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AP Stylebook

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AP Stylebook
AP Stylebook,2004 edition
Author
  • AP Editors (1909–1952)
  • G. P. Winkler (1953–1970)
  • Howard Angione (1977)
  • Angione & E.A. Powell (1980)
  • An.,Pow.& C.W. French (1984)
  • French (1986)
  • French & Norm Goldstein (1988)
  • Goldstein (1992–2007)
  • AP Editors (since 2008)
Original titleThe Associate Press Rules Regulations and General Orders
LanguageEnglish (online,ebook,and print editions)
Spanish (online edition only)
SeriesUpdated biennially
SubjectStyle guide
GenreJournalismreference
PublisherLorenz Press
Publication date
1909 (1st internal ed.)
1953 (1st public ed.)
1977 (1st public modern ed.)
2020 (latest public modern ed.)
Publication placeUnited States
Pages640 (PB)
619 (SB)
ISBN978-1-541647-57-2(PB)
978-0-917360-69-5 (SB)
Style guides

The Associated Press Stylebook(generally called theAP Stylebook), alternatively titledThe Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law,is astyle and usage guidefor AmericanEnglishgrammar created by American journalists working for or connected with theAssociated Pressjournalism cooperative based inNew York City.TheStylebookoffers a basic reference to American English grammar, punctuation, and principles of reporting, including many definitions and rules for usage as well as styles forcapitalization,abbreviation,spelling,and numerals.

The first publicly available edition of the book was published in 1953. The first modern edition was published in August 1977 byLorenz Press.Afterwards, various paperback editions were published by different publishers, including, among others, Turtleback Books,Penguin's Laurel Press,Pearson'sAddison-Wesley,andHachette'sPerseus BooksandBasic Books.Recent editions are released in several formats, includingpaperbackand flat-lyingspiral-boundeditions, as well as a digitale-bookedition and an online subscription version. Additionally, theAP Stylebookalso provides English grammar recommendations through social media, includingTwitter,[1]Facebook,[2]Pinterest,[3]andInstagram.[4]

From 1977 to 2005, more than two million copies of theAP Stylebookhave been sold worldwide, with that number climbing to 2.5 million by 2011.[5][6]Writers inbroadcasting,news, magazine publishing, marketing departments and public relations firms traditionally adopt and apply AP grammar and punctuation styles.

Organization

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TheAP Stylebookis organized into sections:

Business Guidelines
A reference section for reporters covering business and financial news including general knowledge of accounting, bankruptcy, mergers, and international bureaus. For instance, it includes explanations of five different chapters of bankruptcy.
Sports Guidelines and Style
Includes terminology, statistics, organization rules and guidelines commonly referenced by sports reporters, such as the correct way to spell and use basketball terminology like half-court pass, field goal and goal-tending.
Guide to Punctuation
A specific guide on how to use punctuation in journalistic materials. This section includes rules regarding hyphens, commas, parentheses, and quotations.
Briefing on Media Law
An overview of legal issues and ethical expectations for those working in journalism, including the difference between slander and libel. Slander is spoken; libel is written.
Photo Captions
The simple formula of what to include when writing a photo caption, usually called a cutline in newspapers.
Editing Marks
A key with editing symbols to assist the journalist with the proofreading process.
Digital Security
A guide to protect journalists, their work, sources, online accounts, and avoid online harassment.
Bibliography
This provides second reference materials for information not included in the book. For example, it says to useWebster's New World College Dictionaryas a reference after theAP Stylebookfor spelling, style, usage and foreign geographic names.

Title

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From 1909, when the first company-wide stylebook-like guide was released internally under the title:"The Associate Press Rules Regulations and General Orders",and until 1953, the stylebook was published under different titles including, among others,Instructions for Correspondents of the Associated Press,The Associated Press. Regulations Traffic Department,A Guide for Filing Editors. The Associated Press,A Guide for Foreign Correspondents. The Associated Press,A Guide for Writers. The Associated Press,The AP Copy Book,andAP Writing Handbook.

By the end of WWII, pressures from a growing number of non-journalistic business sectors, already referencing copied or confiscated copies of the guide for years, greatly increased the stylebook's demand. The first publicly available edition ofAP Stylebookwas published in 1953 under the title"The Associated Press Style Book".Since 1953, the stylebook has been published under different titles, includingWriting for The AP;AP Stylebook;andThe Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.[7]

Some journalists have referred toThe AP Stylebookas the 'journalist bible'.[8]

In 2000, the guide was renamedThe Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Lawand the paperback edition has been published under this title since then.[9][10]Some editions, such as the spiral-bound ande-bookeditions, use the shorter titleThe Associated Press Stylebookon their covers.

History

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The Associated Press organization was first created in 1846. The first company-wide AP "guide" did not cover English grammar. It was more of a brochure with 24 pages of various titles and corporate structures of the Associated Press organization and was first published in 1900 under the title "The Associated Press".

Although a formal English grammar style guide did not exist across the organization through the 1800s, individual bureaus were known to have maintained similar internal style guides as early as the late 1870s. The first corporate-wide style guide, with a complete reference to American English words and grammar, was released in 1909, under the title:"The Associate Press Rules Regulations and General Orders".[a][11][12][13]

By the early 1950s the publication was formalized into theAP Stylebookand became the leading professional English grammar reference by most member and non-member news bureaus throughout the world. Due to growing demand by non-member journalists and writers working in public-facing corporate communications, the AP published their first official "stylebook" for the general public in 1953 under the titleAssociated Press Style Book;the first publication focused on "where the wire set a specific style".[14][15][16][17]For nearly a quarter century it assumed its reader had a "solid grounding in language and a good reference library" and thus omitted any guidelines in those broader areas.[17]In 1977, prompted by AP Executive News EditorLou Boccardi's request for "more of a reference work", the organization started expanding the book and in 1977 produced a book that was different in a few fundamental regards.[17]Firstly, The structure was changed and entries were organized in alphabetical order so that users could find what they need in a timely manner.[18]Secondly, in 1977 the book was published for the first time by a 3rd party publisher –Lorenz Press.[19]Thirdly, in 1977,United Press Internationaland AP cooperated to produce stylebooks for each organization based on revisions and guidelines jointly agreed to by editors of bothUPI Stylebook(Bobby Ray Miller) andAP Stylebook(Howard Angione).[20][21]In 1982, Eileen Alt Powell, a co-editor ofAP Stylebook1980 edition, stated that:

Howard Angione... at times thought the task he and UPI counterpart Bobby Ray Miller had undertaken resembled the quest of Don Quixote. It was "an impossible dream", Angione said, to find style rules that pleased everyone, especially since even grammarians couldn't agree among themselves.[21]

In 1989, Norm Goldstein became theAP Stylebooklead editor, a job he held until the 2007 edition.[17]After publishing the final edition under his editorship, Goldstein commented on the future of theAP Stylebook's section on name references:

I think the difference... now is that there is more information available on the Internet, and I'm not sure, and at least our executive editor is not sure, how much of a reference book we ought to be anymore. I think some of our historical background material like on previous hurricanes and earthquakes, that kind of encyclopedic material that's so easily available on the Internet now, might be cut back.[17]

After Norm Goldstein stepped down as lead editor in 2007, in bibliographical records for all subsequent editions starting from 2008 lead editors' names are usually not explicitly called out and the author is simply referred to asAssociated PressorAP Editors.In 2009 and 2011 theStylebookwas released as an app calledAP Stylebook Mobileedition for iOS and BlackBerry, respectively,[22][23][24]however it was later discontinued in 2015 in favor of users simply accessing theAP Stylebookonline edition through their desktop or mobile browsers.[25][26]In March 2019 AP created anArchived AP Stylebookssection on its apstylebook.com website where anyone can access previous versions of theAP Stylebookstarting from 1900 "brochure on AP corporate structure" and all the way to 1977 edition.[14]

The first Spanish AP stylebook was created in 2012, after requests from the AP Mexico City bureau and others to develop such a stylebook. The bureau at the time was looking for ways to expand into Latin America while bridging the language barrier. In 2013 the AP Spanish Stylebook came into fruition and is now available to everyone.[27]The Spanish AP stylebook is also referred to as theManual de Estilo.

The most recent print edition is the 2020–2022AP Stylebook,available spiral-bound directly from AP, and as aperfect-boundpaperback sold byBasic Books.Creation ofAP Stylebookhas been helmed by lead editor Paula Froke since 2016.[28][29]In early 2023, the stylebook attracted attention for suggesting that "the French"could be an offensive term in a tweet promotingpeople-first language;there was considerable mockery of the suggestion, and the AP subsequently retracted it.[30][31]

Influence on American English

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The influence of the AP and similar news service styles has reached beyond the news writing community.[32][33]Many other North American sectors disseminating information to the public began to adopt news styles as early as the late 1800s. Many other sectors now also have developed their own similar style guides and also continue to reference theAP Stylebookfor general American grammar, more than any other style guide available.[34][35]

Edition

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Edition number: English edition

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The first publicly available English edition of the book was released in 1953.[14]However, all editions prior to 1977 are not included in the editions count and the first modern edition is considered to be the August 1977 edition released for the first time byLorenz Press.The latest, 2020 version, is the 55th edition and can be used until[36]2022. The Associated Press has reduced the frequency in print publication due to the popularity of the online version of theAP Stylebook.The print version is expected to be available, unless otherwise stated, biennially.[37]

Edition number: Spanish edition

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Due to the rising influence of the Spanish language worldwide, in November 2012 Associated Press added, in addition to American English, its first ever Spanish edition of its stylebook.[38][39]The Spanish edition is separate from the English edition and has a different website, as well as Twitter and Facebook accounts.[40][41]Unlike the English edition which currently has both online and print versions, the Spanish edition only has an online edition. The Spanish edition does not have an 'edition number' since it only exists as an online service.

Revision process

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From 1980 to 1984 the English edition was updated biennially; then from 1985 to 2020, the English edition was updated annually, usually in May, at which time edits and new entries were added to keep the stylebook up to date with technological and cultural changes. As of the middle of 2024, the most recent edition is the 2024-2026 edition (57th edition).[42]

In 2005, dozens of new or revised entries were added, including "Sept. 11","e.g.","i.e.","FedEx"and"Midwest region".[6]

In 2008, about 200 new or revised entries were added, including "iPhone","anti-virus","outsourcing","podcast","text messaging","social networking","high-definition"and"Wikipedia".[43]

In 2009, about 60 new or revised entries were added, including "Twitter","baba ghanoush"and"texting".[44]

In 2013, about 90 new or revised entries were added, including "Benedictine","Grand Marnier","madeleine"and"upside-down cake","chichi"and"froufrou".[15]Usage of "illegal immigrant" was regulated.[45]

In 2018 AP Stylebook included a chapter on polling and surveys.[46]

In 2019, about 200 new or revised entries were added, including "budtender","deepfake"and"cryptocurrency".[47]

The 2020–2022 edition was released on May 21, 2020. About 90 new or revised technology-related entries were added, including "internet privacy", "digital wallet" / "mobile wallet", "smart devices", and "lidar". A new chapter was added about digital security for journalists.[48][49][failed verification]AP stylebook moved to capitalized Black and lowercase white.[50]

The 2022–2024 edition includes more than 300 new and revised entries, including a new chapter on "inclusive storytelling", "where possible" usage of "they/them/their"singular pronouns, revised guidance on the use of the term" female ", immigration and new entries for"critical race theory","anti-vaxxer".[51]

The 2024–2026 edition includes a new criminal justice chapter.[42]

Notes

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  1. ^Thetitle pagehas a full titleHand Book and Manual of Resolutions of the Board of Directors/General Orders and Instructions to Employees of The Associated Press.

References

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  1. ^"AP Stylebook (APStylebook)".Twitter.RetrievedMarch 21,2011.
  2. ^"AP Stylebook".Facebook.RetrievedJune 25,2013.
  3. ^"AP Stylebook".Pinterest.RetrievedJune 25,2013.
  4. ^"AP Stylebook".Instagram.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  5. ^Cotter, Colleen (September 4, 2014)."Revisiting the" journalist's bible ": How news practitioners respond to language and social change".In Androutsopoulos, Jannis (ed.).Mediatization and Sociolinguistic Change.Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. pp. 371–394.ISBN978-3-11-034683-1.
  6. ^ab"2005 Edition of AP Stylebook now available".AP.org.Associated Press. April 2005. Archived fromthe originalon January 19, 2011.RetrievedMarch 21,2011.
  7. ^Library of Congress Catalog RecordforThe Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual
  8. ^Goulet, Neal (February 9, 2014)."AP Stylebook remains a compelling and necessary read".Goulet Communications: Public Relations Specialist.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  9. ^Mark S. Luckie (4 February 2008)."The history of the AP Stylebook".10,000 Words. Archived fromthe originalon 1 May 2009.Retrieved29 May2009.
  10. ^Library of Congress Catalog RecordforThe Associated Press stylebook and briefing on media law
  11. ^Perlman, Merrill (June 5, 2018)."AP Stylebooks through the ages".Columbia Journalism Review.Archived fromthe originalon June 15, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  12. ^Colton, Graham; Drapiewski, Amanda (May 4, 2018)."Style guide superjam".ACES: The Society for Editing.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  13. ^The Associated Press Rules Regulations and General Orders(PDF).New York. 2019 [1909]. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^abcHare, Kristen (March 28, 2019)."You can now search really old AP Stylebooks and guides online".Poynter.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  15. ^ab"AP Stylebook marks 60th anniversary with new print edition".Associated Press.May 29, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  16. ^Perlman, Merrill (June 12, 2018)."The history of AP's guidance on language".Columbia Journalism Review.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  17. ^abcdeabridged version:"Norm Goldstein, keeper of AP style".Common Sense Journalism magazine. July 2007. Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2017.RetrievedMarch 21,2011.;
    full version:Norm Goldstein.Common Sense Journalism blog, 2007
  18. ^Heath, Robert L. (August 20, 2013).Encyclopedia of Public Relations.SAGE Publications. pp. 35–36.ISBN978-1-4522-7622-9.
  19. ^The Associated Press stylebook and libel manual(revised ed.). Lorenz Press. 1977.ISBN9780893280161.OCLC3499556.OL26337279M.
  20. ^United Press International (2009)."Introduction to the UPI Stylebook".UPIU.Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2010.
  21. ^abAlt Powell, Eileen (1982). "Media (is) (are) getting new 'bible': Stylebook publication under way (2 words)". In Dorfman, Ron; Fuller, Harry Jr. (eds.).Reporting/writing/editing: the Quill guides to journalism.Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. pp. 131–138.ISBN978-0-8403-2832-8– via Internet Archive.
  22. ^Blundell, Ryan (March 25, 2011)."Has your inkwell run dry? The AP Stylebook for BlackBerry gives you a refill".CrackBerry.com.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  23. ^Tenore, Mallary Jean (September 25, 2009)."AP Stylebook iPhone App Launches Today, a Hybrid of Print & Online Versions".Poynter.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  24. ^AP Stylebook Mobile.legacy.apstylebook.com, 2014
  25. ^"2015 AP Stylebook adds more than 300 new or revised entries".Associated Press.May 27, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  26. ^"APStylebook — Can I continue to use my old Stylebook Mobile app?".Associated Press.September 28, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  27. ^Jean Tenore, Mallary (November 12, 2012)."AP Stylebook creates a Spanish version of the Stylebook to address changes in language".Poynter.org.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
  28. ^"Guard Changes on 'AP Stylebook' Team of Editors".Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2016.RetrievedJuly 19,2016.
  29. ^"Froke named APME executive director and AP Stylebook editor".Associated Press.October 19, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  30. ^Cohen, Roger (January 27, 2023)."The French Want to Remain the French".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJanuary 30,2023.
  31. ^"AP deletes 'the French' tweet and apologises after it is widely mocked".BBC News.January 28, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 30,2023.
  32. ^Estes, Dorothy Southerland."The effect of journalism on modern American writing"(PDF).unt.edu.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  33. ^Julia, Guarneri."How Syndicated Columns, Comics and Stories Forever Changed the News Media".Smithsonian Magazine.Smithsonian.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  34. ^Perlman, Merrill."AP Stylebooks through the ages".cjr.org.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  35. ^Spiers, Cynthia (June 18, 2020)."Four US Style Guides That Every Writer Needs to Know About".www.acrolinx.com.Content Quality.RetrievedAugust 14,2021.
  36. ^"AP Style".Store.Stylebooks.com.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  37. ^"AP Style".ap.org.Associated Press.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  38. ^"AP-launches-its-first-Spanish-language-stylebook".Associated Press.November 9, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon December 1, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  39. ^"La AP lanza su primer Manual de Estilo en español".Associated Press(in Spanish). November 9, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  40. ^"AP Stylebook creates a Spanish version of the Stylebook to address changes in language".Poynter.December 11, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  41. ^"AP launches Spanish stylebook in Latin America".Associated Press.December 3, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  42. ^abNew AP Stylebook includes new criminal justice chapter, Associated Press, MAY 29, 2024
  43. ^"Print edition of 2008 AP Stylebook now on sale".Associated Press.June 2008. Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  44. ^"New edition of AP Stylebook adds entries and helpful features".Associated Press.June 11, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2009.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  45. ^‘Illegal immigrant’ no more, AP Blog Announcements, Paul Colford, 2013
  46. ^Updating our polling guidance, AP Blog Industry Insights, Luaren Easton, 2018
  47. ^"Health and science chapter debuts in 2019 AP Stylebook".Associated Press.May 2019. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  48. ^"AP Style".Store.Stylebooks.com.Associated Press.RetrievedJune 9,2021.
  49. ^"APStylebook — When is the AP Stylebook published?".2019. Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  50. ^AP Blog Announcements, 2020, John Daniszewski
  51. ^What's new in the AP Stylebook, 56th Edition?, AP Stylebook Help Center, 2022
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