If you read our blog or you work in public relations or media, you’re likely well aware of the importance of AP style. A couple months ago, the 2013 version of the AP Stylebook was released, with 90 new or updated entries.
Ninety updates is a lot of information to process. At the time, PR Daily published a helpful article compiling the five “most important” updates in the revised addition. Now that we’ve had a bit of time to get settled with the new changes, we thought we’d highlight a few of those that have been especially relevant to our work as PR professionals. Here are three that might trip you up as you write:
- Expanded social media terms. In line with the times, the 2013 Stylebook now includes terms like circles, flash mob and Google Hangout. Additionally, the updated Stylebook broadened guidelines for attributing and referencing user-generated content (e.g., in photo captions).
- Added new rules for numerals. The recommendations for numerals are now more expansive; a four-page section outlines when and where not to use figures. Pay attention to this section, and reference it as you write—the 2013 Stylebook has layered further directions onto already complex numeral guidelines.
- Enhanced fashion, food and sports guidelines. Terms like chichi, froufrou and upside-down cake are now formal additions to the Stylebook. If you target a consumer audience, updates to fashion, food and sports standards will be especially relevant for your writing.
For the fully updated 2013 AP Stylebook, you’ll need to purchase an updated version of the Stylebook.
For more information on the importance of AP style, we recommend our blog post: “Understanding AP Style and Its Importance.”