2. Names and Titles

The names of the people who appear in your journalistic stories might be the most important fact of all to get right. People give journalists their time and their trust — we owe it to them to represent them fairly and accurately, and that includes their identities. After all, if a journalist can’t get someone’s name right, the audience will wonder: What else is this journalist getting wrong?

But names in the modern age are a tricky thing. Four members of the same family might go by four different last names. Some names are hyphenated; others are not. A person’s gender is not always obvious. And in Canada, many, many cultures and naming conventions are at play. There are often many ways to refer to someone correctly — and just as many to bungle it.

A basic rule: don’t assume anything

As a basic rule, ask every person you interview for their first name and their last name. Ask the person to spell it for you, and to pronounce it for you (that goes for even when you’re writing a story – you may have to pronounce the story in an on-air “rant: on short notice). Ask them how they want to be referred to in your story, including what pronouns they use. Getting it right starts with asking your source how they want to be represented. It shows that you care, and that you’re not taking anything for granted. And never assume someone’s marital status. Just because a couple looks married, it may not be the case … and they may have strong feelings on the subject.

This would be a good place for some sort of illustration showing modern family dynamics.

A last word on last names

Many people who don’t appear in the media often may be reluctant to give their last names, but your editor will insist on it. A source must always appear by full name. There are only a few circumstances when a person can be referred to another way — and it’s not a reporter’s decision to make. Rather, that’s a decision that you and your editor must make together. You must never make a promise to refer to someone another way, such as by a pseudonym, without checking with your editor first.

This is one of daily journalism’s golden rules. Why? It’s about reader trust. A reader must believe that the person you interviewed is real. Using both a first and last name makes your story more believable.

Names – the basics

CP style sets out some basic guidelines to follow once you’ve asked these questions. In your story, refer to people by their first and last names the first time they are mentioned. After that, refer to them by their last names only. Some publications use “honorifics” such as Mrs. and Mr., but CP style generally does not. A last name alone will do just fine in almost every case.

Here are some examples:

If you have two family members in the same story who have the same last name, use their first names on second and subsequent references. Children can always be referred to by their first names.

Here are some examples:

Titles

CP style capitalizes formal titles immediately before a person’s name, but not occupations.

There’s a big difference between a formal title and a job title. A formal title is conferred upon someone by someone else in a position of authority.

What’s more, those capitals only pertain to when someone actually holds the position, not afterward.

Based on these general guidelines, here are a few examples of sentences in which the capitalization of titles is correct:

Did you notice how the title that comes after a person’s name is always lowercase — even when it’s the prime minister of Canada.

Abbreviations

Some important titles are abbreviated when they come before names, such as Dr. Capt. Prof, Lieut., Coun., Rev. and Gov. Gen. Note: the only doctors who get a “Dr.” title before their names are licensed medical professionals. That means people who hold doctorates in other areas, such as literature, are not given this designation in CP style.

Here are some examples of abbreviated titles:

Your Turn

Long Descriptions for Images

Image 2.1 The Golden Rule of Journalism long description:

One golden rule of journalism is to always use people’s first and last names in stories.

[Back to Image 2.1]

Image 2.2 Superhero Monkey Man Doing Oath long description:

Most people don’t get “honorifics” before their names in CP style and are referred to by last name only throughout stories. One exception is people who are elected to office.

[Back to Image 2.2]