What's New with AP Style? (Part I)

Okay, you might be thinking, “I don’t care what changes they made to comma placement,” or “Does it really matter if I spell out numbers over 10?”

While we do have some strong feelings about commas in this business, we wanted to reflect on the most timely and notable Associated Press style changes. Check out a few of many, shared by AP Stylebook’s Product Manager Colleen Newvine in a recent PRSA webinar. (Spoiler alert: The main theme? Inclusion!)

• Antisemitism (n.), antisemitic (adj.)

  • Previously “anti-Semitism” and “anti-Semitic”, the hyphen and capital “S” have been removed to eliminate the legitimization of '“Semitism”.

• Asian American

  • Previously “Asian-American”, the hyphen has been removed for this and other dual heritage terms.

  • When possible, it is recommended to refer to the person’s country of origin or ask the person’s preference. Ex. “Filipino American” or “Indian American”.

  • Avoid using “Asian” as shorthand for “Asian American”.

  • Follow the individual’s preference!

• Pacific Islander

  • Use this to describe Indigenous people of the Pacific Islands, i.e. Hawaii, Guam and Samoa.

  • Not to be used for those who happen to live in the Pacific Islands.

  • Follow the individual’s preference!

• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

  • Spell out the full term rather than using the acronym AAPI. The acronym is widely used by people within these communities but is not as well known outside of them.

• Anti-Asian sentiment

  • Avoid this euphemism as there is little meaning.

  • Instead, use “anti-Asian bias”, “anti-Asian harassment”, “anti-Asian comments”, “anti-Asian racism” or “anti-Asian violence” depending on the situation.

  • Give specifics about the event rather than generalizing.

• Race-related coverage

  • Some words and phrases can carry negative connotations or be seen as slurs. For example, “thug” could be seen as a racial slur, and “unarmed Black man” implies that the default for Black men is that they are armed.

  • Do not write in a way that makes “white” the default.

• Systemic, institutional racism

  • “Systemic racism”, “structural racism” and “institutional racism” refer to the social, political and institutional systems and cultures that contribute to racial inequality.

    • Avoid shortening this to simply “racism”.

  • Avoid using the term “racist” unless in a direct quotation.

    • Some use the term “racist” to refer to anyone who benefits from systemic racism and doesn’t actively work to dismantle it.

• Black, white

  • “Black” as an adjective should be capitalized in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense. For example, “Black people”, “Black culture”, “Black literature”, “Black studies” or “Black colleges”.

  • “African American” is acceptable for those in the U.S., but is not as widely inclusive.

  • Follow the individual’s preference!

• Indigenous (adj.)

  • Capitalize this term to refer to the original inhabitants of a place.

• Brown (adj.)

  • Avoid this term as it is broad and imprecise.

• People of color

  • Avoid the term “Black, Indigenous and people of color”. Some see this as more inclusive by distinguishing the experiences of Black and Indigenous people, but others see it as less inclusive by diminishing everyone else's experiences.

    • Similarly, do not use the term “Black, Asian and minority ethnic”.

  • Do not use the shorthand “POC”, “BIPOC” or “BAME” unless in a direct quotation.

  • Follow the individual’s preference!

• Black Lives Matter, #BlackLivesMatter

  • “Black Lives Matter” or “the Black Lives Matter movement” are both acceptable as nouns.

  • BLM is acceptable on the second reference.

Did you catch the common idea of asking for each person’s preference for identifiers? Inclusive language can be a touchy subject and you have to open yourself up to learning opportunities and vulnerable situations. However, if you start each project by simply asking the question “how would you like to be identified in this story?” it creates an open dialogue and helps to avoid any assumptions that may be painful to those highlighted individuals.

Check back soon for Part II of some important changes to AP Style, and be sure to look over Colleen Newvine’s full presentation here for more information about what’s new in AP Style and a refresher on the basics.

Madeline Howard

madeline@c3-collective.com