In the dozens of public relations courses I’ve taught over the years, one of my students’ biggest struggles is writing using Associated Press style.
Why is learning AP style so important? PR practitioner Sandra Hernandez offers this:
PR writers really need to know the things that make them effective. I learned to write in AP in college, because it was necessary to pass the class. I continued to write in AP because I found that what I send to media had a better response rate when written in AP.
To help students learn more about AP style, I sought feedback from a variety of public relations practitioners and faculty members, trying to come up with a list of what PR writers REALLY need to know (cold, without even looking in the AP Stylebook) about AP style.
The most important (and sometimes confusing) parts of AP Style for PR writers are:
- dates (especially when to abbreviate)
- addresses (especially when to abbreviate)
- names (when to use titles, etc.)
- numerals (when to spell out, when to use digits)
- datelines (which cities need to be identified with their states)
Now you have choices about how to access the AP Stylebook. You can purchase a hardcopy of the book, buy an online subscription to it or find it in your college library.
Many PR writers can also benefit from brushing up on standard grammar. My favorite site for general grammar advice is Mignon Fogarty’s Grammar Girl. I strongly recommend that you subscribe to Grammar Girl’s podcast.
So, PR pros and journalists, what would you add? What can help PR students understand what they REALLY need to know about AP style?
[Updated from a blog post from April 2010]
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