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

Rule	Example
Spell out one through nine	"three witnesses" not "3 witnesses"
Use numerals for 10 and above	"15 people attended"
Always use numerals for ages	"a 5-year-old girl"
Always use numerals for percentages	AP allows the % symbol with numerals (5%) since 2019; some publications still spell out "percent" as house style
Always use numerals for addresses	"123 Main St."
Always use numerals for money	"$5 million" not "five million dollars"
Spell out first through ninth for ordinals	"first place" but "10th anniversary"

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

Titles and names

Rule	Example
Capitalize formal titles before names	"Mayor Jane Smith said..."
Lowercase titles after names	"Jane Smith, the mayor, said..."
Lowercase titles standing alone	"The mayor said..."
No courtesy titles on second reference	First: "Jane Smith." Second: "Smith"
Use full name on first reference	"Jane Smith" not "Smith" or "Ms. Smith"

Exceptions:

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

Attribution

Do	Don't
"said"	"stated," "remarked," "noted," "expressed"
Attribution after quote	Attribution before quote
At first natural pause	At awkward break

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

Use	Instead of
more than	over (for quantities)
fewer	less (for countable items)
less	fewer (for mass nouns)
that	which (for restrictive clauses)
which	that (for nonrestrictive clauses)
said	stated, remarked, noted
about	approximately
because	due to the fact that

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.