What does ap Stand For:
AP stands for Associated Press. It’s a news agency founded in 1846 by 5 New York newspapers, to provide them with the latest news from across the region. Today it provides an average of 2,400 stories each day, distributed via 1,700 radio stations, 800 TV stations and 600 other websites.
The full name is actually quite long: “Associated Press” was once trademarked — back when there were only telephones and telegraphs! That has since changed so these days people can refer to “the AP” interchangeably with “the Associated Press”.
The style guide for The Canadian Press says that their reporters should spell out the letters when writing the name of the company in body text but AP may be used in headlines.
The AP has a bureau in every state in the US, as well as international bureaus in over 100 countries. It’s the most widely distributed news agency in the world.
So there you go — that’s what AP stands for! It’s a shorthand name for one of the largest and most respected news agencies in the world. When you see it mentioned in the news, it’s likely that the story was originally reported by the Associated Press.
What is an AP style guide?
An AP style guide is a set of rules developed by the Associated Press to help journalists write consistently and accurately. The guide covers everything from punctuation to grammar to how to spell specific words.
There are different AP style guides for different countries, as well as a general style guide that covers news writing. The Canadian Press has its own style guide which is based on the AP style guide but includes some specific rules for Canadian journalists (e.g. using “the” instead of “a” when referring to the newspaper).
Why do journalists need a style guide?
Journalists need a style guide to ensure that their stories are written in a consistent and accurate manner. By following the same set of guidelines, they can avoid confusion among readers and minimize the chances of making mistakes.
Style guides also help journalists to write headlines that are both accurate and catchy. The AP headline style guide is particularly famous for its concise and punchy style.
What are some of the most important rules in the AP style guide?
There are many important rules in the AP style guide, but here are some of the most important ones:
– Use “the” when referring to a specific newspaper or publication (e.g. The Globe and Mail)
– Use “a” when referring to a general category (e.g. A story about politics)
– Spell out numbers below 10 (e.g. nine, four) and use numerals for numbers 10 and above (e.g. 11, 25)
– Use commas to separate items in a series (e.g. I have a cat, dog and hamster)
– Use hyphens to join two or more words referring to a single concept (e.g. high-rise, well-known) and en dashes (the longest of all dashes, which is the width of the letter “n”) to separate items in a series that include another dash (e.g. Canada–United States border)
– Use headlines to summarize stories; put important information at the beginning and less important details at the end (this is especially common in online news)
– Include proper attribution for quotes: who said what and when (date format should be yyyy-mm-dd).
And there are many more rules! Check out this resource for more writing tips from the AP style guide . Search the full AP Stylebook online here .
How do journalists use the AP style guide?
The first thing to know about AP style is that it is designed for newspaper writers. So if you’re writing for a newspaper, using these guidelines can help ensure consistency throughout your publication. This makes it easier for readers to follow what’s happening in their community and around the world, as well as find all of your past stories quickly. If you’re blogging, though, there are other considerations (e.g. think about how many people might be reading — not just one or two editors). The best idea is to select some basic rules that work for most readers and then be consistent within those chosen parameters. For example, some publications might choose to capitalize the word “Internet” while others don’t.
The second thing to know about AP style is that it can be overwhelming. Learning all of these rules and using them in different situations can be difficult, especially for beginning journalists. So when in doubt, look it up! If you spell a word wrong or use punctuation incorrectly, your editor will change your story at no extra cost to you (you might even get a warning first). So make sure to brush up on some basic grammar skills before you start writing stories from scratch.
In terms of how often journalists need to consult their style guides, most publications have strict deadlines and reporters usually only have one chance to get a story right. That’s why it’s a great idea to become familiar with the guidelines before you start writing. That said, don’t be afraid to ask a colleague or your editor for help if you’re stuck – they’ll be happy to give you a hand.