The 57th edition of AP Stylebook (2024-2026) is out.
Much of the guide consists of lectures on progressive values and why they are supposedly correct, as a justification for forcing them into the language. For example, when instructing journalists not to use the word “woke,” it states, “Some people and groups, especially conservatives, now use it in a derogatory sense implying what they see as overreactions.”
A lengthy section titled “Inclusive Storytelling” goes on and on about how journalists must seek quotes from diverse, underrepresented people. It provides examples, such as “[d]escribing the unique obstacles faced by gay people who came out later in life” and “[e]xplaining what has led women of color to become a growing force…” It instructs journalists to seek out “a Black female researcher focusing on vaccination rates among children, or a Latino teacher on strike in Chicago, or a gay couple struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic.” Another section on “Unconscious/Implicit Bias” tells journalists to “check yourself.”[…]
The words “male” and “female” are now restricted: “New guidance to avoid using male and female as modifiers that could convey assumptions about gender roles, such as male nurse, male nanny, female bodybuilder.” Journalists must use “search” instead of “manhunt.” Since “Frosty the Snowman” is a character’s name, the guide helpfully suggests referring to it as “Frosty.” Journalists can no longer refer to women as “blondes” or “brunettes,” or use the words “manhole,” “mankind,” “manmade,” “gentleman,” “lady,” “mistress,” “hostess,” or “heroine.”
