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Last Seven Days

Question from Cheyenne, Wyoming, on April 29, 2025

Is there AP guidance on just what is considered to be a "viral" social media post. Is there a threshold of views/comments/etc. within a certain time to mean it's "gone viral?" If not, should there be? Some direction on where to draw the line and be accurate saying something is "popular," "trending" or "viral" would be helpful. Otherwise it just seems click-baity to always say something is "viral" when it really may not be. Thanks.

Answer

There's no set definition. I would avoid the description for that reason: It's vague.
If you do use it, give specific details:
How many views does a post have on a social platform?
How many followers does an influencer have? 
Where is a post being seen, and who is seeing it?

Still, there are things that can artificially boost a post or a poster's numbers, such as bot followers. So try to focus on specific impact, and don't use "gone viral" as shorthand.  

Question from SUN LAKES, Arizona, on April 28, 2025

Do we hyphenate decision-making, decision-maker?
Thank you!

Answer

Yes - hyphenate. 

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