Tips for tailoring your writing with precision and clarity.
Whether you’re writing daily press releases or prepping for a presentation, it’s imperative to have the tools to write clearly. The Associated Press Stylebook has included some new rules you should be aware of and some great reminders on how to address key subjects.
We now have updates on X, the social platform nearly always married to a “formerly” phrase, as well as how to write about AI.
Ragan’s recent webinar hosted Mignon Fogarty, Grammar Girl herself and founder of the “Quick and Dirty Tips” podcast network, to share the latest updates and guidelines for AP style. Let’s get into it.
RIP Twitter
AP style now confirms that the shelf life on referring to X, followed by a “formerly Twitter” phrase has expired, Fogarty said.
Now, it’s perfectly acceptable to say:
- The social platform X; or
- Posted on X, said in a post on X
Writing about AI
The AP Stylebook has included some instruction about referencing AI in the past couple of years, but there are some new rules on the subject.
AI doesn’t require periods between each letter to establish that it stands for artificial intelligence, Fogarty said. This is a departure from geographic abbreviations, such as U.S. or U.K., in the body of your copy.
But AI is not a human. So do not talk about, or reference AI, as if it has human attributes, she said.
“Don’t give it a human name,” Fogarty said. “And even though it often feels like it, AI doesn’t have thoughts or feelings. So don’t write something like, ‘it’s actually excited to help you.’ The output of AI uses natural language and sounds so human that people end up misunderstanding how these systems work. It’s really easy to start thinking of them as being sentient when they aren’t. So it’s important not to reinforce that with your language.”
AI doesn’t have intentions. Don’t write like it does.
“Don’t use gendered pronouns when referring to AI tools,” Fogarty said. “Keep in mind these systems are built by people who have their own human biases and aims.”
In addition to writing about AI, Fogarty shared some useful ways AI can enhance your workflows. She also shared what to be cautious of when relying on AI in search.
Some AI search tips:
- Use Google search to write your prompt “-AI” to eliminate AI overviews.
- Corroborate AI overviews with at least two other known sources due to factual errors.
- AI overviews seem extremely accurate until you search for something you know about in detail. Don’t rely on it for details.
Some AI tools that Fogarty finds useful for the writing process:
- EditGPT: Edits transcripts for errors, double words and other mistakes.
- Mac Whisper: Edits and transcribes audio. Useful for podcast and video subtitles.
“There’s basically no reason you should ever post a podcast or a video without subtitles ever again,” Fogarty said. “With these tools, you can have a good transcript within a couple of minutes.”
Hyphens
Hyphens can be tricky because there are rules and then there are exceptions. Hyphens are used for clarity in sentences where the meaning would change without the hyphen, Fogarty said.
For example, writing “tiny-house fire” is different than “tiny house fire,” she said.
“You also use hyphens with some prefixes and suffixes, and this can vary widely from style guide to style guide,” she said. “The AP generally doesn’t hyphenate prefixes, but provides a long list of exceptions. Some of the most common are a lot of ‘anti-’ words, like anti-collision, anti-corruption, and then ‘ex-‘ words when it means former, as in ‘ex-president.’”
Another example? Co-worker is hyphenated but coworking is written without the hyphen. If there’s ever a question about a new word or cultural slang that may require a hyphen, check Miriam Webster’s Dictionary for clarity, Fogarty said.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
The post Grammar Girl lays out new AP style rules for X, AI and more appeared first on PR Daily.
