Why we use the label ‘anti-mask’ for members of the group Rise Up Midland

Certain readers have objected to the City Paper’s use of the term ‘anti-mask’ to describe certain subjects as well as the group ‘Rise Up Midland.’

Rise Up Midland is a Facebook group formerly called ‘PARENTS AGAINST MPS MASK MANDATE’ which organized a protest against a change to the Midland Public Schools mask policy in September. Three of the group’s members, so far, have expressed a desire to run for a seat on the Midland Public Schools Board of Education in 2022.

“Is he anti mask or anti mandate? There is a difference,” read one comment on a City Paper Facebook post which shared our original article on Will Zablocki’s school board candidacy announcement.

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While it’s true that there can be a difference between those two labels, in our considered judgment, that is not the case here.

Rise Up Midland and certain newly-announced school board candidates prefer that we use the term ‘pro-parents choice.’ While ignoring the rich irony of these individuals now wanting to be called ‘pro … choice’ despite their (broadly speaking) political leanings, I felt it was important to explain exactly why we use the label ‘anti-mask.’

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This issue is very similar to another hot-button issue when it comes to the language that news organizations use with another political hot potato: abortion. Most news organizations use the AP Stylebook when it comes to stylistic things such as punctuation, capitalization, etc. There is a debate as to whether or not news organizations should use the term ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ in copy.

The AP Stylebook instructs news organizations to “Use anti-abortion instead of pro-life and pro-abortion rights instead of pro-abortion or pro-choice.”

N.P.R. has a similar policy: “On the air, we should use ‘abortion rights supporter(s)/advocate(s)’ and ‘abortion rights opponent(s)’ or derivations thereof (for example: ‘advocates of abortion rights’). It is acceptable to use the phrase ‘anti-abortion,’ but do not use the term ‘pro-abortion rights.’”

The policy continues: “Do not use ‘pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ in copy except when used in the name of a group.”

The City Paper uses its own manual of style, but we find the A.P. and N.P.R. policies helpful.

Mr. Zablocki told the City Paper that he prefers the term ‘pro-parents choice’ because it “stems from a desire to not have our group named in a negative light.”

Well, tough.

Truth and accuracy must prevail over a movement’s desire to want to seem positive and popular. For the record, the City Paper doesn’t take a stance on the issue or Rise Up Midland; that’s something our readers can adjudge for themselves once they’re armed with the relevant facts.

So what is true about this issue? Let’s take a look.

When adjudging whether or not a person is ‘anti’ anything, we generally examine their stated policy viewpoints as well as their specific actions on the topic. Members of Rise Up Midland may indeed be ‘anti-mask mandate,’ however it’s entirely possible to be ‘anti-mask mandate’ as well as ‘anti-mask’ at the same time. On the other side of that notion, someone who opposes the school board or the Superintendent from recommending that schoolchildren wear masks — or opposing government mask mandates, could very well not be considered ‘anti-mask’ if they held those views while at the same time, they wore a mask in public, during large gatherings (such as a school board meeting in a packed auditorium) during a global pandemic. That is not what we have observed, however.

This is also notwithstanding that Mr. Zablocki is on-the-record as saying, quite bluntly, “I oppose masking children.”

After taking into account Rise Up Midland’s stated public policy viewpoints as well as their group members’ publicly observed behavior, we have concluded that the group, as well as certain members of the group (who may or may not be school board candidates) are indeed ‘anti-mask.’

They are free to disagree with that reasoned judgment. They are also free to start their own news organization.

Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper.