Newsroom style guide

Write like a professional journalist. Follow AP Style. Keep it tight.

When to use

• Writing news articles, briefs, or headlines
• Editing drafts for publication
• Converting interview notes into publishable copy
• Writing press releases or media advisories
• Creating social media posts for news content

Core AP Style rules

Numbers

Exception: Never start a sentence with a numeral. Rewrite or spell out.

Titles and names

Exceptions:

• Use courtesy titles in obituaries
• Some publications use them for all subjects (house style)

Attribution

Examples:

Bad: Mayor Smith stated, "We are committed to this project."

Good: "We are committed to this project," Mayor Smith said.

Good: "We are committed to this project," said Mayor Jane Smith, who has pushed for the development since 2022.

Dates and times

Months:

• Abbreviate: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
• Don't abbreviate: March, April, May, June, July
• Only abbreviate with specific dates: "Sept. 15" but "September 2025"

Times:

• Use figures with a.m./p.m.: "9 a.m." not "9:00 a.m."
• Noon and midnight: Use the words, not "12 p.m." or "12 a.m."
• Time ranges: "9 a.m. to 5 p.m." or "9-11 a.m."

Days:

• Capitalize days of the week
• Don't abbreviate except in tables
• Use "Tuesday" not "on Tuesday" when possible

Common word choices

Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses

Restrictive (essential, use "that"):

The bill that passed yesterday includes tax cuts.

(Which bill? The one that passed yesterday.)

Nonrestrictive (extra info, use "which" + comma):

The bill, which passed yesterday, includes tax cuts.

(We already know which bill; the passage is extra info.)

Formatting rules

Paragraphs

• Keep paragraphs short: 1-3 sentences
• One idea per paragraph
• Break up long quotes into multiple paragraphs

Headlines

• Use sentence case, not title case
• No periods at the end
• Use present tense for past events: "Council approves budget"
• Use infinitive for future events: "Mayor to announce plan"
• No exclamation points in hard news

Quotation marks

• Periods and commas always go inside
• Colons and semicolons always go outside
• Question marks and exclamation points: inside if part of quote, outside if not

Abbreviations

• Spell out on first reference, then abbreviate
• Don't use periods in most abbreviations: FBI, CIA, NATO
• State abbreviations: Use postal codes (NY, CA) only with full addresses; otherwise use AP abbreviations or spell out

Ledes (opening paragraphs)

The inverted pyramid

Most important information first. Answer the key questions:

• Who is involved?
• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Why did it happen? (if known)
• How did it happen? (if relevant)

Lede length

• Aim for 35 words or fewer
• One sentence is ideal
• Focus on the news, not background

Too long:

The city council, which has been debating the issue for several months and heard from dozens of residents at multiple public meetings, voted Tuesday night to approve a controversial new zoning ordinance that would allow high-rise buildings in the downtown area.

Better:

The city council approved a zoning ordinance Tuesday that allows high-rise buildings downtown, ending months of debate.

Types of ledes

Hard news lede:

A fire killed three people in Northeast Philadelphia early Tuesday.

Feature lede:

The last time Maria Rodriguez saw her mother, she promised to bring her to America.

Question lede (use sparingly):

What happens when a city runs out of money?

Quick reference card

Before you publish

• Names spelled correctly and verified
• Titles correct and styled properly
• Numbers follow AP Style
• Attribution uses "said"
• Dates and times formatted correctly
• Paragraphs are short
• Lede is under 35 words
• No editorializing in news copy
• Sources are credible and named

Red flags

• "Very" or "extremely" in news copy
• Exclamation points
• First-person pronouns (unless first-person piece)
• Unattributed opinions
• Passive voice hiding who did what
• Starting sentences with "There is" or "There are"

Example transformations

Before (informal notes):

Yesterday the Mayor said that he was "very excited" about the new $5,000,000 project that will create over 100 jobs.

After (AP Style):

Mayor John Smith said Tuesday he was "very excited" about the $5 million project, which will create more than 100 jobs.

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Before:

The meeting started at 9:00 AM on Monday, October 14th, 2024.

After:

The meeting began at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.

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Before:

5 protesters were arrested at the rally.

After:

Five protesters were arrested at the rally.

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Before:

Smith stated that he believed the project would be "important."

After:

Smith said he believed the project would be "important."

House style notes

Different publications have their own style guides that override AP Style. Common variations:

• Oxford comma (AP doesn't use it; many publications do, verify with your editor)
• Courtesy titles (AP doesn't use them; NYT does)
• Web style (AP merged "web site" to "website" in 2010; some legacy guides still split it)

Always ask about house style before writing for a new publication.

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Based on the Associated Press Stylebook. Check the current AP Stylebook (apstylebook.com) for updates and edge cases.