Tag Archives: cultural experts

The Role of Cultural Experts and Sensitivity Readers

After her recent interview about sensitivity readers in the New York Times, Editorial Director and Publisher of Tu Books, Stacy Whitman, further discusses the role of cultural experts and sensitivity readers and the important part they play in the editorial process.

Over the last several months, outlets like the New York Times have started discussions of the use in publishing of what are now being called sensitivity readers—what we here at Lee and Low have called cultural experts. In particular, the New York Times framed their take on the subject as a question of censorship. The current headline reads, “In an Era of Online Outrage, Do Sensitivity Readers Result in Better Books, or Censorship?” which is updated from the print version, “Sensitivity or Censorship? The Vetting of Children’s Books in an Era of Outrage.”

I’m not sure that the update changes the framing, which still implies that what should be a standard part of the editorial process is somehow a form of censorship.

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Why We Consult Cultural Experts During the Editorial Process

The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune recently interviewed Tu Books publisher Stacy Whitman and Lee & Low’s new editorial director, Cheryl Klein, in a piece discussing “sensitivity readers,” who read specifically to review the cultural and identity elements of a book for authenticity. Because not every answer to an interview question makes it into an article, we collected Stacy’s answers on why we consult with expert readers.

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