4.56

4

Oct 30, 2009

For a while there in college, I lived and breathed this book (or an earlier edition, actually). The parts I need the most are now burned into my brain, and I end up consulting it only once or twice a year these days. I actually don't know how you rate a book like the AP Stylebook, and the four stars I give it are for no defensible reason. If you're a reporter for a news organization that adheres to AP style, you either follow the rules and save yourself a lot of anguish, or you become the bane For a while there in college, I lived and breathed this book (or an earlier edition, actually). The parts I need the most are now burned into my brain, and I end up consulting it only once or twice a year these days. I actually don't know how you rate a book like the AP Stylebook, and the four stars I give it are for no defensible reason. If you're a reporter for a news organization that adheres to AP style, you either follow the rules and save yourself a lot of anguish, or you become the bane of your editors. Years of revisions have smoothed the book into a relatively user-friendly, easy-to-navigate manual. Beyond that, it is what it is. Don't fight it. You won't win. ...more

4

Jan 08, 2008

Only a seriously obsessed copy editor or someone who had been asked to oversee a revision of his newspaper's stylebook (I plead guilty to the latter) would actually read this book.

Nevertheless, once you've learned to tolerate the taste of the medicine, you can actually start to enjoy it, or at least some of it. And there always the sorts of tidbits that can enlighten or amuse. Many people may know, for instance, that scuba stands for self contained underwater breathing apparatus, or that radar Only a seriously obsessed copy editor or someone who had been asked to oversee a revision of his newspaper's stylebook (I plead guilty to the latter) would actually read this book.

Nevertheless, once you've learned to tolerate the taste of the medicine, you can actually start to enjoy it, or at least some of it. And there always the sorts of tidbits that can enlighten or amuse. Many people may know, for instance, that scuba stands for self contained underwater breathing apparatus, or that radar stands for radio detection and ranging, but did you know that quasar is an acronym for quasi-stellar astronomical object? (I guess they just decided to drop that pesky "O")

And in the section on titles, there is this note: "Professor: Never abbreviate. Lowercase before a name. Do not continue the second reference unless part of a quotation." In other words, all you professors, AP does not think you are worthy of being capitalized or continually referred to by your title, tenured or not. So there. ...more

2

Dec 14, 2014

The most important style guide for newspaper journalists and the worst-organized style guide on the planet.
Written by committee and it reads like it. AP has more stupid rules for the sake of having a rule than all the other style manuals combined. It will not teach you to be a better writer; it will teach you to write like an old-school newspaper hack.

4

Jul 30, 2007

Four stars because sometimes I disagree with it, and too many of its rules are still based on the limitations of telegraph technology. Seriously, 1890? I think we've advanced to the point where we can handle brackets and italics.

5

Apr 29, 2007

this book still haunts me, I probably haven't picked it up in a decade.

5

May 22, 2008

Worst case scenario: Trying to captivate the minds of uneager journalists with Copy-Editing.

I have enudeavorued this nightmare, and came out a bloody mess.

Oh Orange Vice, why do you not love this?

5

Aug 03, 2010

Being a journalism major, this book is my bible. I have read it all the way through several times and still refer to it at least a few times a day when writing. It has anything and everything you want to know about writing style, punctuation, and grammar. I honestly don't know how I would live without it.

5

Oct 03, 2007

I was truly raised without religion, unless you count the AP Stylebook. I am so devoted to it that when the Internet revokes my right to italicize (like facebook - thanks, jerks), I refuse to italicize at all.

I recently lost my copy, and now every day is a blur of confusion, sorrow, and improper hyphen usage. (But mostly sorrow.)

4

Jan 30, 2011

Once upon a time I fancied myself a lexicographer. I still have a big interest in usage. To help me with that, I purchased this style guide. Of course, I learned from reading this that the AP does not necessarily follow its own book. With the dynamics of language, "the book" didn't have every reference I sought. Nevertheless, I find this an interesting reference.

5

Sep 02, 2007

As a reference guide to help reporters to be accurate, consistent and clear -- and to help editors keep them that way, this book has no rival. You don't have to be a reporter to benefit from it, though. This book offers practical guidance in so many areas. If you do any kind of writing, you will benefit from having this book on your desk.

4

Dec 20, 2011

This is the bible of journalistic writing. I highly recommend the online annual membership to the AP Stylebook as well because when they update it once or twice a month at least you'll get those right away. Everyone should have a copy of this no more than a year or two old though because you never know when you'll be away from the interweb!

3

Dec 04, 2015

I have a love/hate relationship with the AP Stylebook, but what I wanted to say is I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY AP, "OVER" DESIGNATES A LOCATION OF AN OBJECT AND "MORE THAN" DENOTES QUANTITY AND DESPITE YOU CHANGING THIS I WILL PRACTICE IT FOREVER.

I often feel the AP arbitrarily makes changes and updates so people have to buy the latest Stylebook each year.

5

Jul 12, 2012

Extremely useful! I consult my 2003 edition on almost a weekly basis. I should probably get an updated version... Although I typically consult Grammar Girl, I think it's still very nice to have a printed style guide handy upon which I can base my own style conventions, especially in cases of it coming down to mere preference.

5

Jun 04, 2007

This book is the secular Bible.

I copy edit birthday cards. It's sick. But the people who recognize that you took the time and effort to say Web site rather than website are the ones who will appreciate the time you spent in writing a thoughtful and educated message for them. Because the sad truth is, they will call you on Christmas and make fun of other people's annual Christmas letters and tell you about all the incorrect AP mistakes they find.

2

Jan 13, 2008

This is a poor reference book for journalists. Many words, phrases and terms simply don't exist in this book that are used in stories every day. It also leaves you guessing where to find a usage instructions for simple terms (e.g. seconds, length, etc.), greatly extending the length of time it takes you to write an article. Dictionaries and other reference material shouldn't have to be memorized to be useful.

5

Dec 06, 2016

The AP Stylebook is the journalist's bible. I've been tempted to put mine under my pillow at times, hoping all its goodness will transfer into my brain by osmosis. As a freelance writer/editor, I use this baby more frequently than any book I own, and I absolutely love this edition. It's so beefed up from my outdated college copy, with its quaint, the-interwebs-is-new references. This edition was such a worthwhile purchase.

4

Jun 01, 2013

The 2013 edition includes a 30-page section of social media guidelines, a 14-page section on news values and the 300-page core of the book: the A to Z stylebook.

American English is a living language, and this stylebook helps us to stay current with the style and usage.

Over 90 new and revised entries, including these: after-party, backstage, brain dead/brain death, doughnut, landline, man-made and wacky.

...

I bought the annual annual stylebook for over ten years while working as a news writer The 2013 edition includes a 30-page section of social media guidelines, a 14-page section on news values and the 300-page core of the book: the A to Z stylebook.

American English is a living language, and this stylebook helps us to stay current with the style and usage.

Over 90 new and revised entries, including these: after-party, backstage, brain dead/brain death, doughnut, landline, man-made and wacky.

...

I bought the annual annual stylebook for over ten years while working as a news writer and similar jobs. ...more

5

Mar 03, 2011

Quite an interesting little book. It is part dictionary, grammer style book, and text book as well as an official manual for how to properly phrase things on professional writing.

It really is an amazing book and while working for the student newspaper at Miami-Dade College, we had what we called a style-book moment every once in a while were we read this book so much that if we used slang even just once, well.....we were just a couple of dorks lol

It is worth keeping for the Professional writer.

4

Oct 18, 2008

I finally found my copy of this and so it needed to be added to the 'Goodreads list!

An interesting and vital handbook and reference to any writer. Particularly of interest and worth to those writing for mass consumption and those keeping up with the world via journalistic sources.

Lots of information for the professional journalist as well as for those who may run across 'lingo' and euphemistic usage that occasionally leads to misinterpretation.

The newer version of this type of work add more I finally found my copy of this and so it needed to be added to the 'Goodreads list!

An interesting and vital handbook and reference to any writer. Particularly of interest and worth to those writing for mass consumption and those keeping up with the world via journalistic sources.

Lots of information for the professional journalist as well as for those who may run across 'lingo' and euphemistic usage that occasionally leads to misinterpretation.

The newer version of this type of work add more resources that results from the spread and dominance of the World Wide Web. This is still an handy volume to have nearby when engaged in journalistic pursuits!!

...more

3

Oct 20, 2010

A lot more fascinating than your average grammar resource guide with references and descriptions of terminology (i.e. the list of the worst earthquakes of all times and explanation of magnitude under the heading earthquakes). And yet, AP style requires that you exclude the serial comma. Why? Why! Why?! I'm actually quite passionate about the inclusion of that final comma (me, myself, and I) ever since my grammar professor related law cases lost over the exclusion of the comma when the final two A lot more fascinating than your average grammar resource guide with references and descriptions of terminology (i.e. the list of the worst earthquakes of all times and explanation of magnitude under the heading earthquakes). And yet, AP style requires that you exclude the serial comma. Why? Why! Why?! I'm actually quite passionate about the inclusion of that final comma (me, myself, and I) ever since my grammar professor related law cases lost over the exclusion of the comma when the final two items could be clumped together as one. It doesn't take up any room to add a comma and there is never any question of what exactly you mean if you do include it, so include it. I'm following The Chicago Manual of Style on this one and always including it. I suggest you do to.

...more

3

Mar 21, 2015

Stylebooks arent necessarily meant to be read all the way through, any more than the dictionary is. Theyre reference books, and theyre meant to be used so you just look up the bit you like. But as many dorky people end up reading the dictionary straight through (I was never one of them, which I am actually a bit surprised at), I like to read most reference books I have to use straight through, to get a more complete idea of what exactly is in it and a better feel for what and where I need to Stylebooks aren’t necessarily meant to be read all the way through, any more than the dictionary is. They’re reference books, and they’re meant to be used so you just look up the bit you like. But as many dorky people end up reading the dictionary straight through (I was never one of them, which I am actually a bit surprised at), I like to read most reference books I have to use straight through, to get a more complete idea of what exactly is in it and a better feel for what and where I need to look things up. Which means I really ought to have finished reading The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2011 several months ago, instead of just looking around in it for things.

As far as I am concerned, the AP Stylebook does not hold a candle to the Chicago Manual of Style, either in terms of its organization or its editorial decisions. It’s organized alphabetically, like a dictionary, except for the bits that are separated off into their own sections, apparently just because the editors feel like it. There is a separate punctuation section, but no separate grammar section. There is a separate social media section, but not a separate politics or government section. The alphabetical stuff can be difficult for looking up grammar questions because you don’t always know what aspect of the question it’s filed under, whereas with the CMoS you can almost always just look at the table of contents and immediately figure out the one or two places it’s most likely to be. The grammar and usage bits are often short, which you’d think would be useful because it means they don’t make a whole lot of exceptions to things, but often just means that your answer isn’t addressed explicitly and you have to read through their examples to see if a similar construction is used as an example. And there is a sad lack of tables.

That said, you can still learn a lot from reading it, because it has entries discussing the proper ways to report on a wide variety of random things that get reported on, so it’s a great collection of random facts. The sections discussing media law and ethics are also really interesting, as are some of the longer entries that discuss news issues at greater length. There’s also a surprising amount of discussion of words’ histories, which is always fascinating.

What there is not, and what I would have found very useful, is a short discussion of style and structure on an article level, and a breakdown of the sort of journalistic jargon that you probably don’t want to actually use in the story itself (for example, there is no entry for “nut graph”). I suppose journalists are already supposed to know that stuff, but I’d like to have a short cheat sheet at my fingertips anyway.
Most of it was a fairly enjoyable read, still, because I’m a dork like that.

Originally posted at http://bloodygranuaile.livejournal.co... ...more

5

Sep 20, 2019

If you are just starting off your journalism career or you are a freelance journalist, this book is your best friend. When in doubt, abide to the rules stated in this book. It will keep you out of jail, in case of a malice case.

3

Jun 26, 2019

I read as much of this as needed to compile a style manual for the KEPW news team. And it really isn't fair to rate this book, as it's purpose is to standardise writing practices for journalists.

5

Jan 25, 2020

I turn to this book time and time again. I have found it to be my writing bible!

5

Nov 12, 2017

The go-to book for writers, editors and any writer who wants to turn their words into a powerful force for learning and shaping the future, this is a must-have book.