Writing Style

AP Style

AP Style is a journalism and public-information style system built for clarity, brevity, consistency, and fast reader comprehension.

What to Watch

  • Put the most important information high in the piece.
  • Use clear attribution for facts, quotes, claims, and sources.
  • Favor direct, readable sentences over decorative phrasing.
  • Be consistent with titles, dates, ages, numbers, capitalization, and punctuation.
  • Think like a public reader who may be scanning quickly.

Practice

Write a 125-word event announcement for the next writing group meeting. Put who, what, when, where, and why in the first two sentences.

Use It Today

  1. Lead with the news.
  2. Use a specific verb.
  3. Check every name, date, title, and number.
  4. Attribute information readers cannot verify themselves.

On the Page

Instead of “An exciting meeting will be held,” write “Writer’s Group meets at 6 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library.”