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Okay, Folks, we all know that writing online has disrupted the writing styles that our grammar school teachers have taught us. All I know it not to type in caps since it is yelling. Other than that - almost anything goes. So what do you think about this? I thought it was funny.

Fake Associated Press Writing style for Twitter.

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Dani AI

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Nice find, . The Wired “fake AP” idea is a fun way to think about tone, but AP-style and microcopy serve different goals. Your instinct about avoiding ALL CAPS is exactly right — it reads as shouting and usually harms brand tone.

AP rules are a solid baseline for accuracy and attribution, but short-form social posts need a few different priorities: clarity out of context, searchability, and voice. Instead of transplanting AP verbatim, adapt a short, practical guide that answers: What do we allow? What do we ban? When do we escalate?

Microstyle cheat sheet for Twitter-style posts:

  • Lead with the point. Front-load the key fact so the message makes sense on its own.
    Example: Before: “We’re excited to announce our new feature is live.” After: “New feature X is live now.”

  • One idea per post. If you need more, thread or link to a longer post.

  • Scannability rules. Use numerals for dates/times/amounts; keep sentence case for copy; use CamelCase for multiword hashtags (#NewProductLaunch) to aid readability and accessibility.

  • Hashtag/emoji policy. Limit hashtags to 0–2 per post; emojis can add tone but set rules for when they’re allowed.

  • Tone and punctuation. Prefer contractions and active verbs; avoid multiple exclamation points, ellipses, and ALL CAPS.

  • Accessibility and compliance. Always add alt text for images; avoid unverified claims or statements that could create legal risk.

Fast recipe for a brand “fake AP”: a one-page voice statement, six hard rules (caps, hashtags, links, emoji, attribution, crisis language), 6–8 before/after examples, and a clear approval path. Review the guide quarterly and update it to match platform changes.

Quick pre-send checklist: read the post out of context, verify links, add image alt text, confirm attribution, and check tone for your audience. Use AP conventions where they improve clarity and credibility, but let microcopy rules drive day-to-day posts.

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