Guide to
AP Style
Associated Press in Brief
Associated Press founded in 1848
Cooperative effort among six New York newspapers pooling
resources for gathering international news
Currently world's single largest news organization (over 3700
employees in 121 countries)
More than a billion people read, hear or see AP news daily
The Associated Press Stylebook, first published in 1977
What is AP Style
Commonly accepted journalistic standards for
usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Keep writing style easy to read, concise and
free of bias.
Standard style guide for most U.S.
newspapers, magazines and public relations
firms.
Why AP Style?
1. Accurate
2. Clear
3. Tight
4. Neutral (non-offensive)
Numbers
Spell out:
Whole numbers below 10
Numerals that start a sentence.
For large numbers use hyphen to connect word ending in y to another word:
Example: Twenty-seven detainees were released yesterday.
Example: twenty-one or seventy-six thousand
Use figures:
For 10 and above.
For all ages and percentages (even less than 10).
PLACES: Addresses
Abbreviate words street, avenue and
boulevard only after numbered address.
Never abbreviate drive, highway, place, etc.
Abbreviate compass directions in numbered
address.
Example: 50 S. Court St.,
South Court Street
PLACES: States
Spell out names of states unless preceded by a city,
county or military base name.
Spell out Alaska & Hawaii and states with five or fewer letters.
For second references, abbreviate all state names.
Examples:
I lived in Oklahoma.
I lived in Tulsa, Okla.
I lived in Iowa.
I lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
TIME: Days vs. dates?
Always use numerals without st, nd, rd or th in dates.
Avoid using yesterday, today and tomorrow
When writing about events use months and dates
story publication could be delayed
Example: "April 30" and "June 5."
When referring to a month, day and year, set off year with commas.
Example: Aug. 20, 1964, was the day they had all been waiting for.
TIME: Months
Never abbreviate months not immediately
precede a date
Abbreviate only if month's name is six letters
or longer
Example: We got married in September last year.
They were married Aug. 6 last year and
divorced March 5.
TIME: Years
Add an "s" to first year in the decade.
Years are never spelled out.
Even at beginning of sentence use figure.
Example: In the 1960s, I did a lot of things I
don't remember.
1968 was a good year, I'm told.
TIME: a.m. vs. p.m.
Recognize 8 p.m. tonight is redundant.
Write 8 p.m. Monday.
Use figures except for noon and midnight
Write time of day like this: 2:30 a.m. or 8:45
p.m.
TITLES: Compositions
Capitalize first and last word of title.
Capitalize all words four letters or longer.
Do not capitalize articles "a," "an" and "the OR conjunctions or
prepositions, unless four letters or longer.
Capitalize the in title if that is the way publication prefers to be known.
Examples:
The Elements of Style
Gone With the Wind
The Angler
TITLES: People
Capitalize formal titles before a name
do not separate title from name by a comma.
Titles after a name or standing alone are ALMOST
NEVER capitalized (exceptions for nobilitysee AP Stylebook)
Examples:
I saw President Obama.
He met Prince Charles.
Dr. Mojock, LSCC president, attended the
meeting.
TITLES: Places
General compass directions should be lowercase
Capitalize names of U.S. regions
Example: The warm front is moving east.
Example: The Northeast depends on the Midwest for its food
supply.
NOTE
Best reference for correct spelling/punctuation of place names:
U.S. Postal Service Directory of Post Offices.
Best reference for foreign geographic names: Websters New
World College Dictionary.
TITLES: Ethnic Groups
Preferred usage for African Americans is black. It is not
capitalized.
Preferred usage for Caucasians is white, also not capitalized.
Preferred usage for Asian people is Asian, capitalized.
American Indian, capitalized with no hyphen, is preferred over
Native American.
A Guide to Punctuation
Comma (,)
Do not put a comma before conjunction in a simple series.
Example: John, Paul, George and Ringo; red, white and blue.
Use a comma to set off a person's hometown and age.
Example: Jane Doe, Framingham, was absent.
Joe Blow, 34, was arrested yesterday.
Place a comma before and after the following:
A year, if it follows a month and date.
A state, if it follows a city or county name.
Example: I was born on Nov. 6, 1958, in Madison, Wis.
Example: I was born in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 6, 1958.
An appositive (a word or phrase that says same thing as a
word or phrase next to it)
Example: I saw my boss, John Smith, in the hall. (My boss and John
Smith are identical.)
Colon (:)
Capitalize first word after colon only if it is a
proper noun or start of a complete sentence:
Example: He promised this: The company will make
good all the losses.
But: There were three considerations: expense, time
and feasibility.
Colons go outside quotation marks unless part of
quoted material.
Hyphen (-)
Use a hyphen for compound adjectives before the noun:
Example: well-known actor, full-time job, 20-year sentence
Do not use when compound modifier occurs after verb:
Example: The actor was well known. Her job became full time.
He was sentenced to 20 years.
Period (.)
Use a single space after period at end of sentence.
Do not put space between initials:
C.S. Lewis; G.K. Chesterton
Quotations in the news
Quote marks indicate exact wording.
They tell reader, "This is exactly what was said."
Quote marks always appear outside punctuation.
When a full-sentence quotation is introduced or followed by
attribution, place a comma between them.
Quotations that are questions only need a question mark.
Example: Did he really say that? he asked.
In dialogue, each persons words are placed in a separate
paragraph with quotation marks.
Use single marks for quotes within quotes:
Begin a new paragraph with each speaker
Example: She said, "He told me, 'I love you.'
If a quote is more than 2 sentences use a colon after attribution.
Examples:
I said: Isnt this great. . . It's the state fair."
"What's going on?" he asked.
He said he felt "sicker than a dead frog " after he drank too
much tequila.
Spellings to NOTE
accommodate (two c's, two m's)
adviser (AP likes an "e" in it)
afterward (no "s" at the end)
amid (has no "st" at the end)
among (has no "st" at the end)
calendar
canceled, cancellation
embarrass (two "r's" and two "s's")
harass (only one "r.)
homicide (not homocide)
judgment (there is no "judge" in judgment)
knowledge
livable
privilege (no "d")
sheriff
Activity: AP Style Check
a vs. an
affect vs. effect
burglary vs. larceny
robbery vs. theft
counsel vs. council
principal vs. principle
lay vs. lie
Scots vs. scotch
Marshall vs. marshal
SOURCES
Guide to AP style by Dr. Michael S. Sweeney, Utah State University
[Link]
Quick Reference Associated Press Style
[Link]/com/writingprgm/ap_styleguide1.pdf
