What is AP style in journalism?
The content of newspapers and other mass media is typically the result of many different writers and editors working together. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency.
Do I need to learn AP style?
A reporter who never bothers to learn even the basics of AP style, who gets into the habit of submitting stories filled with AP style errors, is likely to find himself covering the sewage treatment board beat for a long, long time. How Do I Learn AP Style? To learn AP style you must get your hands on an AP Stylebook.
Where can I find information on AP writing styles?
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL) website provides information on many writing styles, including AP. This page provides a brief introduction to AP Style, standard style guidelines, lists of frequently used abbreviations, suggestions for writing leads, & more. This cheat sheet provides concise rules of AP style.
Is the AP Stylebook easy to use?
But the AP Stylebook is designed to be used by reporters and editors working on tight deadlines, so generally, it’s pretty easy to use. There’s no point in trying to memorize the AP Stylebook.
Is AP style used in journalism?
Associated Press (AP) style is the go-to English style and usage guide for journalism and news writing, such as magazines and newspapers. AP style dictates basic rules for grammar and punctuation, as well as specific styles for numbers, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, acronyms, and much more.
Do newspapers get italicized AP style?
For example, are newspapers italicized? A: AP doesn't use italics in news stories. That includes newspaper names and magazine references. No italics.
Is The New York Times italicized AP style?
Composition Titles Magazines and newspapers are not italicized, just capitalized. Books, films, TV shows, works of art, etc., use quotation marks around them. Example: She read The New York Times before she turned on the television to watch “Survivor".
How do you write a newspaper article in AP style?
AP Writing Style: Inverted Pyramid News stories are generally organized using the inverted pyramid style, in which information is presented in descending order of importance. The pyramid allows the audience to read the most crucial details quickly, so they can decide whether to continue or stop reading the story.
Do you italicize the New York Times?
In writing the titles of newspapers, do not italicize the word the, even when it is part of the title (the New York Times), and do not italicize the name of the city in which the newspaper is published unless that name is part of the title: the Hartford Courant, but the London Times.
Are newspapers italicized?
Titles of books, journals, magazines, plays, newspapers, and freestanding publications are italicized when quoted in text or bibliography. Always preserve original spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, and punctuation.
Do you capitalize newspaper names?
Capitalization: For all sources other than periodical titles (that is, newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals), capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns only. Do not capitalize the rest (see examples below).
Do you italicize CNN?
For example, when citing the website of the television news station CNN, the title maintains italics. Furthermore, in cases such as this, when a website does not have a distinctive title, it can be cited based on the entity responsible for the website, for instance, CNN online.
Are newspaper articles italicized MLA?
The title of an article is not italicized in MLA style, but placed in quotation marks. This applies to articles from journals, newspapers, websites, or any other publication. Use italics for the title of the source where the article was published.
Why is AP style important in journalism?
In the PR and marketing space, the most significant reason we utilize AP style is to provide journalists information in a familiar style that is valuable to them. Across the country, newsrooms are shrinking, and reporters have less time than ever to rework the content you've created into AP style.
Why should you follow AP style rules when writing news releases?
If it's written using AP style, your chances of attracting their attention and getting them to select your information for positive news coverage will increase. When writing for journalists, you're playing in their backyard, so you should follow their rules to keep your press releases from being kicked out.
What is the difference between AP and APA Style?
APA has its own version of the author-date style, and MLA uses a simplified variation of author-date that is sometimes referred to as author-page. In AP style, sources are usually mentioned or described in the text, with no accompanying bibliography.
Why is AP style used in journalism?
Because AP style is the gold standard for print journalism. It’s used by the vast majority of newspapers in the U.S. A reporter who never bothers to learn even the basics of AP style, who gets into the habit of submitting stories filled with AP style errors, is likely to find himself covering the sewage treatment board beat for a long, long time.
What is AP style?
AP style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. AP style was developed and is maintained by The Associated Press, the world’s oldest news service.
Do you have to refer to the AP stylebook?
The more you use the book, the more you’ll start to memorize certain points of AP style. Eventually, you won’t have to refer to the stylebook nearly as much. On the other hand, don’t get cocky and toss out your AP Stylebook once you’ve memorized the basics. Mastering AP style is a lifelong, or at least career-long, pursuit, ...

Why Do I Have to Learn AP Style?
How Do I Learn AP Style?
- To learn AP style you must get your hands on an AP Stylebook. It can be purchased at most bookstores or online. The stylebook is a comprehensive catalog of proper style usage and has literally thousands of entries. As such, it can be intimidating to the first-time user. But the AP Stylebook is designed to be used by reporters and editorsworking on tight deadlines, so generall…
Numbers
- One through nine is generally spelled out, while 10 and above are generally written as numerals. Example:He carried five books for 12 blocks.
Percentages
- Percentages are always expressed as numerals, followed by the word “percent.” Example:The price of gas rose 5 percent.
Dollar Amounts
- Dollar amounts are always expressed as numerals, and the “$” sign is used. Example:$5, $15, $150, $150,000, $15 million, $15 billion, $15.5 billion
Street Addresses
- Numerals are used for numbered addresses. Street, Avenue, and Boulevard are abbreviated when used with a numbered address but otherwise are spelled out. Route and Road are never abbreviated. Example:He lives at 123 Main St. His house is on Main Street. Her house in on 234 Elm Road.
Dates
- Dates are expressed as numerals. The months August through February are abbreviated when used with numbered dates. March through July are never abbreviated. Months without dates are not abbreviated. “Th” is not used. Example:The meeting is on Oct. 15. She was born on July 12. I love the weather in November.
Job Titles
- Job titles are generally capitalized when they appear before a person’s name, but lowercase after the name. Example:President George Bush. George Bush is the president.
Film, Book & Song Titles
- Generally, these are capitalized and placed in quotation marks. Do not use quote marks with reference books or the names of newspapers or magazines. Example:He rented “Star Wars” on DVD. She read “War and Peace.”