Reference Books Reviewed: Associated Press Stylebook
- Posted by Essays Blog in Essays Blog |
- January 30th, 2009 |
- Comments
When you compose, you likely find yourself grapple with questions. I certainly do, everything from the proper form of abbreviations to the placement of apostrophes. Ideally, you deprivation to get past those questions quickly, so you can focus on the message, not the writing.
Among the tools that helps us answer questions quickly and consistently are stylebooks: those manuals that recommend certain styles or usance. They come in a number of flavors and you may care to have all of them on hand. But, more importantly, superior one and consume its recommendations consistently.
This week we look at the Associated Press Stylebook, a functional and frequently-cited reference activity for writers.
As the appellation suggests, it comes from the people at the Associated Press (AP) wireservice, and serves journalists and mass-media writers. By artifact contrast, the Chicago Manual of Communication (to cite another important reference book) serves academics and others who compose formally, as advantageously as book writers, editors, and publishers.
The AP Stylebook emphasizes usance of commonly cited names, events, and language. For example, low the listing for assassin, it explains the proper consume of III similar concepts: ‘assassin,’ ‘killer,’ and ‘murderer’ (in case you were inquisitive, the AP book defines an assassin as a politically motivated killer, a killer as anyone who kills with any motive, and a murderer as a killer who has been convicted in a court of law).
Since journalists must contend with the pressure of deadlines, this book is laid out like a dictionary, with the entries in alphabetical order. Each entry is brief and deals with issues that journalists would face in everyday writing.
Many entries provide a acceptable for capitalization, spelling, consume of abbreviations, and other functional information. Rules for grammar can be found low headings much as ‘Possessives’.
Incidentally, many other news organizations, in the U.S. and other countries, have their own communication guides. In Canada, for example, thither’s the Canadian Press stylebook. So, if you’re writing for a particular wire-service or news organization, check to accompany if they have their own communication guide.
The Associated Press Stylebook comes in cardinal flavors: ‘The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law,’ and ‘The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Law.’ The latter is as readily available as the former. Check your bookstore for details.