The AP Stylebook Updates Entries on Climate Change, LGBTQ+ Issues, and Neurodivergent Individuals

The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, a guide for journalists on style and terminology, has been updated with new entries for 2023, including on the subjects of climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and neurodivergent individuals. The guide provides journalists with best practices for writing about these topics in a way that is informative, respectful, and inclusive.

One of the most significant changes in the 2023 edition is the guidance on reporting about climate change. The guide recommends avoiding the use of the term "climate change" when describing extreme weather events, such as hurricanes or heatwaves. Instead, journalists are advised to use more specific terms that describe the event itself, such as "heatwaves," "droughts," or "floods." It also has expanded the terminology with which journalists should address climate change’s particular causes and consequences and now contains entries for carbon dioxide, desertification, fossil fuels and greenwashing.

This change reflects a growing recognition among journalists and media organizations of the need to more accurately and precisely describe the impacts of climate change. As the guide notes, "Extreme weather events are one of the most visible and immediate impacts of climate change, and it's essential that journalists report on them accurately and effectively."

Another significant update in the AP Stylebook is the guidance on reporting about LGBTQ+ individuals. The guide recommends using the term "LGBTQ+" instead of "LGBT" to include additional identities, such as queer, non-binary, and asexual. This change reflects the evolving understanding of gender and sexuality and the need to be more inclusive and respectful of all individuals.

However, the guide notes that using LGBTQ+ as a blanket term for all groups is not recommended: “While reporters can use LGBTQ+ as a collective adjective, they should avoid using it to describe individual people or specific populations, such as an advocacy group for bisexual people or a law that targets transgender children.”

The AP Stylebook regularly updates. Just last year, the Stylebook added an entry for neurodiversity and updated it to provide guidance on reporting about neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD. The guide recommends using neutral and respectful language and avoiding language that stigmatizes or sensationalizes their condition.

For example, the guide advises against using terms like "suffers from autism" or "afflicted with ADHD" as it can suggest that having a neurodivergent condition is a negative thing. Instead, the Stylebook recommends using more neutral language like "has autism" or "has ADHD."

Additionally, the guide advises journalists to avoid sensationalizing or exploiting neurodivergent individuals in their reporting. This means avoiding using neurodivergent individuals as "clickbait" or sensationalizing their conditions for the sake of generating interest or attention.

In addition to these updates, the AP Stylebook has made a comment on reporters speaking about AI models such as ChatGPT. The entry advises against using humanizing or anthropomorphic language for the AI model. Also, both B.C.E. and C.E. have been updated to be the preferred denotations of time (Before Common Era/Common Era as an alternative to the Christian-centric “Before Christ” BC and “Anno Domini” AD). 

Overall, the updates to the AP Stylebook reflect the evolving understanding of language, gender, sexuality, and mental health. The guide provides journalists with best practices for writing about these topics in a way that is accurate, respectful, and inclusive. As the AP notes, "words matter, and the language we use can have a profound impact on how people perceive themselves and others."