newsroom-style

# Newsroom style guide

Write like a professional journalist. Follow AP Style. Keep it tight.

## When to use

- Writing news articles, briefs, or headlines
- Editing drafts for publication
- Converting interview notes into publishable copy
- Writing press releases or media advisories
- Creating social media posts for news content

## Core AP Style rules

### Numbers

| Rule | Example |
|------|---------|
| Spell out one through nine | "three witnesses" not "3 witnesses" |
| Use numerals for 10 and above | "15 people attended" |
| Always use numerals for ages | "a 5-year-old girl" |
| Always use numerals for percentages | AP allows the `%` symbol with numerals (`5%`) since 2019; some publications still spell out "percent" as house style |
| Always use numerals for addresses | "123 Main St." |
| Always use numerals for money | "$5 million" not "five million dollars" |
| Spell out first through ninth for ordinals | "first place" but "10th anniversary" |

**Exception:** Never start a sentence with a numeral. Rewrite or spell out.

### Titles and names

| Rule | Example |
|------|---------|
| Capitalize formal titles before names | "Mayor Jane Smith said..." |
| Lowercase titles after names | "Jane Smith, the mayor, said..." |
| Lowercase titles standing alone | "The mayor said..." |
| No courtesy titles on second reference | First: "Jane Smith." Second: "Smith" |
| Use full name on first reference | "Jane Smith" not "Smith" or "Ms. Smith" |

**Exceptions:**
- Use courtesy titles in obituaries
- Some publications use them for all subjects (house style)

### Attribution

| Do | Don't |
|----|-------|
| "said" | "stated," "remarked," "noted," "expressed" |
| Attribution after quote | Attribution before quote |
| At first natural pause | At awkward break |

**Examples:**

**Bad:** Mayor Smith stated, "We are committed to this project."

**Good:** "We are committed to this project," Mayor Smith said.

**Good:** "We are committed to this project," said Mayor Jane Smith, who has pushed for the development since 2022.

### Dates and times

**Months:**
- Abbreviate: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
- Don't abbreviate: March, April, May, June, July
- Only abbreviate with specific dates: "Sept. 15" but "September 2025"

**Times:**
- Use figures with a.m./p.m.: "9 a.m." not "9:00 a.m."
- Noon and midnight: Use the words, not "12 p.m." or "12 a.m."
- Time ranges: "9 a.m. to 5 p.m." or "9-11 a.m."

**Days:**
- Capitalize days of the week
- Don't abbreviate except in tables
- Use "Tuesday" not "on Tuesday" when possible

### Common word choices

| Use | Instead of |
|-----|-----------|
| more than | over (for quantities) |
| fewer | less (for countable items) |
| less | fewer (for mass nouns) |
| that | which (for restrictive clauses) |
| which | that (for nonrestrictive clauses) |
| said | stated, remarked, noted |
| about | approximately |
| because | due to the fact that |

### Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses

**Restrictive (essential, use "that"):**
> The bill that passed yesterday includes tax cuts.

(Which bill? The one that passed yesterday.)

**Nonrestrictive (extra info, use "which" + comma):**
> The bill, which passed yesterday, includes tax cuts.

(We already know which bill; the passage is extra info.)

## Formatting rules

### Paragraphs
- Keep paragraphs short: 1-3 sentences
- One idea per paragraph
- Break up long quotes into multiple paragraphs

### Headlines
- Use sentence case, not title case
- No periods at the end
- Use present tense for past events: "Council approves budget"
- Use infinitive for future events: "Mayor to announce plan"
- No exclamation points in hard news

### Quotation marks
- Periods and commas always go inside
- Colons and semicolons always go outside
- Question marks and exclamation points: inside if part of quote, outside if not

### Abbreviations
- Spell out on first reference, then abbreviate
- Don't use periods in most abbreviations: FBI, CIA, NATO
- State abbreviations: Use postal codes (NY, CA) only with full addresses; otherwise use AP abbreviations or spell out

## Ledes (opening paragraphs)

### The inverted pyramid
Most important information first. Answer the key questions:
- **Who** is involved?
- **What** happened?
- **When** did it happen?
- **Where** did it happen?
- **Why** did it happen? (if known)
- **How** did it happen? (if relevant)

### Lede length
- Aim for 35 words or fewer
- One sentence is ideal
- Focus on the news, not background

**Too long:**
> The city council, which has been debating the issue for several months and heard from dozens of residents at multiple public meetings, voted Tuesday night to approve a controversial new zoning ordinance that would allow high-rise buildings in the downtown area.

**Better:**
> The city council approved a zoning ordinance Tuesday that allows high-rise buildings downtown, ending months of debate.

### Types of ledes

**Hard news lede:**
> A fire killed three people in Northeast Philadelphia early Tuesday.

**Feature lede:**
> The last time Maria Rodriguez saw her mother, she promised to bring her to America.

**Question lede (use sparingly):**
> What happens when a city runs out of money?

## Quick reference card

### Before you publish

- [ ] Names spelled correctly and verified
- [ ] Titles correct and styled properly
- [ ] Numbers follow AP Style
- [ ] Attribution uses "said"
- [ ] Dates and times formatted correctly
- [ ] Paragraphs are short
- [ ] Lede is under 35 words
- [ ] No editorializing in news copy
- [ ] Sources are credible and named

### Red flags

- "Very" or "extremely" in news copy
- Exclamation points
- First-person pronouns (unless first-person piece)
- Unattributed opinions
- Passive voice hiding who did what
- Starting sentences with "There is" or "There are"

## Example transformations

**Before (informal notes):**
> Yesterday the Mayor said that he was "very excited" about the new $5,000,000 project that will create over 100 jobs.

**After (AP Style):**
> Mayo