[CN]6
[CT]EDITING FOR STYLE
Newspapers have style guides to avoid inconsistencies that irritate readers or cause them to
wonder about the paper's credibility or its editors' qualifications. Dictionaries give alternative
spellings for some words, and grammar books don't always agree on punctuation rules. Foreign
words, such as Hanaukka and czar, can be spelled more than one way. Is California abbreviated
CA, Cal. or Calif.? Does a candidate for public office hold a fund raiser, a fund-raiser or a
fundraiser? When is jeep capitalized and when is it lowercase?
This chapter highlights the need for a consistent style and some of the more common
problems with style. We also will discuss how to use “The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel
Briefing on Media Law,” the most widely used newspaper stylebook in the United States.
In terms of style, a well-edited newspaper speaks with one voice. Readers notice when
judgment is spelled without the middle "e" in one story and with the "e" (judgement) in another
story. Even worse is spelling a word such as adviser both with an "e" and with an "o" (advisor) in
the same story or using Moslem and Muslim interchangeably. Many readers cringe when they
read a sentence like this: The mayor convinced the council to support his tax plan, because they
know the correct word is persuade, not convince. Allowing these kinds of errors and
inconsistencies results in chaos in the paper and fosters mistrust in readers.
[1]Newspaper Style
The set of rules to ensure consistent word usage, spelling, abbreviations, capitalizations and
punctuation is called mechanical style. A newspaper's mechanical style should not be confused
with a writer’s personal style. H.L. Stevenson, editor-in-chief of United Press International in
1977, said in the foreword to UPI's expanded stylebook published that year that the book "is not
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intended to limit creative talent or to provide restrictive formulas for writing and editing. It is,
rather, a set of consistent guidelines that reflect current usage." Copy editors should not change a
reporter's writing style without good reason, but they should make sure that the writing is clear
and concise and that it follows their paper's mechanical style.
Most newspapers follow the style guidelines developed jointly by The Associated Press and
United Press International. The two news services began working together on a stylebook in the
1950s at the behest of the hundreds of newspapers in the country that used both wire services.
The editors at these papers wanted the two services to adopt a uniform style for spelling,
abbreviations, capitalization, Arabic numerals and punctuation. The stylebook has undergone
several major revisions and is updated annually.
AP and UPI publish separate stylebooks, but the style guides are nearly identical with only a
few minor exceptions. AP’s stylebook is the more widely distributed of the two and can be found
in almost every newsroom in the United States. The stylebook is updated regularly to reflect
changing attitudes and to add new vocabulary. In the 1980s, for example, AP said gay, in
reference to homosexuals, could be used only as an adjective (a gay couple); it could not be used
as a noun (A gay has been elected to the school board.). By 1990, AP described gay as a popular
synonym for homosexual and was acceptable as both an adjective and a noun.
The 1994 edition of the stylebook defined cop as an often derogatory term for police officers
and said the word should be confined to direct quotes. Newer editions of the stylebook say cop
now may be used “in lighter stories and in casual, informal descriptions." Finally, the latest
version of the stylebook has been updated to include a separate section for Internet terms.
Many newspapers have their own style guides to supplement the AP stylebook. These
stylebooks help the editors be consistent when referring to local landmarks and institutions as
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well as the names and titles of local public figures. The stylebook might say, for example, that
the local state university should be referred to as Cal State Fullerton rather than California State
University, Fullerton or Fullerton State University and that Dean William Poindexter prefers to
be called Dean Bill Poindexter.
Some major publications such as The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles
Times have replaced AP's stylebook with their own guidelines. These stylebooks in some
instances duplicate the AP stylebook, but they expand on the AP stylebook's entries and offer
additional reference material. “The Los Angeles Times Style and Usage Guide,” for example, has
more word-usage entries than AP's stylebook and has expanded reference guides to computer and
court terminology and many other subjects.
The stylebooks of some major publications also sometimes contradict AP. The New York
Times uses courtesy titles, and AP discourages the use of Mr., Mrs., Miss and Ms. The Los
Angeles Times uses the % sign, and AP says to spell out percent. The New York Times says
someone who prays is a worshiper, and AP spells the word worshipper. The New York Times
also has its owns rules for apostrophes. These variations from AP’s stylebook” are not important.
Style is whatever the newspaper's editors say it is. What is important is that the copy editors
make sure that their newspaper's style is consistently enforced.
[1]The Associated Press Stylebook
“The Associated Press Stylebook” is organized like a dictionary. Does re-elect really require
a hyphen? Look up the word. Or you can check the re- entry or the prefixes entry for the general
rules of prefixes. Do you always capitalize pope? Look up the word or check the capitalization or
religious titles entries. All entries are boldfaced and in alphabetical order.
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[Comp: I would rather see this as a box (like prior edition) than a figure, because it’s
extraneous.]
AP Stylebook Entries
cabinet Capitalize references to a specific body of
advisers heading executive departments for a president,
king, governor, etc.: The president-elect said he has not
made his Cabinet selections.
The entry word is always in boldface. Its
spelling, capitalization, etc. represent the
accepted form unless indicated otherwise.
Usage examples are in italic.
The capital letter distinguishes the word for the
common noun meaning cupboard, which is lowercase.
See department for a listing of all the U.S. Cabinet
departments.
Cabinet titles Capitalize the full title when used before
a name; lowercase in other uses: Secretary of State
Cyrus R. Vance, but Juanita M. Kreps, secretary of
commerce. See titles.
The text explains the usage.
cactus, cactuses
Many entries give correct spelling,
capitalization and/or abbreviations without any
text explaining the usage.
cadet See military academies.
Caesarean section
References to related topics are in boldface.
caliber The form: .38 caliber pistol. See weapons.
California Abbrev.: Calif. See state names.
]End Box]
Memorizing AP's stylebook would be difficult, if not impossible, and no one expects
editors to do so. Copy editors, however, do need to know what is in the stylebook and how to
look it up. The key to maintaining style is to know what you don't know so you know when to
look up words or style questions.
If the word is not in the stylebook, use “Webster's New World Dictionary, Fourth
Edition,” published by IDG Books, as your reference for correct spelling, capitalization,
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abbreviation and usage. If Webster's gives more than one spelling of a word, use the first spelling
listed or the spelling that is followed by the full definition.
Some of the most common problems with style deal with numerals, capitalization,
prefixes and suffixes, and abbreviations. A brief explanation of AP style follows.
[2]Numerals
In general, spell out one-digit numbers (zero through nine) and fractions less than one, and use
figures for larger numbers or numbers with fractions. This rule has many exceptions: Use figures
for ages, dimensions, speeds and percents. With the exception of years, spell out numbers at the
start of a sentence. Here are some examples of usage:
She is 3 years old.
Jack can walk 2 miles per hour; he walked five miles yesterday.
The entry-way rug is 3 feet by 12 feet.
Two thousand three hundred ninety-two people voted for Mayor Harold Jenkins.
Starting sentences with large numbers, as in the last example, should be avoided. The following
is an improvement:
Mayor Harold Jenkins received 2,392 votes.
Jenkins received 91 percent of the vote. One of his challengers received 8.5
percent of the vote, and the other challenger received 0.5 percent.
Temperatures reached 5 degrees in Fargo and zero in Billings.
The numerals entry in the stylebook also lists several separate entries for the various uses of
cardinal numbers.
[2]Capitalization
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Avoid unnecessary capitalization. Words that should be capitalized include the following:
[BL]>Sentences. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.
>Proper nouns. Capitalize words that give a unique identification to a person, place or thing:
Robert, Sally, London, North America, World War II.
>Proper names. Capitalize common nouns such as east, avenue, ocean or party when they
are part of the name of a unique person, place or thing: East 57th Avenue, Pacific Ocean,
Republican Party. Lowercase common nouns when they are used as plurals: First and Main
streets, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, Republican and Democratic parties.
>Popular names. Capitalize commonly used popular names for a place even if the names are
not official designations: the Southland for Southern California, the South Side of Chicago, the
Fed for the Federal Reserve Bank, Big Board for the New York Stock Exchange, the Big Easy
for New Orleans.
>Derivatives. Capitalize words derived from proper nouns that depend on the proper noun for
their meaning: Marxist, Calvinist, Christian, American, Bermuda shorts, Orwellian. Lowercase
derivatives that no longer depend on their proper noun for their meaning: venetian blinds,
quixotic, french fries, narcissism, brussels sprouts.
>Compositions. Capitalize the principal words in titles of books, movies, poems, songs,
plays, etc. and put quotation marks around them: "The Agony and the Ecstasy," "A Child's
Christmas in Wales." Newspapers and magazines do not have quotation marks: Time magazine,
the San Francisco Chronicle.
>Personal titles. Capitalize formal titles immediately before a person's name: Pope John
Paul II, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, President George W.
Bush. But do not capitalize titles when there is no name or when the name comes after the title:
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the pope; Tony Blair, British prime minister; George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United
States.
>Brand names and registered trademarks. Wind Breakers, Deepfreeze, Kleenex, Band-Aid
and similar names should always be capitalized. Many trademark words are in the stylebook.
[end BL]
The capitalization entry in the stylebook lists several capitalization-related entries including
animals, holidays, government bodies, food, titles and magazine names.
[2]Prefixes
When using prefixes, the main concern is whether the word requires a hyphen. The three general
rules in the stylebook regarding the use of hyphens with prefixes are:
[NL]
1. Use a hyphen when the prefix is repeated: sub-subparagraph, post-postmodern art.
2. Use a hyphen when the main word is capitalized: ex-President Bill Clinton, pro-Syrian
guerrillas.
3. Use a hyphen when the last letter of the prefix is the same vowel as the first letter of the main
word: anti-inflation, re-elect. The two exceptions are coordinate and cooperate. This rule
runs contrary to many of the first-listed spellings in “Webster's New World Dictionary.”
Some of the more common prefixes with separate entries in stylebook are: anti-, co-, pre-,
pro-, re-, semi- and trans-.
If the stylebook does not list the specific prefix or word and the three general rules don't seem to
apply, refer to “Webster's New World Dictionary” to determine if a hyphen is needed.
[2]Suffixes
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As with prefixes, the chief concern when using suffixes is whether the word requires a hyphen.
Many common suffixes are listed in the stylebook, including: -down, -fold, -over, -up and -wise.
Look up the suffix in question in the stylebook before checking “Webster's New World
Dictionary” in case the stylebook differs from the dictionary. If the word is not in the stylebook
or the dictionary, make it two words if it is used as a verb and hyphenate it if it is used as a noun
or adjective:
I walk up two flights of stairs to my apartment.
I live in a walk-up apartment.
The Freedonian military has decided to pull out of southern Sylvania.
The pullout could endanger settlements near the border.
[2]Abbreviations
Many titles are abbreviated when they are used in front of a name. These include the Rev, Gov.,
Sen., Rep., Dr. and military titles. Entries for titles can be found in the stylebook under courtesy
titles, legislative titles, military titles and religious titles.
Abbreviate corporation, company, incorporated and limited only when they are the last word
in a company's title: Xerox Corp., the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Abbreviate Avenue, Boulevard and Street and compass directions only in numbered
addresses. Do not abbreviate other designations for a roadway:
The president lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Duke Museum is at 17985 S. Arrow Blvd.
The Duke Museum is on South Arrow Boulevard.
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Abbreviations of states are given in state names in the stylebook or in the specific state entry.
[2]Time References
Always use the day of the week rather than “yesterday” or “tomorrow.”
[2 col.]
Original:
The president is speaking in Baltimore tomorrow.
Edited:
The president is speaking in Baltimore Tuesday.
Use “today” when you are referring to the current today.
The president is speaking in Baltimore today.
Never abbreviate March, April, May, June or July. Abbreviate other months only when you
are giving a specific date. Use these abbreviations: Jan. Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
[2 col.]
Original:
School starts August 25.
Edited:
School starts Aug. 25.
Original:
School starts the last week in Aug.
Edited:
School starts the last week in August.
Use figures for the time of day except midnight and noon, and lower case and use periods
with p.m. and a.m. Use a colon to separate hours and minutes; do not use 00 to indicate the top of
the hour.
Using morning, afternoon or evening is redundant if you are using p.m. or a.m.
Original:
The accident happened at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning.
Edited:
The accident happened at 3 a.m. Sunday.
Original:
The game will start at 7:05 p.m. this evening.
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Edited:
The game will start at 7:05 p.m.
Original:
The meeting is scheduled for 12 noon.
Edited:
The meeting is scheduled for noon.
[2]Other Topics
“The Associated Press Stylebook” also is a good reference source for several other topics. For
example, the main part of the stylebook defines weather, earthquake, weapons and nuclear terms;
various world religions and denominations, with the proper word usage for them; and the federal
court system. The book has separate chapters explaining the rules of punctuation as well as
guidelines for sports and business styles. It also offers a libel manual and a guide on how to
obtain documents through the Freedom of Information Act.
[CL]Checklist: Editing for Style
> Do not change a reporter’s writing style without good reason.
> Consult your AP stylebook for the rules on capitalization, abbreviations, numerals, and
prefixes and suffixes.
> Use “Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition,” as your source for correct
spelling if the word is not in the AP stylebook.
> Use the first spelling given in “Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition.”
> Capitalize brand names and registered trademarks.
[I]Internet Resources
American Copy Editors Society. http://copydesk.org/
Atlanta Journal Constitution stylebook.
http://sunsite.unc.edu/slanews/intranets/ajc/STYLBOOK.HTM
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Copy Editor. http://www.copyeditor.com
Crusty Old Slot Man’s Copy-Editing Peeve Page. http://access.digex.net/~bwalsh/editing.html
Honolulu Star-Bulletin stylebook. http://starbulletin.com/sbstyle/index.html
National Public Radio’s “Ethics and Style Guidebook.”
http://www.npr.org/inside/styleguide/stylmain.htm
The SLOT: A spot for Copy Editors. http://www.theslot.com/
Wired style. http://www.hotwired.com/hardwired/wiredstyle/toc/index.html
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[E]Exercise 1: Word Usage
Use your stylebook to determine which word in parentheses is correct, and circle it.
1.
I (pedal/peddle) magazines door-to-door.
2.
Indiana Jones (pored/poured) over ancient Mayan tablets.
3.
Ethical journalists should stand by their (principals/principles).
4.
Sen. John Smelling, who dropped out of the presidential primaries in March, has
(reentered/re-entered) the race.
5.
The Watergate Hotel burglars (rifled/riffled) through most of the papers at the Democratic
headquarters.
6.
The theatrical (troop/troupe) will perform Hamlet in the campus amphitheater Friday.
7.
I can’t stand the hot (weather/temperatures) in Las Vegas.
8.
New York City firefighters from (Company/Co.) 25 will be honored by the New York state
(legislature/Legislature).
9.
Plans for the inauguration ceremonies are already (under way/underway).
10.
Mozart learned to play the violin when he was (five/5).
11.
The Aluminum (Company/Co.) of America is now known as Alcoa (Incorporated/Inc.)
12.
Tom Cruise is a member of Actors' Equity (Assn./Association).
13.
I live at 112 Day (Ave./Avenue).
14.
I live on the (100/one hundred) block of Day (Ave./Avenue).
15.
Police (Det./Detective) Carl Jackson brought a (thermos/Thermos) of coffee with him to the
stakeout.
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[E]Exercise 2: Word Usage
Use your stylebook to determine which word in parentheses is correct, and circle it.
1.
The senator said she is (eager, anxious) to debate the merits of the bill.
2.
Advertising (linage, lineage) has (rose, risen) substantially during the past year.
3.
Fruits and vegetables are considered (healthy, healthful) foods.
4.
The (burglary, robbery) at the store was committed while the store was closed for the
weekend.
5.
Most of the payment is applied to interest, not the (principle, principal), on the home loan.
6.
The senator’s appointment to the appropriations subcommittee will (affect, effect) how
much money the state will receive.
7.
The (affect, effect) of the testimony was overwhelming.
8.
Tiger Woods may be the greatest golfer of (all-time, all time).
9.
(Beside, Besides) his low self-esteem, the college freshman lacked the proper skills for
the team.
10.
The hotel had a (complement, compliment) of 50 bell captains and 50 valet attendants.
11.
Fifty states (compose, comprise, constitute) the United States.
12.
The economic upheavals in Latin American have prompted many people to (immigrate,
emigrate) to America.
13.
She (flaunted, flouted) her musical abilities.
14.
He wished he could have purchased the artist’s (palate, palette, pallet) at the auction.
15.
Those (people, persons) don’t understand the role of the committee.
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[E]Exercise 3: Hyphenation
The asterisks (*) represent where hyphens might go in the following sentences. Remove the
asterisks and make the necessary corrections to the sentences.
1.
The president decided to shake*up his cabinet.
2.
They gave her a terrific send*off.
3.
The FBI stand*off lasted more than 70 days.
4.
Madonna is on a world*wide tour.
5.
Most race tracks have the horses run in a clock*wise direction.
6.
The corporate shake*up resulted in several lay*offs.
7.
It was a sell*out crowd.
8.
The auto workers staged a sit*down strike.
9.
The plant employees staged a walk*out.
10.
The city's crime rate has grown ten*fold.
11.
The vote to walk*out was unanimous.
12.
The launch count*down will begin at 6 a.m.
13.
Jackson is a hold*over from the last administration.
14.
Let's pick*up some take*out food.
15.
Hurry and chow*down, and then get back to work.
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[E]Exercise 4: Hyphenation
The asterisks (*) represent where hyphens might go in the following sentences. Remove the
asterisks and make the necessary corrections to the sentences.
1.
He took along his camera as an after*thought.
2.
I get along with the co*owner of my business because we treat each other as co*equals.
3.
The senator described himself as ultra*conservative.
4.
Journalists should not pre*judge people.
5.
He can out*talk anyone on campus.
6.
I enjoy an after*lunch nap.
7.
We plan to re*cover our sofa this year.
8.
She is doing post*graduate work.
9.
He's an all*around good athlete.
10.
The Navy hopes to re*cover its sunken patrol boat.
11.
The coroner performed a post*mortem on the body.
12.
I always favor the under*dog in the playoffs.
13.
Both anti*abortion and abortion*rights groups plan to hold rallies at the clinic.
14.
They use their sub*basement as a storm shelter in case of tornadoes.
15.
She set several pre*conditions for her co*operation.
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[E]Exercise 5: Minimum Wage Bill
You are a copy editor with the Fullerton Times. Using “The Associated Press Stylebook” as a
guide, edit the following news article for Wednesday’s edition for style, spelling, grammar, logic,
syntax and factual errors. Also correct any awkward writing. Include comments about any
information in the story that is incomplete or illogical.
10 members of the Fullerton chapter of the League of Woman Voters are in the state capitol
Wednesday lobby against a state bill that is supposed to exempt several types of workers from
the State Minimum Wage Law.
Mrs. Sarah Johnson, President of the Fullerton chapter of the League of Woman Voters,
claimed that she and the other league members plan to meet with state Senators from local area
as well as with members of the Senate labor committee.
The bill, SB 4503, would exempt from the Minimum Wage Law persons who work in the
hotel, restaurant and garment industries; domestic and laundry workers; and hospital aides. It was
introduced in the Senate last month.
The League members met at their club house, at 6974 Turnbull Rd., last night to plan their
strategy for Tuesday's meetings.
Mrs. Johnston contend last night that the bill is mean-spirited and it's longterm affect "is
intended to insure that the working poor remain at the poverty level, which for a family of 4 is
$17.65 thousand dollar a year."
The bill is presently in the Senate labor committee.
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[E]Exercise 6: Bomb Scare
You are a copy editor with the Wessex Town Crier. Using “The Associated Press Stylebook” as
a guide, edit the following news article for Saturday’s edition for style, spelling, grammar, logic,
syntax and factual errors. Also correct any awkward writing. Include comments about any
information in the story that is incomplete or illogical.
A beeping pager summoned Wessex Police and Fire Dept. workers along with the Bomb
Squad to the Postoffice at 321 1st Street yesterday morning.
Mel Colley, Postmaster, called the Police Dept. after a postal worker heard strange noices
coming from a package, which was eight by 10 by 6 inches in sized and weight about two and a
half lbs.
Postmaster Colley then evacuated the building. The police, which had also called the Fire
Dept. and Bomb Squad as a precaution, ordered another one-square-block cleared to insure
public safety.
The Bomb Squad x-rayed the bomb and discovered it was actually a motorolla phone
page that was set to "vibrate."
One it was determined that the device was unharmful, everyone went back to work.
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