The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law

Ron Marlar (a retired USAF officer, college professor, school teacher, living currently in Florida)

A primary advantage of The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is the ease of finding style standards for journalistic writing. There are many writing style guides. Some are general in nature. Others are more specific for special kinds of writing, e.g., college reports, academic papers, scientific reports, and religious books and papers. No other rises to the level of ease as that of The Associated Press Stylebook for finding style standards. This is due to the A to Z listing format used in The Associated Press Stylebook.
Another advantage of this stylebook is indicated by its full title including Briefing on Media Law. Journalists and other writers may know how to write. They may have memorized well most of the style standards, but few seem to know media law unless well trained in journalism schools of top quality.
Other advantages include: the What's New, Bibliography, specific Sports and Business Guidelines and Style, Guide to Punctuation, and Proofreaders' Marks sections.
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law with its frequent updates is for serious, professional writers and others who want to know how to write and understand legal issues in writing to communicate.

Finally I can point to the authority and say,"Look, don't use the word HOPEFULLY to mean 'it is hoped, or let us hope.'" It is an adverb, not to be used to modify a sentence, only to modify a verb. Use it to mean 'in a hopeful manner.' Yes, the other use has been documented since the 30s, but that doesn't make it right.

Stepping off the soap box now. Thanks AP!

The title of this book might lead you to think this is just another grammar book--and one with only print journalists in mind. Not so! If you are looking for a guide that will ensure consistency in all of your corporate literature, I highly recommend this book and its companion "Bible," Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition. Never again will you have to wonder whether to add a hyphen, capitalize a word or use an abbreviation. To me one of the main reasons why documents can look unprofessional is because writers don't apply consistency in style throughout corporate literature or even throughout the same piece. This book is the ultimate foundation for consistency, clarity and professionalism. And from here you can add your own "house styles," guidelines that are unique to your profession or business. The return on investment on this book is tremendous.

This book is always helpful and is really well written. The only negative is that it is not spiral bound like previous issues.

This book is an indispensible resource for writers, students, editors, journalists, businesspeople -- anybody who needs to write proposals, papers, stories, you name it. Clearly organized in dictionary form, this book contains the answers to those key and nagging questions. Is the "m" in "English muffin" supposed to be capitalized? When do you hyphenate "right-wing"? How exactly do you properly use "lay and lie"? What's the appropriate abbreviation for an army corporal? And does a speaker stand behind or on a podium? Finally figure out which preposition is precisely correct.

In addition to common style questions like the ones above, the stylebook contains a wealth of common information. What is a mach number? How does one calculate heat indexes and wind chill factors? And other pieces of commonly needed information are interspersed throughout the text.

This edition also includes specific guides for business and sports terminology, as well as an Internet guide.

While less useful to those not members of the media, this text also includes a briefing on media law. Some sections, such as the right to individual privacy, might appeal to the general public.

The AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law is an essential addition to any reference collection.