[stylist] stylist Digest, Vol 85, Issue 7

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Donna and everyone,

I agree with you- I believe any writer, creative, journalistic, etc.,
should focus more on content than style.  It is the content and not how
the content is written that communicates a message.

Since I take public relations classes, I am required to follow the
standards set by the journalism department at my university.  Most my
instructors, who all have practical experience as well as academic, are
sticklers about following AP although many admit that not everyone
follows the AP rules.

I merely posted these tips because not everyone on this list is a
professional journalist/PR writer, and after our meeting with Liz
Campbell, I thought it would be appropriate to post some guidelines that
people can use if they wish.  I only know AP style when it comes to this
type of writing.  I did not intend to imply AP is the only way to write
a news release or other similar writing.

Though, according to my instructors, good editors do require journalist
and PR writers to follow guidelines, and if certain guidelines were not
adhered to, the piece must be revised or not used.  The supervisor for
my PR internship this summer is constantly requesting us to revise.  If
even the most minor guideline is not followed, she gives us our piece
back to edit.

Obviously in the busy world of journalism not every editor is going to
follow, or catch, each guideline not followed, but, whatever style used,
good editors are looking for material that follows whatever standard
that publication insist on.

I know a couple of real editors and they do care about every detail.
Clarity of Content is clearly the first priority, but it is the purpose
of an editor to spot and fix any errors.  If following something like AP
or another style guide, editors will read with that mindset.

For my academic and creative writing, I refer to Strunk and White's
Elements of Style.  It has been very helpful.  I have been meaning to
read Elephants of Style, but have not had time.  It has been on my
Victor Stream for months, but hopefully I will have time to check it out
now that my semester is over!  *smile*

Anyway, my intention was never to imply AP is the only way.  Being the
only style I use frequently, I posted what I know.

Bridgit

 Message: 2
Date: Fri, 6 May 2011 15:50:37 -0400
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Tips for PR writing
Message-ID:
	<20110506195039.94CA3940B1 at relay03.dlls.pa.frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Brad, Bridgit and all,
First let me say that these are good guidelines, but in light of Brad's
questions, allow me to play the devil's advocate.

The AP Style Book, though widely recognized and used, is not the only
show on the road. The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune
and many other papers have their own style books, and they all differ
from one another in many small -- but to their editors significant --
ways. Language, grammar, spelling and punctuation are fluid and
ever-changing. For instance, many of us have used website as one word
for years. Nonetheless, AP had it listed as two words until a few months
ago. 

Anyone who loves language and would like to read a great book on the
fine points upon which professional writers and editors disagree should
check out "The Elephants of Style" by Bill Walsh of the Washington Post.
Both NLS and Bookshare carry it. Yes, it's "Elephants" and is a humorous
reference to "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk, Jr., and E. B.
White.

On the matter of not using postal abbreviations, my sense is that they
aren't used in part, because they are defined as codes not
abbreviations. As for abbreviating March, May, June and July, the M and
J months are already short, and length translates to ink and paper which
translate to dollars. There probably isn't enough of that to be saved in
these cases.

The crucial things in writing press releases and so on are the facts
presented and the way they are used to get the journalist's attention.
In that context, the fine points of style are a service only when they
are consistent. I doubt seriously that a good press release would be
rejected because the writer used the New York Times' abbreviations am &
pm, instead of using the periods. When I put together the material for
our upcoming Guide to Writing Press Releases page on the Writers'
Division website, I was looking through my old press releases for
examples of successful ones. I was surprised -- though I don't know why
I should have been -- to find many examples of style errors. Most of
these are mistakes I no longer make. One such error was using three
asterisks instead of three number signs after the text of the release.
Neither paper that carried the story mentioned it.

I bring these things up for two reasons. First, as writers, many of us
are fascinated with the nuances of language and how rules are explained.
Second and more importantly, for the sake of getting stories out there
about blindness issues, I believe it is important to empower those who
do not think of themselves as language buffs or writers. Though a
certain level of literacy is required (proper spelling, sentence
structure & punctuation), I am concerned that over-emphasis on style
books could burden would-be volunteer publicists to the point of being
so bogged down with technicalities that they fail to submit anything at
all.

Donna