OFF-MUTE 🔈
🤯 One of our top copywriting tips: Don’t use the style guide in your head. Ever.
📖 Journalists use the Associated Press (and we do, too).
🔁 Society evolves and so does our language. Every year, the Associated Press releases a new version of the AP Stylebook.
✍️ In 2017, it added “they/them” as a singular pronoun. And, in 2020, the AP team added a new entry about gender-neutral writing. For example, instead of “manhunt,” writers should use “search.” Unless the -man or -woman terms are specified by the organization, writers should use “chair” or “chairperson.”
😷 It’s no surprise that the new 2021 edition reflects many of the seismic cultural shifts that resulted from a global pandemic and a surge in the national dialogue around racial discrimination and injustice.
📣 Here are the five most important AP Stylebook updates you should know in 2021:
☑️ Capitalizing Black. The term “Black” should be capitalized when used in a racial, ethnic, or cultural context. The Associated Press says it made this update because many people who identify as Black share a sense of history, identity and community and have a shared experience of being discriminated against because of skin color.
☑️ Asian American-related references. “Pacifican Islander,” “AAPI” and “Stop AAPI Hate” were added this year. Writers should spell out the entire term, “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI),” and only use the acronym in direct quotes. Avoid using the phrase “anti-Asian sentiment” because it’s vague. Instead, use more specific language such as anti-Asian bias, anti-Asian harassment, anti-Asian comments, anti-Asian racism or anti-Asian violence.
☑️ Coronavirus terminology. The word “coronavirus” refers to a family of viruses, but in AP style writing it's okay to use the term to refer to the virus causing the current pandemic. The term “COVID-19” refers to the illness caused by the coronavirus and should be used in that context. For example, you could say “coronavirus spreads through the air,” and “my cousin is recovering from COVID-19.” Always capitalize all letters in COVID-19. Other pandemic-related terms were added this year, including “superspreader,” “long-hauler,” “distance learning,” and “contact tracing.”
☑️ Vaccine-specific guidelines. Vaccine and vaccination have slightly different meanings: a vaccine is a product that provides immunity against a specific virus, while vaccination is the act of giving a vaccine. It's acceptable to use both “the COVID-19 vaccine” and “the coronavirus vaccine.” Most of the time, you don't need to specify which manufacturer made the vaccine unless that information is relevant to the story. Writers should not use the term “anti-vaxxer” to describe a person opposed to vaccines unless using it in a direct quote.
☑️ Writing about disabilities. Only mention a disability if it’s relevant and either a medical diagnosis has been made, or the person you are writing about uses the term. Pro tip: It’s best to ask people with disabilities how they prefer to be described. Never use the terms “handicap” and “handicapped.” And avoid expressions like, “she turned a blind eye.” Here’s updated guidance.