Forum: Letter from the editor – Moving away from honorifics
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Dear reader,
From today, you may notice a change in the way we present our stories. For the first time in our over 180-year history, we will move away from using honorifics in The Straits Times.
This means that, after an initial use of their title or suitable descriptor in our stories, everyone – politicians, monarchs, doctors, professors included – will be referred to by their surnames or first names, or where necessary, their titles.
We will move away from using “Mr”, “Ms” or “Mrs”.
This is not a decision we have made lightly, and it is one that has sparked many lively discussions in our newsroom.
In how it is read, how it is processed, and even in its words, phrases and sensibilities, the English language has always been in constant evolution. This is just one way in which we ourselves are evolving, along with our language and readers.
We are not the first news organisation to do away with honorifics. Many leading international news organisations, including those in Asia, have done away with using honorifics in their stories. Many have done without honorifics for a long time.
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We do not hop on every new trend, but we also do not want to be trapped in the past. Honorifics can often slow down the pace of a story, and at times, feel at odds with the more familiar and informal way in which we carry ourselves.
We already do not use honorifics for celebrities, historic figures, sportspeople, as well as those convicted of a crime. The editorial style rules that used to apply to Lionel Messi and Taylor Swift will now also apply to everyone else.
Nothing that has been in place this long goes away easily, and the change will take some getting used to. But we believe it is the right move at the right time to better reflect the society we serve.
Jaime Ho
