When diving into the world of sports journalism, one will quickly learn the importance of AP style in writing. Common referred to as “AP Style,” the Associated Press Stylebook renews each year and updates standards for journalism across many streams. In order to assemble a well-written piece that can be read and identified as sports writing, there are certain style concepts that must be adhered to.
Sports reporter Tom Miller observes University of North Dakota Hockey from inside the press box of Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
(Source: Grand Forks Herald)
As stated in this week’s lecture, AP style is the “official style of journalism” (Vareberg). Because the Associated Press is so pertinent in sports writing, it is vital that a journalist has the text on hand. You can dive into this blog to learn key tips about AP Style in sports journalism. There are numerous terms that are covered within the AP stylebook, but many ideas are easy to remember once you start using them repetitively.
There are a few key points that must be considered when writing articles in AP style (Rogers):
Numbers
o Numbers 1-9 are spelled out
o Numbers 10 and above are numerically written
o Never start a sentence with digits
o Ex. He ate two apples and 30 raisins.
Percentages
o Use the number and the word “percent”
o Ex. The gym is at 50 percent capacity.
Age
o Ages in numerals
o Ex. Chris is 3 years old and Shawna is 26.
Dates
o Dates are expressed as numerals
o Months March-July are never abbreviated
o Months August-February are abbreviated when used with numbered dates
o Do not use “Th” or “St”
o Ex. His birthday is on Jan. 16, his sister’s is in February.
Map of AP Style State Abbreviations (Source: bka Content)
Numbers, percentages, age and dates are only a few key points that will come into play in a sports writing career. Other concepts that come into play include the Oxford comma, hyphens, states and titles. All terms can be found easily online or in a printed Associated Press Textbook. While it is not considered the most fun part of the job, it is essential to learn. Many writers quickly catch on to the concepts of AP style and have to refer to the text less and less over time. Even when one must refer to the Pressbook, it only takes a matter of seconds to find what you are searching for.
When considering writing style in sports journalism, it is essential to have the Associated Press Stylebook on hand. This style is used across various platforms and is considered the “Gold Standard” for journalism (Vareberg). Due to this fact, it is highly recommended that you purchase the text or download the abridged version, as recommended by course professor - Kyle Vareberg.
Questions of Reflection:
How can writing in improper style be damaging to your image as a sportswriter?
How can writing in the proper (AP) style be beneficial to your image as a sportswriter?
This is something we have reviewed in this week’s lecture and notes. Perhaps you have personal experience or insight relating to the topic. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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Work Cited
Rogers, Tony. (2017, April). The Basics of Associated Press Style: An Important Part of Newswriting and Copyediting. [pdf]
Vareberg, Kyle. [Kyle Vareberg]. (2020, Jan.) Week 6 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u66tnS5AITc&feature=youtu.be
Hannah - I think the biggest thing is a style such as this maintains consistency throughout the discipline. I think that is what we often miss when talking about citation styles or writing styles - that we are seeking consistency throughout and across the discipline. Not adhering to the style means you are not meeting industry standards, in my opinion. Great question. -Kyle
Writing in an inappropriate AP style will destroy the reputation of a journalist and readers can view them as incompetent, unprofessional, and unknowledgeable. Since the AP style is the basic system of guidelines for journalists, columnists, and authors who do not obey it, you stick out in a bad way.
Hannah,
I think improper style can be damaging to your image because those who DO know it is AP style that is used, will noticed. I think this can make people assume this writer does not know what they are doing, or maybe they will not take their writing serious. It can be beneficial to your image as a sports writer for the same reasons. Those who know AP style will see you have done your homework on AP style and will notice and will make your image look better.
How can writing in improper style be damaging to your image as a sportswriter?
How can writing in the proper (AP) style be beneficial to your image as a sportswriter?
Hannah -
The way you incorporated the rules makes this blog a great reference to keep coming back too. Writing in improper AP style can damage a journalist image because readers may perceive them as inexperienced, unprofessional, and unknowledgeable. Because AP style is the universal rules system for journalists, columnist, and writers not following it makes you stand out in a poor way. AP style will take years to get down and I know you have some experience with it, what are some tips you use to remember the most common rules?