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Pronoun Resource Guide

In journalism, accuracy and respect for individuals’ identities are paramount. This pronoun guide is designed to help students, faculty and staff at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism navigate the use of pronouns respectfully and inclusively in their reporting and communication inside and outside the classroom. 

What are gendered pronouns?

Pronouns are words used to refer to people in place of their names. They reflect how a person wishes to be referred to in conversation and writing, with some people preferring gendered-neutral pronouns. 

Subject Object Possessive Possessive Pronoun Reflexive
He
"He studied"		 Him
"I called him"		 His
"His notebook"		 His
"That is his"		 Himself
"He can do it himself"
She
"She studied"		 Her
"I called her"		 Her
"Her notebook"		 Hers
"That is hers"		 Herself
"She can do it herself"
They
"They studied"		 Them
"I called them"		 Their
"Their notebook"		 Theirs
"That is theirs"		 Themselves
"They can do it themselves"
Ze or Zie (Pronounced "zee")
"Ze studied"		 Hir (Pronounced "heer")
"I called hir"		 Hir
"Hir notebook"		 Hirs
"That is hirs"		 Hirself
"Ze can do it hirself"

Reference: Louisiana State University - Gendered Pronoun Resource

Why share them? Why Do They Matter?

  • People share their pronouns to show how they would like to be addressed. Everyone has pronouns and everyone benefits from the normalization of sharing pronouns because it disrupts gender stereotyping and expectations. Normalizing the use of gender pronouns helps community members know how to refer to you. Sharing your own pronouns establishes this practice as a social norm and thereby helps others — including LGBTQ+ people — to share their pronouns. Creating an environment where people share their pronouns helps to mitigate experiences of bias, including implicit bias. 
  • “To maintain the public’s perceptions of news institutions’ credibility and their reporters’ professionalism, news organizations need to ensure that their reporters and editors use the pronouns and names with which the transgender subjects identify. While some journalists instinctively utilize the names and genders indicated on the subjects’ birth certificates, this study’s findings suggest such practice is damaging. Using the birth name that does not match the subject’s identified gender might re-validate people’s traditional notion that bundles gender with biological sex, which leads to more negative implicit attitudes toward transgender people.” (Reference: (Mis)matching: Journalistic uses of gender pronouns and names can influence implicit attitudes toward transgender people, perceived news content credibility, and perceived reporter professionalism, Newspaper Research Journal)
  • Some people use neopronouns, which include ze/zir/zirs, xe/xir/xirs, fae/faer/faers and more. If you don’t understand a person’s pronouns, be sure to ask them to clarify so you can respectfully refer to them in a story. 

FAQs

Sharing your pronouns is a respectful way to indicate how you should be addressed. Here are some ways you can share your pronouns:

  • When introducing yourself, you can include your pronouns. For example, “Hi, I’m Janet, and my pronouns are she/hers.” or “Hello, I’m Evan, I use they/them pronouns.”
  • You can also include pronouns in your email signature, your social media profiles, business cards and professional bios (like LinkedIn). See examples here. 
  • Research! Check if they list their pronouns on their website/email/social media/business cards.
  • If you don’t have a person’s pronouns or don’t have a way to find them, then use just a person’s last name or name to refer to them. Stories can be edited in that way. 
  • Use their name until you learn their pronouns.
  • Ask! It’s perfectly acceptable to ask someone what pronouns they use.

Asking someone for their pronouns can be done respectfully and straightforwardly. After introducing yourself and your pronouns, you can ask, “What pronouns do you use?” or “How would you like to be referred to?” Respect their responses.

Some people use more than one set of pronouns. For example, someone may feel equally comfortable with they/them and she/her pronouns. Sometimes people use different pronouns depending on their situation — for example, some people use different pronouns at work or home. If someone uses more than one set of pronouns, you can ask them what they prefer you use. Some may prefer you use them interchangeably.

Example: “They are almost done with their clip; he just needs to submit it to the copy editor.”
 

Many reasons might explain why someone would not want to share their pronouns, and those reasons are none of our business. Respect those who offer to share and those who do not. No one should be forced to comply. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable sharing their pronouns, just refer to them using their name; or get confirmation that using “they” is acceptable.

  • Mistakes happen. If you accidentally misgender someone and you realize it, apologize, correct yourself and continue the conversation. Example: “My bad, I mean he will handle the interview.” or “Sorry, they said they were returning the equipment.”
  • If someone corrects you, thank them and move on. 
  • If you hear someone using the wrong pronouns for someone else, you can correct them gently by reminding them of the correct pronouns.

Language evolves as times change. We can adapt to meet people’s changing language needs. Singular they/them pronouns have been grammatically correct for quite some time, and are used casually. The use of the singular they is accepted by all major citation styles, including the Associated Press Stylebook. See also the the GLAAD Media Reference Guide and the Trans Journalists Association’s Stylebook and Coverage Guide

You can say it’s policy for your newsroom, but don’t feel the need to educate them on pronoun usage. 

You can just use their name and then afterward their pronoun. This includes neopronouns — there’s no need to introduce a person’s pronouns unless there’s a justifiable reason for doing so, such as if it becomes unclear who you are referring to in your story. 

  • WRONG: Jane Smith, who uses she/her pronouns, said …
  • RIGHT: Jane Smith said she appreciates that people are nice about other people’s pronouns!
The more you practice using inclusive language in your day to day, the easier it will be to avoid mistakes.

How to incorporate pronouns in the classroom and workplace

  • Gender-neutral language. (Example: Instead of saying, “Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” you can say, “Hello, everyone,” or “Hello, all.” Instead of saying “he or she,” you can say “they.”)
  • Statement in syllabus: The University of Maryland’s LGBTQ Equity Center provides a full, condensed and simplified statement about names and pronouns for staff and faculty to include in their syllabuses and/or office manuals. The example statement is here.
  • Incorporate pronouns in email signatures and on business cards
  • Nametags
  • Introductions
  • Virtual ID (Ex. Google Hangout, Zoom)

Individual news organizations have different guidelines regarding names/pronouns. Merrill College encourages journalists to use the names/pronouns that sources share during interviews.

More Information

Deadnaming (calling a transgender person by their birth name although they have changed their name) and misgendering have significant outcomes, including causing anxiety, gender dysphoria, a lack of acceptance and safety concerns. Below are some relevant reports:

The guide was developed in consultation with the college’s diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator, associate dean for DEI, members and the advisor of the UMD chapter of The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA), and the UMD director of the LGBTQ+ Equity Center. Normalizing inclusivity is how we remain #TerrapinSTRONG.

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