Journalists’ Use of Gender-Inclusive Language in German Youth Radio: Ethnographic Insights From On- and Off-Air Communication

The use of gender-inclusive language (GIL) in German is frequently examined in linguistics and related fields. While journalistic texts are often the central element of such analyses, research on the actual language users – the journalists – and their complex linguistic practices behind the scenes is rather scarce. This article is based on a larger EU-funded research project that examines journalistic practices at a German youth radio station to gain a detailed understanding of how content is created and which factors shape this process. Based on linguistic-ethnographic fieldwork at the youth radio station, 20 semi-structured interviews with journalists and a qualitative linguistic corpus analysis of morning show scripts, this article explores why and how journalists use GIL in the newsroom and which shaping factors arise during content production. It also draws attention to the different forms of GIL used in youth radio communication and which social values are part of journalistic practices and discourses.