Sanewashing
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
Sanewashing is the practice of minimizing the perceived radical aspects of a person or idea in order to make it more acceptable to a wider audience.[1] Journalism school and research organization the Poynter Institute suggests it is analogous to greenwashing or sportswashing.[2]
History of the term
The expression originated in a Reddit forum in 2020 and has been used in discussions about defunding the police. In 2024, journalist Aaron Rupar was credited with being the first to use the term in the specific context of media reporting of Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Its usage soon spread to international media outlets.[1][2]
Sanewashing in the 2024 US presidential campaign
Paul Farhi wrote in The Atlantic, in reference to the term, that reporters have a "tendency to render the Republican candidate’s most bizarre and incoherent statements into cogent English, shearing off the crazy in a misleading manner".[3] Kelly McBride, in discussing whether NPR is guilty of sanewashing, wrote that the news organisation has been criticised for what it describes as "packaging Trump’s ideas into news stories as if they are sensible suggestions".[4] The Hill reported that Nate Silver asked whether Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was sanewashing JD Vance by saying "nothing about the Republican ticket’s conspiratorial claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets, for instance” in their debate.[5]
Stopping sanewashing
Rob Tornoe wrote in Editor & Publisher that one technique journalists can use to avoid sanewashing is the truth sandwich technique.[6] Kelly McBride listed various approaches, including to "let the quotes stand", to "point out the lies and also the purpose they serve", and to "identify the journalistic purpose" of a quote.[2]
Parker Molloy wrote in The New Republic that readers, not just journalists, also have a role to play in stopping sanewashing. According to her, they should "seek out primary sources", and "support news outlets that prioritize accuracy over access or the appearance of 'balance'."[7][8]
References
- ^ 1.0 1.1 Allsop, Jon (September 9, 2024). "Is the press 'sanewashing' Trump?". Columbia Journalism Review.
- ^ 2.0 2.1 2.2 McBride, Kelly (September 12, 2024). "How to avoid sanewashing Trump (and other politicians)". Poynter Institute.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (2024-09-13). "Trump Has Not Been 'Sane-Washed'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ McBride, Kelly (2024-09-19). "Accurately quoting Trump - Is NPR 'sanewashing'?". NPR.
- ^ Suter, Tara (2024-10-02). "Nate Silver suggests Walz was 'sanewashing' Vance". The Hill.
- ^ Tornoe, Rob (2024-10-01). "The 'sanewashing' phenomenon". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ "How the Media Sanitizes Trump's Insanity". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ Mathis, Joel (2024-09-13). "Is the media 'sanewashing' Trump?". The Week. Retrieved 2024-10-05.