Mallary Jean Tenore at Poynter posts an explanation of why the word “killing” was substituted for “murder” in the headline of a Poynter story she wrote about journalists’ coverage of the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. The explainer’s hed: “Why journalists call Trayvon Martin death a shooting, but not a murder.”Add: As she points out, no charges have been filed. As she also points out, Poynter typically follows the AP Stylebook, which says a homicide only becomes a murder once someone is convicted.
Noted: For those who think this is surely elementary stuff for Poynter’s journo readers, I refer you to the screen capture above. It’s from Time magazine’s website.
