AP Stylebook highlights

This will tell you 90 percent (not % or

per cent) of what you need to know
 1. States
• In 2014, the AP Stylebook eliminated most
abbreviations for states. Now abbreviations
are only used in datelines.
 1. States
• In 2014, the AP Stylebook eliminated most
abbreviations for states. Now abbreviations
are only used in datelines.
• The AP does not use postal abbreviations.
Consider the following datelines:
– Incorrect: CONCORD, MA — Police arrested …
– Correct: CONCORD, Mass. — Police arrested …
 2. Cities
• Most cities and towns are also identified by
state. For example, Annapolis, Maryland.
 2. Cities
• Most cities and towns are also identified by
state. For example, Annapolis, Maryland.
• Many large cities do not need a state whether
it is in the dateline or within the article. See
“Datelines” in the AP Stylebook.
– Wrong: Washington, D.C.
– Wicked wrong: Washington, DC
– Right: Washington
 3. Numerals
• Spell out numbers from zero through nine and
use numerals for 10 and up.
 3. Numerals
• Spell out numbers from zero through nine and
use numerals for 10 and up.
• Ages are always rendered as numerals:
the 5-year-old boy.
 3. Numerals
• Spell out numbers from zero through nine and
use numerals for 10 and up.
• Ages are always rendered as numerals:
the 5-year-old boy.
• Percentages are spelled out with a numeral:
6 percent.
 3. Numerals
• Spell out numbers from zero through nine and
use numerals for 10 and up.
• Ages are always rendered as numerals:
the 5-year-old boy.
• Percentages are spelled out with a numeral:
6 percent.
• Numerals with millions and billions: 7 million,
4.8 billion.
 3. Numerals
• Use numerals for large numbers lower than
1 million: 3,750 for example, or 375,000.
• Money always takes a dollar sign, even when
you are quoting someone:
– 46 cents (no cent sign)
– $46
– $4,600
– $4.6 million
 4. Politics
• Wrong: US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
was elected to the seat once held by Ted
Kennedy.
 4. Politics
• Wrong: US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
was elected to the seat once held by Ted
Kennedy.
• Right: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-
Massachusetts, was elected to the seat once
held by Ted Kennedy.
 4. Politics
• We refer to President Barack Obama
(including first name on first reference), but to
the president (lowercase) when there’s no
name.
 4. Politics
• Official titles are capitalized when they appear
before a name, but lowercased when used
after a name.
– Right: Secretary of State John Kerry took office
shortly after Hillary Clinton stepped down.
– Right: John Kerry, secretary of state, took office
shortly after Hillary Clinton stepped down.
 4. Politics
• Unofficial titles are akin to job descriptions,
and are lowercased whether they appear
before or after a person’s name.
– Right: Romney senior strategist Eric Fehrnstrom
had previously worked as a reporter for
the Boston Herald.
 5. Our country
• Spell out United States whenever it is used as
a noun.
– Energy prices in the United States tend to fluctuate
depending on economic activity.
 5. Our country
• Spell out United States whenever it is used as
a noun.
• The abbreviation U.S. is sufficient when used
as an adjective.
– The U.S. economy has a major effect on energy
prices.
 5. Our country
• Spell out United States whenever it is used as
a noun.
• The abbreviation U.S. is sufficient when used
as an adjective.
• The abbreviation US is always wrong. Two-
letter abbreviations take periods (except AP).
 6. Punctuation
• Commas and periods go inside quotation
marks.
– Wrong: The author will read from his new book,
“Getting Rich”, today at 3 p.m.
– Right: The author will read from his new book,
“Getting Rich,” today at 3 p.m.
 6. Punctuation
• Colons and semicolons generally go outside
the quotation marks.
– We must read three novels over the summer:
Herman Melville’s masterpiece, “Moby Dick”; a
1920s classic by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “This Side of
Paradise”; and Ernest Hemingway’s last major
work, “The Old Man and the Sea.”
 6. Punctuation
• With question marks and exclamation points,
it depends on the context.
– “Why is it taking so long to get there?” she asked.
– Have you ever read “Moby Dick”?
 6. Punctuation
• We use double quotes in all cases unless we
need to use them inside quotation marks.
– “He said we must read ‘Moby Dick’ before the end
of the semester.”
– Wrong: The sign said ‘Exit’ in bright red lights.
– Right: The sign said “Exit” in bright red lights.
 6. Punctuation
• We use double quotes in all cases unless we
need to use them inside quotation marks.
• No serial (Oxford) commas.
– Wrong: Tom, Dick, and Harry.
– Right: Tom, Dick and Harry.
 6. Punctuation
• We use double quotes in all cases unless we
need to use them inside quotation marks.
• No serial (Oxford) commas.
• No commas with Jr.
– Wrong: Ken Griffey, Jr., was the greatest player of
his era until injuries slowed him down.
– Wicked wrong: Ken Griffey, Jr. was the greatest
player of his era until injuries slowed him down.
 6. Punctuation
• We use double quotes in all cases unless we
need to use them inside quotation marks.
• No serial (Oxford) commas.
• No commas with Jr.
– Right: Ken Griffey Jr. was the greatest player of his
era until injuries slowed him down.
 7. Time
• 1 p.m. or 10:15 a.m. Not 1 o’clock in the
afternoon or a quarter after 10 in the morning.
 7. Time
• 1 p.m. or 10:15 a.m. Not 1 o’clock in the
afternoon or a quarter after 10 in the morning.
• Midnight and noon are rendered just like that,
without a 12.
– The Rotary Club will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m.
 7. Time
• Months are spelled out when used without a
date.
– She is hoping to take two weeks off in August.
 7. Time
• Months are spelled out when used without a
date.
– She is hoping to take two weeks off in August.
• Months are abbreviated when used with a
date.
– She plans to begin her vacation on Aug. 13.
(Please note that it’s not 13th.)
 7. Time
• Months are spelled out when used without a
date.
– She is hoping to take two weeks off in August.
• Months are abbreviated when used with a
date.
– She plans to begin her vacation on Aug. 13.
(Please note that it’s not 13th.)
• We do not specify the year unless it’s in the
past or the future.
 8. Addresses
• Street names are spelled out when not used
with a specific address.
– He lives on Whalley Avenue.
 8. Addresses
• Street names are spelled out when not used
with a specific address.
– He lives on Whalley Avenue.
• Street names are abbreviated when used with
a specific address.
– He lives at 7 Whalley Ave.
 8. Addresses
• Street names are spelled out when not used
with a specific address.
• Street names are abbreviated when used with
a specific address.
 8. Addresses
• Street names are spelled out when not used
with a specific address.
• Street names are abbreviated when used with
a specific address.
• Some types of streets are always spelled out,
the most common example of which is road.
 8. Addresses
• Street names are spelled out when not used
with a specific address.
• Street names are abbreviated when used with
a specific address.
• Some types of streets are always spelled out,
the most common example of which is road.
• Lowercase when referring to more than one.
– The intersection of Smith and Jones streets.
– The intersection of Smith Street and Jones Road.
 9. Possessives
• Some style guides form the possessive of a
proper name ending in s with ’s.
– Fred Jones’s car is a rusting hulk of metal and
random wires.
 9. Possessives
• Some style guides form the possessive of a
proper name ending in s with ’s.
– Fred Jones’s car is a rusting hulk of metal and
random wires.
• AP style eliminates the s.
– Fred Jones’ car is a rusting hulk of metal and
random wires.
 10. Titles
• AP style does not use italics at all except,
incongruously enough, in the AP Stylebook in
order to distinguish rules from examples (as I
have done here). See the stylebook entry
“words as words.”
 10. Titles
• The names of newspapers, websites and
magazines are rendered without any
punctuation.
– The Boston Globe (capitalize The because it is part
of the name; always check)
– Gawker
– Entertainment Weekly
– Talking Points Memo
 10. Titles
• The names of books, movies, TV shows,
albums, songs, video games and the like
should be in quotation marks.
– “Lincoln”
– “In Cold Blood”
– “30 Rock”
– “Call of Duty: Black Ops”
– “Highway 61 Revisited”
 11. Special digital considerations
• The word Web is always uppercase
• The word website is lowercase
• The word Internet is uppercase
 12. A grammatical tip
• Spend some time reading and understanding
the stylebook’s sections on essential and
nonessential clauses and phrases.
• If you can understand why this sentence is
telling us that Mary Smith has more than one
husband, then you’re starting to get it:
– Mary Smith and her husband John Jones appeared
before the Planning Board on Tuesday.
 Must-read stylebook entries
• abbreviations
• capitalization
• datelines
• essential clauses/nonessential clauses
• essential phrases/nonessential phrases
• numerals
• possessives
• A Guide to Punctuation
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 Credit
• This presentation is based on the short guide
to AP style in “Reporting for the Media” (ninth
edition), by Bender, Davenport, Drager and
Fedler.