The Asian American Journalists Association issued guidance for journalists covering coronavirus.
The organization recommended against using photographs of people wearing face masks without context and pictures of Chinatown in various cities. The Toronto Star recently removed an image that showed people wearing masks because it was out-of-context.
AAJA also recommended journalists not use “Wuhan virus” to describe Coronavirus. AAJA wrote:
“Coronavirus is the umbrella term for a large group of viruses that can cause anything from the common cold to SARS, according to The Associated Press stylebook. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the virus that originated out of Wuhan.”
iMediaEthics wrote to the AAJA, whose executive director Naomi Tacuyan Underwood emphasized the advisory notice and told us, “I wanted to further emphasize the role that inaccurate reporting can play in enabling and perpetuating anti-Asian and anti-Asian American behavior.”