Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual [Paperback]

Associated Press (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1994

This invaluable book has become the journalist's bible, providing facts and references for reporters and defining usage, spelling, and grammar for editors. Completely updated to keep pace with The AP's procedures and world events, it offers detailed guidelines for writing photo captions, filing copy over news wire, avoiding libel, and more. Lie-flat binding.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The world is divided into two types of people: those who wince when they see the words Canadian geese in print, and those who don't. If you are the former, or if you are the latter working for the former, the The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual provides invaluable assistance when you need to get your Canada geese all in a row. Countless newspapers and other publications base their style guides on this manual. The entries are arranged alphabetically and include issues of spelling, punctuation (there is no period in Dr Pepper), grammar, abbreviation, capitalization (Popsicle and Dumpster are, tollhouse cookies aren't), hyphenation (none, surprisingly, in ball point pen), and frequently misused words. There are also longer discussions of things such as Arabic names, chess notation, weather terms, and religious movements. Plus you'll find separate sections on sports writing, business writing, libel, and copyright. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Addison-wesley; Rev&Updtd edition (July 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201627043
• ISBN-13: 978-0201627046
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,477,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an invaluable resource for all writers., March 22, 1998

By 

Shelley Ruchti([e-mail]) (Austin,Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual: Including Guidelines on Photo Captions, Filing the Wire, Proofreaders' Marks, Copyright (Paperback)

While the media run rampant with flimsy leads and stories based solely on hearsay, it's good to know that at least their grammar stays in check, thanks to the hard and fast rules set forth in the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual.

Providing direct distinctions between similar words, the correct spelling of commonly-misspelled words, and the politically-correct use of dangerous words, the AP stylebook delineates specific style rules for virtually every journalistic possibility. Set up in a dictionary-style format, the manual's general stylebook lists everything from the perils of "a" versus "an" to the preferred usage of ZIP codes.

Following the stylebook are the more specific sections dealing with sports and business style, both also set up with A to Z listings, including usage and spelling. Although sports writing info may be confined to the needs of the sportswriter, the business section is helpful for those who take interest in corporate designations and definitions of stock market terms.

Finally, just before the manual switches from the absoluteness of style to the murky legal waters of the libel section, comes, in my opinion, the pièce de résistance-A Guide To Punctuation-music to the ears of syntax-psychos and grammar-Nazis, alike.

Starting with words of wisdom from what the AP refers to as "a bible of writers," "The Elements of Style," this portion is eleven pages of invaluable knowledge for any writer, regardless of profession, and is arranged so succintly that even children can access its information for their own use.

Although I have thus far had little use for the information about libel in this book, it is primarily what its introduction claims-not a libel text, but merely a useful guide which "explains the fundamental principles in libel for working writers and editors." It also contains some key parts of the Freedom of Information Act which should be read by everyone to fully know our rights regarding the access to federal information, during what has now become the Age of the X-file.

All-in-all, the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual should be a welcome edition to any writer's reference library.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The single best reference book for English grammar and usage, June 25, 1999

By 

Patrick Sullivan, editor, AAN News (aka_zorro... (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (Paperback)

The AP Stylebook and Libel Manual is hands down the most useful single reference book on the English language. Particularly helpful are clear discussions of possessives, punctuation, and other nuts and bolts issues. And it doesn't weigh a ton, either.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vital info. for aspiring journalist, January 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (Paperback)

In my first year of taking Journalism we learned proper terms, usage, and punctuation for a newspaper through the AP Stylebook. My teacher, ex-editor turned Journalism teacher, taught us why these rules exist, and how to put them to use in our own writing by giving us tests on certain terms and word usage. I didn't like taking them but am grateful for learning that words like "controversial" and "definitely" should be avoided, and that Frisbee is a brand name. When copy-editing this book is handy and gets us through petty arguments over how a certain word should be fixed to meet the standards. It is a very helpful Journalism reference book.