newsroom-style

name	newsroom-style
description	Apply AP Style and common newsroom conventions when writing or editing news articles, briefs, and headlines. Use when drafting publishable copy, editing contributor submissions, or converting informal notes into news-ready language.

Newsroom style

Applies AP Style and common newsroom conventions to news writing and editing.

When to use

• Drafting news articles, briefs, or headlines
• Editing contributor copy for publication
• Converting raw notes, transcripts, or press releases into news-ready language
• Cleaning up wire copy or rewrites for a local audience

When not to use

• Opinion columns, op-eds, or editorials (different voice rules apply)
• First-person essays or personal narrative
• Personal blog posts or social media drafts
• Marketing or PR copy
• Academic writing

If the piece is not straight news, skip this skill or apply only the parts that fit.

Numbers

• Spell out one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above
• Always use numerals for ages, percentages, and addresses
• Spell out "percent" — do not use the % symbol in body copy
• Dollar amounts: $5 million (not $5,000,000), $2.3 billion
• Ordinal numbers: first through ninth spelled out, 10th and up as numerals

Titles

• Capitalize formal titles before names: Mayor Jane Smith, Sen. John Doe
• Lowercase titles after names or standing alone: Jane Smith, the mayor; the senator said
• Never use courtesy titles (Mr., Ms., Mrs.) on second reference
• Use last name only on second reference

Attribution

• Use "said" for attribution, not "stated," "remarked," "noted," or "explained"
• Place attribution after the quote at the first natural pause
• Attribute every claim that is not common knowledge

Dates and times

• Abbreviate months when used with a date: Jan. 5, Feb. 12, Aug. 3, Sept. 9, Oct. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 22
• Spell out March, April, May, June, and July
• Spell out months when used alone or with a year only: January 2026
• Use figures for time: 9 a.m., 7:30 p.m., noon, midnight (not 9:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m.)

Common fixes

• "more than" for quantities, not "over" (over refers to spatial relationships)
• "fewer" for countable items, "less" for mass nouns
• "that" for restrictive clauses, "which" for nonrestrictive (with a comma)
• "convince" takes "of" or "that"; "persuade" takes "to"

Format

• Paragraphs run 1 to 3 sentences in news copy
• No exclamation points in hard news
• Headlines use sentence case, not Title Case
• One space after a period, not two

Before and after

Before: Yesterday Mayor John Smith said that he was "Very excited" about the new $5,000,000 project that will create over 100 jobs.

After: Mayor John Smith said Tuesday he was "very excited" about the $5 million project, which will create more than 100 jobs.

What changed:

• "Yesterday" replaced with the day of the week (AP avoids "yesterday/today/tomorrow")
• Capitalization fixed inside the quote
• Dollar amount converted to AP format
• "over" changed to "more than"
• "that" changed to "which" because the clause is nonrestrictive

Customization

Add newsroom-specific overrides below this line. Local style guides usually amend AP rather than replace it.