If you follow the older practice, be consistent in your use of the traditional abbreviations, and remember that eight states. Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. For example, washington state is a university in the state of washington. The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Instead, simply use the abbreviation the second time that you refer to the organization. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. Apr 15, 2020 our company uses ap style and i receive info from an educator on a weekly basis. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes.
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. Note that while ap style uses abbreviations for months sept. Chapter sixteen brights, followups, roundups, sidebars and obituaries. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Sep 19, 2012 ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. State abbreviations are not the same as the twoletter postal codes. Following the recent launch of the 2019 ap stylebook, we spoke with paula froke, editor of the ap stylebook and executive director of apme associated press media editors, on the evolution of language and some of the book s new updates for this year froke, who is based in philadelphia, has been the stylebooks lead editor since 2016 and a member of the stylebook team since 20. In this quick guide to state abbreviations, i will cover the differences between ap style and chicago style andjust to prolong your state of confusionwhen to use the common twoletter abbreviations created by the united states postal service if youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases and just lean on. As such, ap style errors in press releases are glaringly obvious to reporters and could turn them off from considering a press release. Some cities dont require a state or country after them. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. If youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases.
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. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction. Note that ap style omits state names for a specified list of cities. Ap style datelines home ap style ap style datelines datelines on stories should contain a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name of the state, county, or territory where the city is located. On second reference, the automobile as sociation or the association is ac ceptable. 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. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code.
However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. Spell out the name of a month when it is used without a specific date. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Religion writer rachel zoll helped create the new chapter, which combines existing terms from the stylebooks entries with new and revised entries, covering the worlds major. Aps automated stylechecking tools speed up the editing process by reducing the need to manually refer to the ap stylebook. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. See the lists that follow to determine whether the title should be spelled out or abbreviated in regular text. Some writers and editors still prefer to use the older forms of state abbreviations see traditional abbreviations in the table below, though this is rare. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. The first publicly available edition of ap stylebook was published in 1953 under the title the associated press style book.
Mar 14, 2015 below is a list of ap style state abbreviations. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper ap style state abbreviations in your text. Keep in mind that ap changed the rules for using state abbreviations in the body of a story, and you now spell out the names of all 50 u. Days of the week days of the week should be capitalized and not abbreviated.
For journalists, the associated press ap stylebook is the industry bible. In 1987, the secretary of commerce switched to the twoletter state alpha code for state abbreviations. 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. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. See datelines for guidelines on when a city name may stand alone in the body of a story.
Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the. The associated press today released the 2014 associated press stylebook and briefing on media law, which includes about 200 new or revised entries plus a separate chapter with more than 200 religion terms. You will still use abbreviations in datelines, photo. According to the ap style book, dates should be formatted as such dates always use numerical figures, without st, nd, rd, or th. Mar 24, 2016 keep in mind that ap changed the rules for using state abbreviations in the body of a story, and you now spell out the names of all 50 u. Ap style datelines datelines on stories should contain a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name.
Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. 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. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook.
Change is a part of ap style because the english language is constantly evolving, enriched by new words, phrases and uses. Datelines datelines on stories should contain a city name, entirely in capital. These are nprs photo caption guidelines npr training. In 1987, the secretary of commerce switched to the more commonly used twoletter postal code abbreviations. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. Register to view your products, order status, shipment trackings and manage your account settings.
The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. For all others, include the abbreviated state name andor country name, not abbreviated. This module aims to meet most of these requirements. I bought this style guide for work we use ap style in our press releases to make sure that i had certain minor nitpicky things right, like state abbreviations, military abbreviations, academic titles, etc. The traditional abbreviations are still commonly used in other ways besides mailing addresses. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. This applies to chicago manual of style and the american psychological association style apa. Ap stylebook 2014 adds religion chapter with over 200 terms. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code.
Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you are providing a full address including zip code. According to ap style, you should put quotation marks around the names of. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Ap style military ranks capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individuals name. For example, they can be used in writing after a city like in miami, fla. Use the twoletter postal service abbreviations only with full addresses, including zip code. Styleguard offers recommendations on datelines, abbreviations and acronyms, among many other common style needs, along with items you. Associated press website faq this faq webpage from the ap is a great source of information on current issues of grammar, style, punctuation, abbreviations, and other style questions. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories.
The first part of the state names entry says they should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for addresses, abbreviations, capitalization, numerals, punctuation and spelling and time in print copy. The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias. The associated press, the ap copy book, and ap writing handbook. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. A refreshing ap stylebook refresher on datelines and.
I stopped trying to educate the educator and just edited their stuff each time to the the ap style of state abbreviations. Jul 21, 2016 in ap style, you shouldnt follow the name of an organization with the abbreviation offset by parentheses or dashes. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. Oxford university press usa publishes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, childrens books, business books, dictionaries, reference books, journals, text books and more.
Jan 24, 2020 in bibliographies, lists, charts where space is at a premium, reference lists, footnotes and endnotes, and in mailing addresses, state names are usually shortened using the postal abbreviation. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations.
For external communication we use the associated press stylebook 2017 for all public documents and materials, excluding correspondence from the administrator and deputy administrator. Select time references as if the story were being written today for publication tomorrow morning. For words not in this book use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world college dictionary. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. If this structure makes the connection between the entity and the abbreviation unclear, its best to just skip using the abbreviation. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks. For all other abbreviations, ap uses its own state abbreviations and chicago prefers postal abbreviations but has its own state abbreviations should that style be more appropriate for your publication. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Rate 5 stars rate 4 stars rate 3 stars rate 2 stars rate 1 star popular quizzes today. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. Apr 23, 2014 the following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Government printing office style manual 2016 is used for internal communication.
It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. No state name is necessary if its the same as the dateline. The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended. 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. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print book s guidance. The 2015 ap stylebook makes the distinction between state names in running text body of the story and state names in datelines. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
A refreshing ap stylebook refresher on datelines and places. These abbreviations short names were used in mailing addresses before the introduction of twoletter u. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content.
The state abbreviations did not compute with their knowledge and they would not use them and instead used the zip code abbreviation. Do not use a comma if only listing the month and year. True which of these is correct, according to ap style. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity.
Postal and traditional state abbreviations reference guide. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. The change to writing out state names was necessary because ap is a global news organization, and state abbreviations that are reasonably well known in the united states are not at all known by readers in other. Send contributions to relief fund, box 185, pasadena, ca 91030. 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. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. There is indeed a science and art behind writing a press release. The associated press, a guide for foreign correspondents.
The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Any change involves a great deal of debate, discussion and, in many cases, consultations with others within the ap and outside the ap. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style.
The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. 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.
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