AP Style
The Associated Press (AP) sets a widely-used standard for print journalism through AP Style, a specific set of guidelines governing the way names, places and words are used in newspapers, magazines and other publications. AP Style is also the basis for DNREC press releases, as media outlets generally prefer to receive releases that do not require extensive style changes for publication. Exceptions are made – “DNREC Style” – but, without reading the whole stylebook, here are some good general rules to follow:
· On first reference (the first time something is mentioned), write out the full name of an organization, agency, company or program (the Department of Public Health, the Delaware Landowner Incentive Program, Justice of the Peace Court 7, the Coastal Zone Act, etc.), unless it is universally better known by its acronym (Internal Revenue Service = IRS; Federal Bureau of Investigations = FBI). In most cases, write out the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on first reference, but whenever possible avoid extremely cumbersome uses (for example, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Fish and Wildlife vs. the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife). Write out all technical terms; do not assume those outside your field will know what TMDL (total maximum daily load) stands for – or what it means.
· The rule with abbreviations: avoid “alphabet soup” with unfamiliar acronyms or non-standard abbreviations. Common, universally recognized forms include: a.m., p.m., AM, FM; A.D., B.C. Abbreviate junior and senior after a person’s name; do not use a comma (Martin Luther King Jr., Douglas Fairbanks Sr.). United States and United Nations are spelled out when used as nouns; U.S. and U.N. are used as adjectives (the U.S. State Department, the U.N. Security Council).
· When the names of states and nations stand alone or are used as adjectives, do not abbreviate (the New Jersey Shore, the Delaware lottery). When the name of a state appears after the name of a city, town or municipality within its borders, abbreviate and use commas before and after the state unless it is the end of a sentence (Camden, N.J., Dover, Del., Annapolis, Md., Pittsburg, Pa., Arlington, Va., Washington, D.C.,). State abbreviations are NOT the same as postal abbreviations. Do not abbreviate these eight: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah. Some cities stand alone without a state or country, including: Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, London, Paris. For a complete list of stand-alone cities, or state abbreviations, check your AP stylebook.
· All names and proper nouns are capitalized; generic words are capped if they are part of proper names (the Delaware Bay, the bay). Cap principal words in the titles of books, movies, plays, songs, works of art, etc. (“Crimes of the Heart,” “Who Let the Dogs Out,” “Phantom of the Opera”). Cap directions when they refer to a specific region (the East Coast, the Midwest, the South), not compass directions (east, west, north, south; southern Delaware). Do not capitalize when using the generic noun as a plural (Kent and Sussex counties).
· Courtesy titles are not used (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.). Legislative and military titles are capped and abbreviated before a person’s name (Sen. Thomas R. Carper, Gen. Colin Powell). Lower case titles when used after the person’s name (Ruth Ann Minner, the governor of Delaware). When a title is long, lower case and use it after the name (John Smith, vice president for economic development, NOT Vice President for Economic Development John Smith).
· Upcoming dates are normally written Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008 on first reference. With a specific date, use abbreviations Jan., Feb. Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; do not abbreviate March, April, May, June, July. The month is always written out if used alone (February) or with a year (February 2008). With coming events, remember time, date, place (4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29 at the Richardson & Robbins Building in Dover); if the event is occurring in the current calendar year, the year is not used. When referring to dates within the current year that are past, use month and day (The suspect was arrested on Jan. 30). Times of day are written 11 a.m., 3 p.m., etc., NOT 11:00 PM.
· Addresses and locations are written out when used without numbers (State Street). Street, Avenue, Boulevard and compass points are abbreviated in specific addresses (316 S. Governors Ave.); Road, Drive, Circle, Highway are not (89 Kings Highway, 1136 Long Point Road). Lower case First through Ninth are spelled out in street names; 10th and above use numbers (Fifth Avenue, 21st Street).
· For ages, height, weight and width, use numbers (8-year-old boy, 5-foot 7-inch woman, 10-pound, 3 ounce baby, 10 inches of snow). Spell out numbers that begin sentences unless the number is a year (Ninety-nine bottles of root beer fell off the truck. 1984 was a very good year.) Spell out numbers under 10; use numerals for numbers over 10 (five; 11,000). Use thousand, million, billion (Thanks a million, thousand island dressing, a $2 million budget).
· Watch use of trademarked names (Coca-Cola, Jell-O, Clorox). Unless referring to a specific brand, use generic names (soft drink, gelatin, bleach).