The Washington Post’s editorial page announced that it will no longer use team name the local Washington Redskins because it “unquestionably offends not only many Native Americans but many other Americans, too.” The paper’s editorial board becomes just the latest group of journalists and broadcasters to stop using the name, which it replaces with “the R-word” at one point in its explanation.
In its Friday editorial, the board commended former National Football League referee Mike Carey, who recently reveal that he requested the league not assigned him to Washington game due to his objection to the name. It also notes that conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer has also called for the name to change.
While the editorial board will cease to use the “insulting” name except “when it is essential for clarity or effect,” the newspaper’s news division will continue to use the name in its coverage.
Last year, the Washington Post–owned left-wing website Slate announced it would no longer use the word “Redskins,” joining other left-wing news organizations such as Mother Jones and The New Republic. Other national newspapers, like the Kansas City Star and San Francisco Chronicle, have banned the word from its coverage altogether, as have a handful of reporters and sports columnists.