In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The associated press stylebook does not abbreviate texas nor any other state with five or fewer letters. The associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of. In order to uphold the integrity and image of the department, it is essential to use a consistent writing style.
The associated press stylebook, the usage guide for most united states newspapers, counsels the use of abbreviations for most state names, when appended to a city name for example, santa ana, calif. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction. For example, radar if formed from radio detecting and ranging. Associated press stylebook how is associated press. First reference for spelling, style, usage and foreign geographic names. It goes on to say that if an abbreviation or acronym would not otherwise be clear upon its second reference, do not use it. The ap stylebook states to not follow an organizations full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parenthesis or set off by dashes.
You will still use abbreviations in datelines, photo captions, lists, etc. Actually, whether to use a or an is determined by how the first sound in the acronym or abbreviation, this sound rule applies to the use of a or an in front of regular words, too. See datelines for guidelines on when a city name may stand alone in the body of a story. Ap style is what the general public is accustomed to seeing because it is the official stylebook of the newspaper industry. In order to create a playlist on sporcle, you need to verify the email address you used during registration. 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.
Mar 28, 2017 the associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of gender identity. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. 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 of the. Jack gillespie, rowan university, purdue university writing lab and ap stylebook page 1 ap stylebook guidelines the ap style items below represent the journalistic style errors most often found in news stories. 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. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. Twelve common mistakes of ap style apr 19, 2011 admin. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. 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. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines.
Al for alabama alaska ak this state is not abbreviated in text ariz. Indiana daily student stylebook addendum for spring 2019. As noted earlier, epa has an online subscription to the ap book on our intranet. Ap suggests spelling out the names of alaska, hawaii, and all states with five or fewer letters. It was a collective and scrutinized effort of the newspaper authorities. Websters new world college dictionary, fourth edition, wiley, hoboken, n. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations.
In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. Ap style holds that acronyms are formed from the first letters or letters of a series of words. Jul 21, 2016 i m a huge fan of abbreviations because they make communication easier and spare me from unnecessary typing. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Ap p endix a bibliography and sources for this manual you may need a pdf reader to view some of the files on this page. To make navigating these specialty chapters even easier, the stylebook includes a comprehensive index. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. It wasnt about my prose, reporting, or lede, but that i neglected to abbreviate september. Learn ap stylebook with free interactive flashcards. A few universally recognized abbreviations, such as co. Stylebook, differs from the modern language association mla and the. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom.
Although it isnt the newest edition, this book is great for the price because it has all the information you need to know. Ap updates its stylebook to accommodate changes in conventions and usage. Currently, most state names are abbreviated in stories. An abbreviation, lets take gb from above, is not an acronym. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. I remember when i filed one of my first bylines for a newspaper only to get my inbox slammed with emails from my editor in chief. Dont abbreviate if there isnt a city name before the state. Generally use district of columbia within a story only for official designations, such as local government names, or to avoid confusion with other localities of that name. The associated press stylebook download free epub, pdf. I definitly recommend this book for any writer who plans on writing in the ap stlye. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download.
Choose from 100 different sets of ap stylebook flashcards on quizlet. 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. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. 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. Of course, use state abbreviations in conjunction with the. These arent always the same abbreviations the mail carrier uses. These will oftentimes align with the ap stylebook, but as a good rule of thumb you should crossreference the tips below with the publications unique editorial guidelines. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. The ap stylebook now includes they as a singular, gender. The associated press has its roots buried in the year 1848. The ap stylebook will help you master the aps rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation, word and numeral usage, and when to use more than instead of over. In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym.
When used as an adjective, united states should be abbreviated as u. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Do not capitalize federal, state, department, division, board. They are the accepted reference sources for material not covered by the stylebook.
Aug 15, 2019 ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. Most online publications, especially those designed for branded content in particular, will adopt their own style guides. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of stories. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. On a regional level, additional cities may stand alone should the newspaper staff decide so. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage.
Ap style guide quick reference the difference between academic writing and ap style most, if not all, of the documents created by the department are shared with the public, the education community and the media. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. When abbreviating the state names, dont make the mistake of using the postal code abbreviations. If were speaking about regions of the state, should it be south louisiana, north louisiana. Apr 23, 2014 ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code. The associated press began to take shape when six new york newspapers decided to gather adequate resources for international tidings. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different. Some others are acceptable depending on the context. Ap stylebook type search query into the search bar below.
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