AP Stylebook Wants Us To Call Twitter 'X, Formerly Known As Twitter'
The AP updated its stylebook on how to handle Twitter's semi-transition to X.
AP now advises journalists to call the social media service "X, formerly known as Twitter" during the first reference. After, the stylebook permits a writer to simply call the service as "X" or "the X platform."
The term tweet remains acceptable, says AP reporter Seung Min Kim.
Musk and his team have not renamed tweets or retweets. At least not yet. If they do, we recommend "Xs" and "ReXs."
https://twitter.com/seungminkim/status/1684196574891474945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1684196574891474945%7Ctwgr%5E5b2cd77d9f724749e22a2e71ada3a5a6c78a0799%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fawfulannouncing.com%2Ftwitter%2Fap-stylebook-x-ruling.html
It's unclear if Twitter is still the brand name or if it will ever fully transition to X.
Elon Musk calls the platform "X," but the website URL reads Twitter.com. The app is also still called "Twitter" and features the blue bird as its logo.
Perhaps Wikipedia describes the service best as "Twitter, currently rebranding to X."
Ultimately, calling Twitter "X, formerly known as Twitter" is unnecessarily complicated at this point. Try fitting that into a headline box.
Granted, calling it "X" seems like we are participating in a grand troll job by Elon Musk.
"Follow me on X." "You must have bought all those X followers." "Why is my X engagement down so much?"
None of it sounds right.
Thus, our advice to journalists and anyone who cares: call the service whatever you want.
AP lost its standing as an honest arbiter of language years ago, anyway. The once nearly universal stylebook recently updated guidelines about when it's appropriate to use "pregnant woman," "ships," and "woman."
AP even asks journalists to now put the word "woke" in quotes due to "right-wing appropriation."
The AP Stylebook is as credible as its journalism: hardly credible at all.
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