New York Times and Wall Street Journal ease profanity restrictions
Don’t send a press release that’s nothing but expletives, though. The policy is still to avoid vulgarity when possible.
If the precise nature of an obscenity, vulgarity or other offensive expression is essential to the reader’s understanding of a newsworthy event — not merely to convey color or emotion — editors should consider using the term or a close paraphrase.
Eric Levenson of The Wire notes that the Times isn’t alone. The Wall Street Journal has eased its rules on using obscenities as well.
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