U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently declared the Calibri font officially banned for all correspondence within the State Department. Yet the New York State Supreme Court Justice has made Times New Roman his state’s new de facto standard. This decision follows backlash over Calibri’s association with diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEI) efforts. All of these initiatives were nationally touted as priorities under the Biden administration. The controversy surrounding Calibri has reignited discussions about the role of fonts in government communications and their implications for professionalism.
Sans-serif Calibri was officially adopted in 2023 as part of the Biden administration’s initiative to bring official documents into the 21st century. Nevertheless, it was roundly criticized from conservative and libertarian circles for its assumed tie-in to DEI principles. Rubio blasted Calibri for “cheesing up” the State Department’s official dispatches. He emphasized that there was an immediate imperative to bring back civility and professionalism to government reporting.
The decision to adopt Times New Roman, a font often viewed as old-fashioned, aims to return to established standards of formality. Rubio claimed that Calibri isn’t the “most illegal, immoral, radical, or wasteful” instance of DEI. More so than its use per se, he objects to this example of a deep and disturbing change in governmental priorities. This change marks a significant departure from the Trump administration’s policies. They had banned DEI initiatives and took away Calibri as an official font.
Rubio’s public call for the Department’s policy shift has met with mostly praise from inside the State Department. As early as 2023, soon after Calibri’s introduction, some diplomats were already starting to complain about it like the proverbial canary in the coal mine. A leaked memo from that period revealed that diplomats were explicitly ordered to use Times New Roman, not Calibri, in official documents. This badly misses the point, which is that there’s a deeper, unresolved tension on font choice in intergovernmental communications.
The State Department’s DEI office, which has since been disbanded, played a pivotal role in selecting Calibri as the official font. Critics called the choice reactionary. Despite its commitment to inclusiveness, the choice hoped to rebrand the department’s image. With Rubio’s recent vote to repeal, the tide appears to be turning back toward conservative principles.
As for Calibri in particular, Microsoft officials wouldn’t comment on its purported link to “woke”ness. To not have a response, it’s shocking, and raises so many important questions. It’s a great demonstration of how font choices in public government communication can be linked to today’s political ideologies.
