Huffington Post got four reporters on the record (albeit anonymously) to say their editors replace terms like “racist” and “racism” with euphemisms.
I was at a media organization that wouldn’t allow me to use “racist” or “bigot” when referring to derogatory comments that Donald Trump made or to his character. Instead, we were told to use mundane euphemisms like “inappropriate” and “discriminatory statements” or descriptive phrases like “his comments caused a stir online” and “drew anger and pushback from people.” … it was seen as being radical.
The why is very straightforward. If it’s something many Americans believe, do or say, it cannot be racist.