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Don't Refer To Maria Butina As A 'Student' In Headlines And Intros

The woman charged with being an unregistered Russian agent has been referred to in headlines and story summaries by us and others as a "student" or "graduate student."

While it has been reported that she entered the U.S. on a student visa, simply referring to her that way in headlines and introductions could mislead those who don't read or listen to the rest of a story. It makes it sound like her reason for coming to the U.S. was to get an education. That's a conclusion we shouldn't jump to.

Her name is now familiar enough to be in headlines and intros. "Russian woman" is obviously a helpful description.

Also: Lucian Kim says it's "BOO-tee-nah ."

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.