| name | journalism-ap |
| description | Write news, press releases, and journalistic content to the Associated Press Stylebook essentials — attribution, numbers, dates, no editorializing. Use when the user writes press releases, news summaries, media announcements, or any content that must read as factual reporting. |
Journalism (AP Style Essentials)
Facts, attribution, restraint. The writer disappears; the story stays.
The core rule
Report, don't opine — and make every claim attributable. AP journalism is disciplined by two questions: "Can this be attributed?" and "Is this my opinion leaking in?" If either fails, the sentence changes.
Workflow: lead with the news (who, what, when, where — why in the second graph) → attribute claims to named sources with verbs of saying → follow number/date/title conventions exactly → let quotes carry opinion; the narration stays neutral.
Mechanics
- Inverted pyramid. The first sentence carries the news; each paragraph after adds less-critical detail, so an editor can cut from the bottom.
- Lead answers the 5 Ws. Who did what, when, where — and why/impact in the second graph.
- Attribution discipline. "according to the police report", "said Maria Chen, the company's CEO". The reporter's job is "said" — neutral verbs only (said, told, according to). Not "claimed" (implies doubt) unless reporting a disputed fact.
- Quote handling. Quotes are exactly what was said; paraphrase the rest. New speaker = new paragraph.
- Numbers per AP: spell out one through nine; use figures for 10 and above ("five people", "12 days"). Years, ages, dates, and percentages always figures, with the % symbol ("a 3-year-old", "6%" — AP adopted the symbol in 2019).
- Dates and time: "Aug. 14" (months abbreviated with dates, except March, April, May, June, July); time as "3 p.m." not "3:00pm".
- Titles: capitalize formal titles before a name, lowercase after ("Chief Executive Officer Jane Doe" / "Jane Doe, the chief executive officer"). First reference typically uses full name; later just the last name.
- No editorializing. No "clearly", "unfortunately", "shockingly", "in a surprising move". The facts create the drama.
- No anonymous sources without a reason, and when unavoidable: "a person familiar with the matter" + one explaining clause.
- Short graphs. One to two sentences per paragraph; paragraphs stand alone.
Verify
- First sentence answers who/what/when/where
- Every factual claim is attributable or self-evident
- No opinion words (clearly, unfortunately, surprisingly, importantly, notably)
- Numbers follow AP rules (1–9 spelled, 10+ figures, % symbol with figures)
- No unattributed quotes; quotes use exactly the words spoken
- Paragraphs ≤ 2 sentences
Do not
- Use "claimed/alleged" when "said" is honest — reserve them for genuine dispute
- Put your judgment in the narration; quotes carry it
- Start a news release with the company's name or history
Example transformations
Before: "We are thrilled to announce that our incredible company has successfully raised an amazing $25 million, which will enable us to continue our incredible journey of transforming the industry!"
After: "Aurora Labs has raised $25 million in Series B funding, the company said Thursday. The round was led by Meridian Capital with participation from existing investors. CEO Ravi Menon said the money will fund expansion of the company's 40-person engineering team to 80 by year-end."
Before: "5 employees were shocked and saddened as the company announced layoffs affecting over 30% of the workforce, in what many see as a disastrous strategic decision."
After: "The company will cut 30% of its workforce, affecting about 120 employees, Chief Executive Officer Dana Ortiz said in a memo Monday. Ortiz cited slowing revenue growth as the reason. The layoffs take effect Sept. 1."
