The New York Times Officially Allows Use Of Word ‘Tweet’ In News Stories

The term “tweet” has officially been accepted into The New York Times‘ style guide, The New York Observer‘s Foster Kamer reports. The paper of record’s associate standards editor Phillip B. Corbett had previously notoriously “banned” the use of the word in the newspaper’s lexicon.

New York Times metro reporter Hannah Miet made the announcement via tweet — how à propos!

Back in June 2010, Corbett explained why the paper encouraged refraining use of the term tweet:

Except for special effect, we try to avoid colloquialisms, neologisms and jargon. And “tweet” – as a noun or a verb, referring to messages on Twitter – is all three. Yet it has appeared 18 times in articles in the past month, in a range of sections. [...] “Tweet” may be acceptable occasionally for special effect. But let’s look for deft, English alternatives: use Twitter, post to or on Twitter, write on Twitter, a Twitter message, a Twitter update. Or, once you’ve established that Twitter is the medium, simply use “say” or “write.”

(h/t NYO)

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