‘Newshen’ again?

JEERS TO the Manila Bulletin for its continuous use of the outdated and sexist term “newshen” to refer to female journalists.

The Bulletin referred to slain former journalist Melinda “Mei” Magsino as a “newshen:”

• “Former newshen shot dead in Batangas City,” April 14, p. 14
• “Palace vows arrest of Mei Magsino’s killer,” April 15, p. 16
• “P200,000 bounty for Mei’s killer,” April 17, p.17

Magsino, a former correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was walking down a Batangas City street at about 12:10 in the afternoon when she was shot. The gunman fled on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice .

This is not the first time that the newspaper has used the term this year. The Bulletin also referred to news correspondent Nerlie Ledesma as a “newshen” in a story about her murder (“Newshen’s gunman falls,” Jan. 13, p. 9).

PJR Reports previously “jeered” the Bulletin along with other news organizations for the same sexist lapse. (“Out of the past: ‘Newshen’,” February 16)