AP Style: Spring Reminders for Journalists and Bloggers
We know journalists are busy, and it can be difficult to keep up with recent AP Stylebook changes. So we’ve done the work for you, rounding up a few of the recent significant — and just plain interesting — updates to the AP Stylebook.
As we near the second quarter of 2025, the calendar ahead is full of events you might be covering in your next article. To help, we’ve compiled a few timely AP style rules and reminders.
Upcoming Holidays
- The start of spring
- Remember that seasons are lowercase!
- The spring equinox will take place on March 20. It is one of two days each year when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are everywhere on Earth of approximately equal length. This marks the first day of spring.
- It’s daylight saving time (not saving’s). When using it as part of a timezone, only include daylight: Eastern Daylight Time, for example.
- The abbreviations for daylight times in the U.S. are EDT, CDT, MDT and PDT. They are acceptable on first reference.
- Transgender Day of Visibility
- Taking place on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility is an awareness day that celebrates the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces.
- Transgender describes people whose gender does not match the one usually associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
- In your reporting, identify people as transgender only when relevant, and use the name by which they live publicly. Unless it is central to the story, avoid mention of a person’s gender transition or gender-affirmation surgery in news coverage.
- Don’t use the term as a noun and don’t use the outdated term transsexual.
- April Fools’ Day
- The apostrophe goes after the ‘s’, although you’ll occasionally see it written as April Fool’s Day.
- Easter
- Easter is the Christian holy day commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It takes place on April 20 this year.
- The term is Easter egg.
- Capitalize Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), Holy Week (the week before Easter) and Pentecost (The seventh Sunday after Easter).
- Earth Day
- Earth Day, April 22, is designed to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
- Is it climate change or climate crisis? Both can be used in broad references to the general state of the climate – they are often used interchangeably. However, climate change should generally be used when referring to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, and the science explaining or describing those shifts. Climate crisis may be used when describing the current situation.
- Global warming refers to the increase in average temperature around the world. It’s one aspect of climate change.
- Avoid jargon and use simplified terms and concepts as much as possible when writing about the climate.
- A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere. Just about every business, government entity, product and mode of transportation has one.
- Greenwashing refers to ads or claims by companies, countries or other organizations that aim to deceive the public to believe a certain product, policy or organization is environmentally friendly.
- Read the full climate change guide from AP.
- Cinco de Mayo
- Celebrated on May 5, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican and Mexican-American commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862.
- Hispanic describes a person from — or whose ancestors were from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture. Latino, Latina or Latinx are sometimes preferred. Follow the person’s preference.
- Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
- This month-long recognition happens throughout May.
- AAPI is a common acronym used within the community, but not well-known outside of it. Spell out the full term on first use.
- Pacific Islander describes the Indigenous people of the Pacific Islands, including but not limited to Hawaii, Guam and Samoa.
- Avoid using Asian as shorthand for Asian American when possible. Do not use Orient or Oriental when referring to East Asian nations and their peoples.
- View the full race-related coverage guide.
- Mother’s Day
- Note the apostrophe before the ‘s’!
- It’s celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
Hot Topics
If you’re covering news coming out of the White House — which let’s be honest, who isn’t — here are a few helpful reminders for some of the most talked about topics:
- Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of America: President Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. AP Style has elected to continue using Gulf of Mexico while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. The decision is based on the AP’s global audience and 400 years of precedent, among other factors. Read about the AP’s decision.
- Tariffs: Tariffs describe a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imported or in some countries exported goods. Tariff – as well as tariffed, tariffing and tariffs – can also be used as a verb.
- Immigration: When covering immigration/migration, use neutral and accurate language. Use caution when using the word “crisis” and if it’s in a direct quote, ask for specifics. Use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant.
- Birthright citizenship is a country’s policy and practice of granting citizenship to anyone born within its borders. In the U.S., the Constitution guarantees that any child born in and under the jurisdiction of the United States is a U.S. citizen. The term is acceptable, but include an explanation.
- Green card (n.) and green card (adj.) are acceptable in all references for a U.S. card showing an immigrant has permanent legal status.
- Read the full immigration guide from AP Stylebook.
- Diversity, equity and inclusion: Spell it out before using the commonly-used acronym DEI.
Subscribe to Beyond Bylines to get media trends, journalist interviews, blogger profiles, and more sent right to your inbox.
Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
