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BBC Directive on the use of the term "Slav"
Mark Brayne, May 04, 2001
Dear all - after giving this some thought in the European region,
and after conversations with several of you, we would like to suggest
that as BBC we should seek to avoid wherever possible referring
to ethnic Macedonians in Macedonia as "Slav Macedonians"
or "Macedonian Slavs" or e.g. "the majority Slav
population of Macedonia."
This is a matter of considerable sensivity among Macedonians themselves,
who argue that the term denies them their distinct Macedonian ethnic
identity. BBC Producer Guidelines (p 108 section 9.4.2) have some
useful advice on this: "A good rule of thumb is to ask how
people describe themselves: there have to be good reasons for calling
them something different."
At the WS we've previously justified the term as journalistically
useful to differentiate the ethnic Macedonians of Macedonia from
the ethnic Albanians there. But given how raw this story now is
- and indeed the BBC's profile in covering it (BBC World and OnLine,
not to speak of BBC in Macedonian and Albanian, are followed closely
by all parties to this conflict) - and given that we can usually
get round such usage without compromising editorial clarity, we
would now suggest that all BBC reporters, writers and programme-makers
seek wherever possible to find alternative ways of referring to
the Macedonians.
A couple of comparisons which might help explain why this makes
sense: we don't for example refer to Slav Serbs, or Slav Croats.
Also, we now seek to refer to the formerly "gypsy" populations
of East and Central Europe as "Roma" - in line with their
own usage.
"Ethnic Macedonians", "the majority Macedonian population",
best of all just "Macedonians" are all fine - corresponding
to "ethnic Albanians", "the minority Albanian population"
or just "Albanians" once it's clear in the context that
we're talking about ethnic groups within the state of Macedonia.
Over to you to pass this on appropriately - and if you need any
more words, or clarification, or indeed if anyone disagrees with
this, please let me know.
Thanks.
Mark
_____________________
Mark Brayne
News and Current Affairs Editor, European Region
BBC World Service
Room 626SE, Bush House, London WC2B 4PH
Tel: 020 755 72375
Fax 020 7497 2776
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