Reuters reporting: Detain a man or a person

[BeastOfBODMAS]

Long time lurker here, I’ve just noticed on the photo captions for this Reuters report about protests in Russia

apple.news/AGybuED1uTRObvtIPl8Tedw

”Detain a man” if the image shows a man
”Detain a person” if the image shows a woman
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the misuse of language in such a bizarre way. Apart from anything else it makes it completely impossible to take in the content of what is being reported

I think it's a translation issue. Some of those 'persons' were clearly male. Many were hard to identify. Some were clearly female.

Very very generously, perhaps there is a translation issue, although I can’t find any others across the captions or accompanying mini-article.

It would seem correct to either use “person” for everyone, or for those pictured whose sex is unidentifiable. Not categorise by clearly men and everyone else.

Not necessarily related to the article, OP, but:

www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/helm-reuters-trans-executive-says-she-s-finally-living-light-n1269157

'Gina Chua, the newly appointed executive editor at Reuters, came out as transgender late last year...Chua sees it as an opportunity and a responsibility to help build understanding,'

Hold on. One of the most oppressed people ever? Promoted to the top job at one of the worlds largest news agencies?

Surely not?

I don't make the rules, Kat!

God, that’s weird and unsettling. There are a couple of captions where men are also labelled “person” e.g. photo 4, but the word “woman” isn’t used at all in any of the captions, no matter how unambiguously female the woman depicted is.

The way they are trying to make it impossible to even name us is the creepiest thing in the world

"Woman" is reserved for transwomen. See also "actress" etc.

Seems like women don't make history...

Some women were clearly identifiable as such. This is not a translation issue.

Very interesting point. I just checked and The Guardian has lots of pictures of "men" arrested, one "woman" and several "protesters" and "people" (mostly men or groups).