The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed the State Department to abandon the Calibri font and return to Times New Roman. This decision, reported by a media outlet, is part of a directive to all department offices worldwide.
According to an official memo, Rubio’s order comes after the previous Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had adopted Calibri as part of a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiative. Rubio, who has pushed to eliminate such initiatives, stated that the font switch was meant to bring back professionalism to the department’s communications.
He emphasized that the use of Times New Roman would help “restore civility and professionalism” and criticized the previous font change as a failed attempt at improving accessibility for those with disabilities.
Rubio’s directive follows Blinken’s 2023 order to implement Calibri, which had replaced Times New Roman after two decades, while Courier New had been the standard prior to that. The changes were initially meant to enhance accessibility for individuals with varying needs, but Rubio pointed out that the situation had not improved under the new font.
In Rubio’s memo, titled “Return to Tradition: All Department Documents Require Times New Roman 14-Point Font,” he claimed that the change to Calibri only harmed the department’s official communications and was a misguided effort in diversity.
Furthermore, he argued that Times New Roman and similar serif fonts project tradition, formality, and ritual, and noted that other government departments continue to use serif fonts in their communications. He also described Calibri as “unofficial” and said it didn’t align with the State Department’s branding.
A spokesperson for the State Department remarked that the new formatting standard aligns with the President’s directive for a cohesive voice in foreign affairs communication, asserting that consistent formats bolster credibility and promote a unified departmental identity.
These font changes are set to take effect on December 10th.
