AP Style: Ages and Media

AGES
With ages, always use numeral figures.
Correct: The boy is 3 years old.
Incorrect: The car is eight years old.

Use hyphens only when ages are expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.
Correct: The 3-year-old boy is over there. The league is for 7-year-olds only.
Incorrect: The 27 year old man is successful. Look at all the 30 year olds.

If referring to general age, there is no apostrophe
Correct: The man is in his 20s (no apostrophe).

The same rules apply for ages ranging from days to years.

MEDIA
In the sense of mass communication (such as magazines,newspapers, radio, television and online)the word is plural.
Correct: The media are always covering the latest scandals.
Incorrect: The media is usually wrong.