll may get to that point early next year if the trend continues.) I reached out to Kenya Young, executive producer of Morning Edition, who told me in an email that one of the hardest responsibilities in covering the lives lost to COVID-19 is helping listeners understand the gravity of 300,000 deaths, especially when reporting on the numbers every day. “This is a grim milestone in the pandemic and it’s important for the listener to grasp and quantify what 300,000 really means. One way to do this is to put it into context by comparing to other tragedies. We have used several different comparisons — 9/11, war casualties as well as sizable comparison,” Young wrote on Tuesday. “Yesterday also described 300,000 as the population of Pittsburgh. It’s a way to make the larger vast number of deaths more relatable to our moments in history and to emphasize just how severe an unthinkable number like 300,000 deaths really is.” — Amaris Castillo Spotlight on The Public Editor spends a lot of time examining moments where NPR fell short. Yet we also learn a lot about NPR by looking at work that we find to be compelling and excellent journalism. Here we share a line or two about the pieces where NPR shines. The best reporting on suicide [Maria Fabrizio illustration]( Maria Fabrizio for NPR LIFE KIT [How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide]( For more than a decade, I’ve worked with suicide prevention specialists to encourage journalists to do a better job covering suicide. Citizens often lack even basic information about how common suicide is, or how it can be prevented. Yes, it can be prevented. Yet, journalists often only cover suicide in ways that make the problem worse, by telling the tragic story of an individual who died, which can lead to contagion. As I’ve guided newsrooms, my advice has come in two categories: Minimize the stories that can lead to contagion, and do more stories that truly empower and educate the public. This week, the Life Kit podcast published what may be the single best piece of journalism on suicide that I’ve ever encountered. [How To Help Someone At Risk Of Suicide]( is a clear-eyed, step-by-step approach to having the conversation and then following up. It’s based in science and offers a matrix for a concerned friend or family member to assess the level of urgency and then take action. And listening to the information in podcast format makes it reassuring, accessible and memorable. — Kelly McBride Socializing outside [LA Johnson illustration]( LA Johnson/NPR CORONAVIRUS GUIDE [How To Retain Your Heat And Stay Upbeat While Socializing In Winter]( It’s cold. (Well, not in Florida, where most of this team works, but it is in D.C.) [All Things Considered]( gathered tips to prepare for socializing safely outside during both a pandemic and the winter months. “I live by myself, so I am constantly thinking about how to meet up with friends, how to meet up with my family, without putting them or myself in danger,” says D.C.-based CityLab reporter Linda Poon in the story. “And I am someone who hates the cold.” There’s plenty of advice throughout the piece, provided by an assorted collection of cold-weather pros: - Poon says bring something warm to sit on so you aren’t relegated to a cold metal bench. - Clare Arentzen, an Appalachian Mountain Club guide in New Hampshire, says dress like an onion and wear layers. - Maine guide Paul Sannicandro’s tip is to avoid cotton as your first layer, because it loses insulation when you sweat. - And Bentie Lier, secretary-general of Norway outdoor group consortium Norsk Friluftsliv, reiterates a Norwegian saying: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. It’s all worthwhile guidance, [complemented online]( by engaging illustrations from NPR’s LA Johnson. — Kayla Randall Modern families [Beth McDonough (center) with her wife and stepdaughter]( Via Beth McDonough MORNING EDITION [As A Stepparent, Kamala Harris Puts 'Families You Choose' In The Spotlight]( For Morning Edition, Juana Summers [reported a heartfelt story]( about people enjoying the representation of blended families that President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are bringing to the White House. Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, has two children from a previous marriage, Cole and Ella. Years after Biden’s first wife, Neilia, and daughter Naomi were killed in a car accident (his sons Beau and Hunter were injured in the wreck, but survived), he married Jill Biden and the pair went on to have a daughter, Ashley. In a report on the American family published in 2015, [the Pew Research Center says]( 16% of children are living in blended families, a household with a stepparent, stepsibling or half sibling. At the Democratic National Convention in August, Harris celebrated her and Emhoff’s family: “I've had a lot of titles over my career. And certainly, vice president will be great. But 'Momala' will always be the one that means the most.” Sincere and meaningful, this story underscores how important it is for every kind of family to see themselves represented, particularly in the highest offices in the land. As stepparent Jason Ware of Rockville, Md., puts it, there isn’t only the nuclear family, but also “families who you love, families who you choose, and you consistently choose, day after day.” — Kayla Randall Feliz Navidad [José Feliciano's bilingual hit, "Feliz Navidad," celebrates its 50th Christmas this year]( Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for The Recording Academy MORNING EDITION [50 Years Later, 'Feliz Navidad' Still Delivers On Its Bilingual Message]( “Feliz Navidad … I wanna wish you a merry Christmas.” Can you hear the song in your head? You’re welcome. José Feliciano’s famous song, “Feliz Navidad,” turns 50 this year. NPR Arts Correspondent Mandalit del Barco [brought us a deeper look]( into the enduring bilingual tune for Morning Edition. She spoke to the singer, who told her the song expressed the joy he felt on Christmas, and the fact that he felt very lonely. Feliciano was in Los Angeles at the time, thousands of miles away from his family in Puerto Rico. The segment also stretches beyond the song into an insightful profile of the man behind it. Feliciano, 75, was born on the island and moved to New York with his family as a young boy. Born blind, he began playing the ukulele at 3. Del Barco also spoke with Linda Viera Caballero (a Puerto Rican singer better known as La India), who explained great affection for Feliciano “because he never abandoned the Latin culture.” Feliciano now has a new version of “Feliz Navidad” featuring 30 friends, including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Gloria Gaynor. Of course, it’s nothing like the original. — Amaris Castillo The Office of the Public Editor is a team. Researchers Amaris Castillo and Kayla Randall make this newsletter possible. We are still reading all of your messages on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [from our inbox](. As always, keep them coming. Kelly McBride NPR Public Editor Chair, [Craig Newmark Center for Ethics & Leadership at the Poynter Institute]( Kelly McBride, Public Editor Kayla Randall, NPR Amaris Castillo, Poynter Institute The Public Editor stands as a source of independent accountability. Created by NPR's board of directors, the Public Editor serves as a bridge between the newsroom and the audience, striving to both listen to the audience's concerns and explain the newsroom's work and ambitions. The office ensures NPR remains steadfast in its mission to present fair, accurate and comprehensive information in service of democracy. [Read more]( from the NPR Public Editor, [contact us]( or follow us on [Twitter](. You received this message because you're subscribed to Public Editor emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]