The Associated Press may be the primary news referral service for most media outlets but it also dictates the proper language and usage of terms for headlines and journalistic content. ”The AP Stylebook” is considered the standard that news outlets follow in their writing guidelines.
Make no mistake — The AP is no less biased than the rest of the media complex, so on occasion their ”rules” can take on more of a virtue-signaling tone rather than something approaching common sense. This summer during the social protests they came out to announce that the word ”Black” would now be capitalized when referring to race, but then one month later they declared that when referring to caucasians the word ”White” should be lower case.
Now they have taken this sensitivity of language to another level. It is enough to drive a person looney.
Do not use derogatory terms, such as insane, crazy/crazed, nuts or deranged, unless they are part of a quotation that is essential to the story.
Avoid using mental health terms to describe unrelated issues. Don’t say that an awards show, for example, was schizophrenic.— APStylebook (@APStylebook) November 10, 2020
Seriously. These are the ravings of an impacted mind.
Reinventing cultural norms through words. Orwell much?
— Dave Media_LNK (@DaveMedia_LNK) November 11, 2020
That's a great message from the Ministry but I will think and say whatever I damn well please.
If it offends you,that's your right and it's mine to say it.Maybe the Ministry itself isn't essential to the story…
— TheRedFisher1 (@TheRedFisher1) November 10, 2020
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The nutty idea of course all but invited people to show up and go crazed on the AP account.
It’s nuts and deranged that the crazy folks at AP think they control language.
— Karri Neves (@Karri_kln1671) November 10, 2020
Can we say 'bonkers'?
— Jack McFadden (@tigermountainbk) November 10, 2020
— Claire Lehmann (@clairlemon) November 10, 2020
This could lead to problems elsewhere.
The Almond Joy people are gonna be maaaaad at you APStylebook cuz
?sometimes you feel like a nut…?
?sometimes you don’t … ?
?Almond Joy’s got nuts… Mounds don’t?— Missing Laptop? (@MissingLaptop) November 11, 2020
If insane means doing the same thing repeatedly expecting different results, wouldn’t trusting @AP be technically and proverbially “insane”? Asking for 71M friends.
— ryan jenkins (@ryanjenkins11) November 10, 2020
Valid question.
Please use "Tide Pod connoisseur," "paint chip aficionado," or "mainstream news believer" in lieu of these other less politically correct terms.
— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) November 10, 2020
Points for creativity, but where would this lunacy end?
Is it still OK to refer to Donald Trump as insane given the weight of the evidence?
— Scott Porch (@ScottPorch) November 10, 2020
Yes, yes – clever retort. But it raises a good question. How diligent do you think the AP will be when the President is referred to in this manner? You’d be crazy to bet that they would correct such usage.
Maybe we can compromise — instead of these derogatory terms, just refer to an unhinged person as ”Rick Wilson”. There – fixed it for you.
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