WHY SOME NEWFOUNDLANDERS ARE UPSET WITH CNN.

1 THE TERM OFFENDS MANY

Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s CNN show, “Parts Unknown,” is discovering the danger of calling Newfoundlanders by a certain nickname many find offensive. A promotional tweet for this Sunday’s episode on Newfoundland and Labrador links to an article on Newfoundland-related books and local slang, saying “Embrace the Newfies as they are.”

2 CHEF DINED WITH LOCALS

Bourdain visited the province last fall, dining with local chefs on delicacies from moose meat to authentic fish and chips.

3 TWEET HARD TO DIGEST

Response to the promotional tweet, however, was not so positive. One man said “a fair portion of Newfoundlanders find the term ’Newfie’ offensive” and said it was hard to understand why they used it “in an otherwise excellent article.”

4 ACADEMIC ATTENTION

James Baker of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., published a research paper last year on the history of the term. He said most Americans, including Bourdain, likely wouldn’t pick up on the nuance behind the term, which has been compared to derogatory terms for other ethnic groups.

5 LOOKING FOR THE POSITIVE

Paul De Decker, a linguistics professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, sees potential for linguistic change with new audiences like American “Parts Unknown” viewers. “It would be great if we’re now at the time, and maybe this is one episode, one media outlet, where the term can take on what we call amelioration — it takes on a positive aspect.”