Marco Rubio orders US State Department to revert to Times New Roman font, calling Calibri adoption 'wasteful'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says adopting the Calibri font in 2023 was a "wasteful" diversity move. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
In short:
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his predecessor's switch to Calibri for official documents had been "another wasteful DEIA program" and the font was too informal.
In 2023, the State Department said Calibri was a more accessible font for people with disabilities.
The Trump administration has been eradicating federal programs promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered diplomats to revert to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor Antony Blinken's decision to adopt Calibri a "wasteful" diversity move, according to a leaked internal cable.
The department switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, in January 2023, saying it was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did not have decorative angular features and was at the time the default in Microsoft products.
Some scientific studies have suggested that sans-serif fonts such as Calibri are indeed easier to read for those with certain visual disabilities.
Sans-serif fonts are said to be easier to read for people with certain visual disabilities. (ABC News: Andrew Thorpe)
However, a cable dated December 9 that was sent to all US diplomatic posts said that typography shaped the professionalism of an official document and that Calibri was informal compared to serif typefaces.
"To restore decorum and professionalism to the Department's written work products and abolish yet another wasteful DEIA program, the Department is returning to Times New Roman as its standard typeface," the cable said.
"This formatting standard aligns with the President's One Voice for America's Foreign Relations directive, underscoring the Department's responsibility to present a unified, professional voice in all communications."
DEIA, often referred to simply as DEI, stands for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, and refers to a range of initiatives intended to make workplace environments more accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds.
US President Donald Trump moved quickly after taking office in January to eradicate federal DEI programs and discourage them in the private sector, including by directing the firing of diversity officers at federal agencies and pulling grant funding for a wide range of programs.
DEI policies became more widespread in the US after nationwide protests in 2020 against police killings of unarmed black people.
However, their adoption has spurred a conservative backlash, with Mr Trump and other critics saying they are discriminatory against white men and have eroded merit-based decision-making.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Reuters/ABC