AP Style, the Jedi Master of Communication!

In the wacky world of news reporting, where words jostle for attention like overly enthusiastic puppies in a newsroom, there exists – yes it does, a superhero known as AP Style. Abbreviation for Associated Press style, this caped crusader of clear and pleasant communication has been fighting the chaos of miscommunication since the 19th century. Picture this: journalists flocked around the first-ever AP Stylebook in 1953, as if it were the holy grail of grammatical guidance. Over the years, this style maven has evolved, keeping pace with linguistic acrobatics and technological somersaults.

Now, you might wonder, what makes AP style the popstar of the journalistic arena? Well, it’s got four principles: clarity (no foggy metaphors, please), precision (aiming for ninja-like accuracy), neutrality (no bias, just the news, duh), and objectivity (because opinions are like cats on keyboards – entertaining but not always helpful).

Hold onto your press pass, because AP style has rules that are more iconic than “so beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow,” taking over the internet. Numbers below 10 are spelled out like they’re in a spelling bee, while 10 and above get the numerical VVIP treatment. Commas play the role of the paparazzi, capturing every detail in a series but giving the conjunction its solo moment. And let’s not forget the Shakespearean drama of single quotation marks within double quotation marks – it’s like a play within a play, but with more squib (dramatic much).

In the realm of percentages, AP style has a no-nonsense approach. The % sign joins forces with numerals, spelling ‘percent’ is so old fashioned. And when it comes to names, proper nouns stand tall with their capital letters, while common nouns slouch in lowercase lethargically.

Imagine AP style as the cool kid on the word block, schooling us on honorifics and ages. Honorifics, those must-have red carpet vibes for names, are like VIP badges outside quotes but skip the line in official mode. Ages, the time-traveling digits, only crash the scene when they’re the star—think profiles, obituaries, or age-defying achievements. AP style spills the tea on age digits, insisting on showing off with figures and rocking hyphens for adjective-noun combos. So, cheers to AP style, the word wizard of journalistic flair and finesse!

But here’s the twist – AP style isn’t just a Hollywood celebrity confined to American soil. Oh no, it’s an international sensation, embraced by newsrooms worldwide. Public relations and corporate communication have also fallen under its spell, realizing that following AP style is the key to writing stardom.

So there you have it, folks – AP style, the unsung hero of newsrooms, making certain that journalism continues to be a harmonious blend of clarity, precision, neutrality and objectivity. It’s not just a style; it’s a lifestyle – the haute couture of communication and social correspondence.

Written by PG Journalism students of St Pauls Insitute (SPICE), Anupama Ghosh and Sidhant Shekhar.