These simple rules of the road will repair 80 percent or more of the style errors govies are making every day. Abbreviate them when they appear in conjunction with the name of a city. Numbers n in general, zero through nine are written out, and 10 and above are written as numerals. Founded in 1846, ap today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. The ap stylebook 2 print edition, webbased access and style checking software.
Use the aps state abbreviations with place names only in lists and tabular material. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Aps rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation. Spell out the name of a month when it is used without a specific date. The ap stylebook holds to the following guidelines. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. Washington ap a chicago woman has become the second u. When should the names of government bodies be spelled out and when should they be abbreviated what are the general definitions of the major religious. Ap stylebook, also known by its full name the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law, is an english grammar style and usage guide created by american journalists working for or connected with the associated press to standardize mass communication.
It includes all stylebook listings, plus an ask the editor feature with more than twice as many entries as the book itself, a pronunciation guide with phonetic spellings and audio pronouncers, and topical style guides about news events. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Serving as an authority for working journalists on grammar, capitalizations, abbreviations, spelling and so much more, the ap stylebook can be found in almost every newsroom in the country. Local style a abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms. The style of the associated press is the gold standard for news writing. Avoid applying personal pronouns he, she, him, her to an animal unless its sex has been established or the animal has a name. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Also use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, county, town, village or military base in. Metro uses two types of abbreviation for some materials. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma.
If this structure makes the connection between the entity and the abbreviation unclear, its best to just skip using the abbreviation. Ap stylebook, also known by its full name the associated press stylebook and briefing on. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. Best of ap style and grammarpunctuationspelling gps 1. Jack gillespie, rowan university, purdue university writing lab and ap stylebook page 2. Note that the ap stylebook is updated every year, but the chicago manual of style is updated less often. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. The webs largest and most authoritative acronyms and abbreviations resource. Best of ap style and grammarpunctuationspelling gps. Omit periods unless the result would spell an unrelated word. Dont continue using this format for other dates in the story. Sp 17 ap style guide the university of texas at austin. Aug 01, 2018 the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846.
Punctuation use a comma to separate a year used with a date. How to cite state codes or statutes in apa style pen and. If you have questions or concerns about digital products, the product pages include forms to request technical support. Punctuation guide editing marks a abbreviations and acronyms acceptexcept academic degrees academic departments. The 2017 ap stylebook is offered exclusively on amazons kindle platform. Abbreviations or acronyms may be used on second reference when referring to the university or related entities provided that the formal name is provided on first reference, along with the abbreviation or acronym to be used.
The following pages summarize the most commonly used rules in the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Fully revised and updated, this new edition contains more than 3,000 a to z entriesincluding more than 200 new onesdetailing the aps. Capitalize the full proper names of governmental agencies, departments, and offices. The paperback of the the associated press stylebook 2017. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. The standards can be applied either for general use, or be required usage for an individual publication, a particular organization, or. When it comes to animals, the ap stylebook has several notes for reporters. Abbreviate months with six or more letters if they are used with a specific date. Apa style is a method of citing references developed 80 years ago by the american psychological association and is designed to augment a straightforward, precision approach to academic and professional. January 7, 2017 january 2017 jan 2017 fy 17 fy 2017 note. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. Spell out united states when used as a noun or when appearing in a sentence containing the name of another country.
Use abbreviations for degrees only when you need to include a list. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in most datelines. The associated press stylebook ap style recommends lowercasing any roadrelated term in combined names if the term is the same for both names. On second reference, the automobile as sociation or the association is ac ceptable. With the exact terms of the nations departure still in the works, it is still very much a developing story, and weve collected an assortment of ap stylebook terms to help you in your future reporting. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of. Jul 21, 2016 in ap style, you shouldnt follow the name of an organization with the abbreviation offset by parentheses or dashes. The explosion had the forse of 20,000 tons 20 kilotons of tnt.
You must include the full company name somewhere in the story. Now you can use our universal ios app for iphone and ipad to access your ap stylebook online account wherever you go. The subscriptionbased ap stylebook online is updated throughout the year with new and revised entries. Use only the most commonly understood, such as fbi, irs, sled, dhec. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. Ap definitive source a new look for ap stylebook online. Jan 01, 2017 the style of the associated press is the gold standard for news writing. Story style, when we use day, date and year in the sentence that tells when the person died. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals. Ap style seems to allow for multiple spacesaving adaptations for headlineslike using numerals in headlines, but spelling out numbers under 10 in the body of the text. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday.
In addition to the stylebook entries below, you should be knowledgeable of the following sections in the ap stylebook. She was elected to be mayor, not county commissioner. The ap stylebook now includes they as a singular, gender. Apr 15, 2020 the writers of most content creation companies usually write using a popular style guide ap, apa, chicago, mla mixed with a house style. If an abbreviation not listed in this book or in the dictionary achieves widespread acceptance, use capital letters. An important new feature of is a comprehensive customer dashboard. Fully revised and updated, this new edition contains more than 3,000 a to z entriesincluding more than 200 new onesdetailing the aps rules on grammar, spelling. The associated press stylebook, 50th edition ap style rules specific to the university of iowa ui chicago manual of style, 15th edition cmsuse sparingly, when no other style point exists or would work for the needed application abbreviations generally, do not use abbreviations in text. A style guide for the 2020 elections, based on the ap stylebook and common usage in ap stories. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. The book was written in the 21st century, not the second century.
Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. For words not in this book, use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world dictionary. The associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. The stylebook largely consists of rules dictating renderings, syntax and abbreviations gov. Our primary dictionary, websters new world, lists the spelling band. Ap mentions to also abbreviate states in datelines, credit lines, and shortform party affiliation dariz. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. I remember when i filed one of my first bylines for a newspaper only to get my inbox slammed with emails from my editor in chief.
Instead, simply use the abbreviation the second time that you refer to the organization. The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name for example, santa ana, calif. Jan 19, 2017 hiroshima on aug, 6, 1945, this japanese city and military base were the targets of the first atomic bomb dropped as a weapon. Put quotation marks around the names except the bible and catalogs of reference material. Its often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. To accomplish that, the agency endorses two editorial styles.
Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for internal communication. Although the rules seem to change as often as i eat a shameful amount of candy read. The following quick reference is taken from the associated press stylebook and. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.
Does anyone know the associated press abbreviation for the word county. In reference to fiscal year, lowercase and spell out. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Monthyear, such as january 2017, is used for regularly updated information. Editorial style guide fairfax county public schools. All your entries, notes and favorites from your ap stylebook online account will sync betw. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. Version 173 march 21, 2017 page 1 navy editors and writers should follow the most recent edition of the associated press stylebook except as noted in this u. A style guide or manual of style is a set of standards for the writing, formatting and design of documents. Im searching my ap stylebook but cant find an answer. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. May 04, 2017 ap mentions to also abbreviate states in datelines, credit lines, and shortform party affiliation dariz. Sep 28, 2017 in august, the ap stylebook published a backtoschool topical guide, which included some of the following new entries and recent changes. The office of communications uses the below writing style guide along with the associated press ap stylebook and websters dictionary as the standard for writing web content, employee communications, news releases, broadcast information, articles and other materials.
For external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents. Ap stylebook adds ebook edition to digital product suite. Use only an initial cap and then lowercase for abbreviations and acronyms of more than five letters, unless listed otherwise in this stylebook or websters new world college dictionary. Every message you communicate is a reflection upon you, your school or department, and the entire school division. Fully revised and updated, this new edition contains more than 3,000 a to z entriesincluding more than 200 new onesdetailing the aps rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, and. The 2017 associated press stylebook spiralbound january 1, 2017. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Cite state codes and legal statutes in apa style for college research or professionally written papers and reports. The package was sent to smithson, virginia, by mistake. Find out what is the most common shorthand of county on. Sep 20, 2015 the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law is available for the first time as an interactive e book, making the nations leading resource for newsroom style easier to use.
View the entire archive 27,036 answered questions and counting. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Top 10 ap style guide 2016edits university blog service. All communication should be clear, consistent, and aligned with fcps brand identity. Fully revised and updated, this 2017 edition contains more than 3,000 a to z entries including more than 200 new ones detailing the aps rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, and word and numeral usage. The associated press stylebook and websters new world college. The term is acceptable on first reference, but should be explained later in the story. You ll find answers to such wideranging questions as.
These selected rules have been reprinted with the permission of the associated press. It wasnt about my prose, reporting, or lede, but that i neglected to abbreviate september. Writing style sba brand guide small business administration. Twelve common mistakes of ap style apr 19, 2011 admin.
Retain capitalization in referring to a specific body if the dateline or context makes the name of the nation, state, county, city, etc. At bka, we prefer ap style, which is a standard in journalism. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law 2017. Abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. Shorthand for the formal title of the health care overhaul that former president barack obama signed into law in 2010. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with a brief, supplementary note on the history of the same. Dont abbreviate titles when they stand alone or follow a name gen. The writers of most content creation companies usually write using a popular style guide ap, apa, chicago, mla mixed with a house style. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Use twoletter postal codes ca in tabular matter unless your publisher prefers traditional abbreviations calif.
Ap staffers may also reference an alphabetical list of all company names, with stock ticker abbreviations. We have updated our topical guide on the coronavirus to include our preference for the first spelling, bandanna. See datelines for guidelines on when a city name may stand alone in the body of a story. The 2017 stylebook includes additions and changes made throughout the year on ap stylebook online, including new guidance on the use of they as a singular, genderneutral pronoun. All you need to know about titles in ap style gatehouse. Mar 24, 2017 the new print ap stylebook will be available may 31, 2017. Ap stylebook mobile is completely redesigned to make it even easier to take ap style guidance with you anywhere.
The 2017 ap stylebook uses periods most of the time. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. It is often called a style sheet, although that term also has other meanings. Associated press stylebook we are retiring our boards here but you can stay in style on twitter, facebook, instagram and linkedin. Ap is releasing the 2015 ap stylebook e book with basic books, a division of the perseus books group, which also publishes the perfectbound print ap. On thursday, june 23, 2016, voters in the united kingdom officially voted to leave the european union, a decision that has been dubbed brexit, or the british exit. Do not use yesterday or tomorrow except in direct quotes. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style.
Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. Two words, common usage at many south carolina papers, instead of statehouse. Apr 23, 2014 ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. An abbreviation is a shortening of a word or words. Hiroshima on aug, 6, 1945, this japanese city and military base were the targets of the first atomic bomb dropped as a weapon. The bill was signed on may 5, 20, two days before the session ended. For external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents and materials, excluding correspondence from the administrator and deputy administrator. However, there are exceptions for large cities that stand alone in datelines. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Editorial guide brand and style guidelines university of arkansas. The 2017 associated press stylebook the associated press on. Although ap allows it, avoid 911, except in quotes and tightcount headlines.
It destroyed more than four square miles and killed or injured 140,000 people, according to an official count taken between august and december 1945. View listings by categories such as abbreviations, capitalization, figures, numerals, titles, etc. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing. The don tyson center for agricultural sciences opened in 2017 at the. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Governor, capitalization of words for headlines and the devilish oxford comma, for example.
How to write names of highways, streets, and other roadways. Froke named apme executive director and ap stylebook editor. Ap stylebook rules and terms for brexit gatehouse newsroom. With the ap stylebook in hand, you can learn how to write and edit with the clarity and professionalism for which they are famous. Use all caps, but no periods, in longer abbreviations when the individual letters are pronounced. Not the parakeet looked upset as he watched the cat nap on the couch. Bernard the parakeet had a concerned look on his face as he watched the two children approach his cage. Styles are taken from the 2017 ap stylebook and defense imagery style guide, along with established army public affairs style ar 3601. Oct 30, 2015 the rules below apply for the following works. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Put the city name in capital letters, usually followed by the state, country or.
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