Associated press style essentials this ap short guide is. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Always use the full state name unless writing out full address with zip code, then use the appropriate two letter postal abbreviation. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. For words not in this book use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world college dictionary. African american, asian americanno hyphen when used as a noun. Ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. A primer on the ap style rule for acronyms bka content. All you need to know about titles in ap style gatehouse. Books and magazines often italicize newspaper names as well as book titles and magazine names as part of their inhouse style. Olympic adjective without s and always capitalized. To complain about ap style, write to the associated press, 450 w. If you cant find a word or phrase in this style guide, consult the following reference guides in this order. Film, book, and song titles are capitalized and places in quotations.
This page reflects the latest version of the apa publication manual i. In the case of an acronym containing full points between letters, it should also have a full point after the final letter. When writing telephone numbers, use periods to separate numerical groups this is an exception to ap style. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Click a question below to jump straight to its answer. Use abbreviations for degrees only when you need to include a list. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. Olympic gold medal, olympic organizers, olympic host city, olympic flame, etc. Abbreviate names of months more than five letters when followed by a date.
After each dash, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. Tarp stands for troubled asset relief program, so writing the tarp program was controversial is redundant. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of. Some websites and religiouspublishers use very short abbreviations, consisting of only 1 or 2 letters,which sometimes causes confusion. In ap style, the names of newspapers and magazines are not italicized or set off in quotation marks.
In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The ap stylebook makes exceptions for noncontiguous states and for states with names that are five letters long or less. The ap style abbreviations arbitrarily range in length from two to six letters, and all twoword names are abbreviated with the initials, such as n. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. The postal code for arizona, where amendola communications is headquartered, is az whereas the ap style abbreviation is ariz. It doesnt really matter whether its good, bad or indifferent if you need to use it, you need to use it. Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks. The associated press stylebook and websters new world college dictionary. As the ap style book writes, names not commonly before the public should not be reduced to acronyms solely to save a few words. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. You can find abbreviations discussed in the publication manual in section 4. The ap uses a definitive style in punctuation and grammar for these stories, and produces a stylebook that has been adopted by most members of the organization.
Use the letter s but not an apostrophe after the figures when expressing. If an acronym is more than five letters long, the general ap style rule is. Guard against following an acronym with a word that appears in the acronym itself. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Use the two letter postal service abbreviations only with full addresses, including zip code. Associated press style quick reference guide to subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here.
An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words. Apa style indicates that authors should write out sums in numeral form when the paper requires a. If you are not required to use ap style, you dont need to buyconsult the book. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. Using correct ap style for book, movie, and song titles your favorite author, director, or musician isnt likely to write you an angry letter over incorrect style usage when it comes to their art. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. See page 75 in the associated press stylebook 2019 or page 73 in the associated press stylebook 2018 for the aps list of two letter country abbreviations.
Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. In recent years, the nations leading media style books have published guidelines for language and terminology use when reporting on lgbtq people and their lives, issues and stories. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. Florida, oklahoma, oregon, ontario i live in oklahoma. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. For reference books, newspapers, and magazine names, they should not be placed in quotations. How to cite titles of a song in ap style our pastimes. Since 1894, the gpo style manual has served as a guide to the style and form of federal government printing and publishing. Refer to aps datelines entry for use of certain wellknown city names alone. Some widely known abbreviations are required in certain situations, while others are. The equivalent resource for the older apa 6 style can be found here. The manual has come to be widely recognized by writers and editors both within and outside the federal government as an important editorial. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities.
The associated press, reuters, and the new york times all restrict usage of the term homosexual a word whose clinical history and pejorative connotations are routinely exploited by antilgbtq. The 2016 edition of the gpo style manual is the first revision to be issued under gpos new name, u. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. 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. Ap style does use periods in most two letter abbreviations. While new hampshire uses an n and an h for both, the postal code is nh while the ap style abbreviation is n. The chicago manual of style says, use no periods with abbreviations that appear in full capitals, whether two letters or more and even if lowercase letters appear within the abbreviation. Ok to follow an organizations full name with its abbreviation in parentheses or set off by dashes. When writing about money in apa style, clarity and precision are key. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. It never hurts to check the ap stylebook or a direct source, such as the. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. There are summer olympics and winter olympics, or summer games and winter games. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content.
If you are required to use ap style professionally, you need to use this book, and the latest edition of it. Abbreviating months and days editing and writing services. Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. The media organization associated press is a major provider of news stories to various media outlets. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. An acronym is a word forned from the first letter or letters of a series of words. In order of priority, please consult the following resources for situations that are not outlined in this university of hartford editorial style guide.
Exceptions to ap style brand and messaging university. Use two letter postal abbreviations only in mailing addresses which include a zip code. Chicago style follow chicago style for writing nonu. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. Editorial guide brand and style guidelines university of arkansas. Ap style holds that acronyms are formed from the first letters or letters of a series of. Express standard measurement errors as shown below. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Plase one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence or indicating a dateline.
The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. 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. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an. E email acceptable in all references for electronic mail. Ba, bs, bachelor of arts, bachelor of science ma, ms, master of arts, master of science edd, phd, doctor of education, doctor of philosophy mba, master of business administration do not add the word degree after an abbreviation of the degree or. The ap stylebook is widely used as a writing and editing reference tool in newsrooms, classrooms, and offices worldwide.
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