Module Overview:
Associated Press style provides guidelines for news writing. Many newspapers, magazines and public relations offices across the United States use AP style. Although some publications such as the New York Times have developed their own style guidelines, a basic knowledge of AP style is considered essential to those who want to work in print journalism.
This Web page is intended to provide an introduction to AP style and a summary of some AP style rules; however, the Associated Press Stylebook includes more than 5,000 entries – far more than can be covered here. For a complete guide to AP style, writers should consult the most recent edition of the Associated Press Stylebook or visit the AP Stylebook website (Links to an external site.).
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
- Clarity
- Accuracy
- Brevity
AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.
Module Objectives:
- To learn the history of AP style and understand its purpose in media writing.
- To familiarize students with using the AP stylebook.
First, what is AP Style?
AP Style follows the guidelines from the Associated Press Stylebook, which is the preferred style for journalists and most news. Basically, the Stylebook makes the rules about acceptable word use and jargon and is updated continuously to keep up with trends.
AP Style was initially developed for print media where writing space was limited and it was costly to correct errors. Now that we have online news and the cost of mistakes is less of an issue, outlets continue to use AP style to ensure that news writing style is uniform across outlets, easy to read, concise and also free of bias.
AP style varies significantly from academic writing. In academic and particularly research writing, the order is focused on the scientific method, and shows a progression. In AP writing, the style more closely resembles an inverted pyramid – the most important information is at the top and the supporting information is lower in the story. This stems from the days when column inches ruled a newsroom – in this format they could literally cut off the bottom of a story to fit a space without losing the important information.
 |  |
Why do we use AP style?
In public relations, one of the most important reasons we use AP style is to give journalists information in the way that is most valuable to them. As newsrooms shrink, reporters have less time to redevelop content into AP style, so we use this style to make their job easier and more streamlined. Plus, it helps practitioners develop press releases and content that is easy to read and concise.
When do we use AP Style?
We use AP style in all press materials, including press releases, research briefs, expert alerts, Q&A’s, pitches and more.PreviousNext
Hayden Coombs 