Mongabay Style Guide
At Mongabay we use the Associated Press Style across our content. Exceptions to AP Style rules are noted and discussed in the Mongabay Style Guide as reflected here. This guide includes key terms and issues that we at Mongabay encounter in our reporting and editing, and as such is a still-evolving work in progress. We will continue to update and expand the Mongabay Style Guide regularly to make it more comprehensive, inclusive, and reflective of our evolving editorial style.
Place names & Geographic issues
These are mostly geopolitical issues with little or no environmental overlap, but which can spark debate that distracts from the issues we cover. Regarding places in dispute or places with two names: don’t give recommendations, explain the place has two names and redirect readers to a website with this info.
Take an international perspective to a local story. Don’t use the Northern Hemisphere’s “four seasons” to mark time. The study will conclude in July is more specific than the study will conclude this summer. July is the coldest time of year across a wide swath of the Southern Hemisphere.
Species
Give the binomial name in parentheses at the first reference of a species in a story (or the next reference if the first reference is in the opening sentence): Jaguar (Panthera onca).
If the species has a local name, refer to this too and use it interchangeably with the more common name. Italicize non-English names on first reference only: the Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), commonly known in the region as the boto. Don’t italicize if the non-English name is the commonly used name, e.g. muntjac; sambar.
It’s often relevant to note a species’ conservation status based on the IUCN Red List. Don’t capitalize these. Also, don’t conflate endangered with threatened. Threatened covers three statuses: vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered.
Avoid the terms Old World species and New World species. Be specific about a particular animal or plant’s range.
Climate change
Don’t conflate climate change with weather. A heat wave or a cold front aren’t examples of climate change; they’re examples of climate change impacts.
Likewise, don’t conflate climate change with global warming. The warming of the atmosphere by rising levels of greenhouse gases is what’s driving changes in the climate.
The expression global heating used to be considered alarmist and counterproductive to getting more people to reading about the issue. But in light of how quickly the problem has escalated, and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’s declaration of “global boiling,” global heating seems more than appropriate for use.
CO2 isn’t the only greenhouse gas; methane is another important GHG. When writing about emissions, unless the data refer specifically to CO2, be sure to note this (usually denoted by the unit metric tons of CO2e, or CO2 equivalent).
Race and gender identity
In general, if a story needs to include a description of an individual’s race/ethnicity, try to be specific: a Hausa herder; a Senegalese farmer; a Dayak hunter, etc.
Avoid the term people of color. Describe an individual on their own terms.
Always capitalize Indigenous when referring to people, their territory, culture, traditions, etc. No need to capitalize when writing about indigenous species.
In the U.S. context, use Native Americans in general, but better to specify a nation or tribe. Same goes for the Canadian context (First Nations) and Australian context (Aboriginal).
Some Brazil stories may have quotes referring to Índios (“Indians”), but this expression is becoming increasingly outdated. If you encounter such a quote, best to paraphrase and use the term Indigenous people (Povos Indígenas).
Write out Indigenous peoples and local communities in full the first time before using the acronym IPLCs.
Use the preferred gender pronouns of individuals written about in stories. Make it a habit to ask them at the start of an interview.
Aim for gender-neutral terms for job positions, such as spokesperson, chair, fisher, etc.