How AP style decisions are made

By Emilie Davis · Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The AP Stylebook is referred to as the bible of the journalism profession. Style brings order out of chaos.

Public relations experts, too, rely on the AP Stylebook, especially when they write for media that follow AP style.

Find out how style decisions are made and who makes them in this short Q-and-A with two AP editors. The article was written by Amy Jacques, who earned her master’s degree at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Jacques is now the associate editor of PR Tactics and The Strategist at the Public Relations Society of America.

In our book, “Think Like an Editor,” we point readers to the AP Stylebook to brush up on grammar, style, spelling and punctuation. These basics are covered well in the AP Stylebook, with easy-to-remember examples that can be used as memory aids.

Take a minute to learn the AP editors’ perspectives on style and how it changes as our language evolves.