Style
Lately I've noticed that many news organizations are not following AP style. Even The Associated Press seems to have forgotten about its own Stylebook. I think this bothers me so much because, when I was in college, I had to memorize a large portion of The AP Stylebook. Of course that was in 1980 and the stylebook was much smaller then. I realize that, oftentimes, AP style is not the same as other standards of writing. But, in my opinion, there's still no excuse for professional journalists to ignore the rules of style that are supposed to ensure conformity in the industry.
Here are some of the infractions that bother me the most:
adviser - not advisor, but advisory
AP, The Associated Press - use AP on second reference, capitalize The on first.
backward - not backwards
brand-new
chairman / chairwoman - do not use chairperson
district attorney - do not use DA or D.A.
doughnut - not donut unless part of a business name
entitled - means the right to something; titled refers to the name of a composition, book, poem etc.
farther - refers to physical distance; further refers to an extension of time or degree
Ferris wheel - Ferris was the inventor, so capitalize.
health care
hopefully - means in a hopeful manner. Do not use it to mean I hope or it is hoped.
jail - Not interchangeable with prison. It is short term.
kid / kids - use child and children unless in a direct quote
nolo contendere - “I do not contend,” use pleaded no contest or no-contest plea, depending on publication style. The defendant admits no guilt, but offers no defense. A defendant is sentenced as if convicted, but the charges may be denied in future legal cases.
OK - not okay. OK’d, OKs
presently - means in a little while; it doesn't mean now
pupil - children through eighth grade are pupils. Use student for ninth grade and above
Teen-ager
Tonight - 8 pm. Tonight is redundant.
T-shirt
toward - not towards
4 comments:
My sis is the English major of the family, so I suppose I have fewer pet peeves. Affect/Effect is the worst irritant for me.
I was supposed to memorize the stylebook in J school, but that was a loooooooooong time ago, so I still end up looking stuff up at least once a day. The pupil/student distinction has always bugged me ... I'm not really sure why, but it does. And I am incapable of remembering the proper use of "fund-raiser" and "fundraiser," thanks to an old ME who seemed to change that paper's style about once a week. And as long as we're ranting about English, here's a question: How come no one -- NO ONE -- understands how to use an apostrophe?
Ugh, we totally had to commit that book to memory too. I think I end up rebelling against it unconsciously in my own writing though, so I'll try not to complain too much about others!
Uncle Crappy, I wish I had an answer to your question because that's one of my pet peeves as well. A couple of weeks ago, I read a story in which a reporter wrote "her's." Ugh!!! Where the heck was the editor for that one? "Fund-raiser" and "fundraiser" were two of my problem words, too.
Sophie, Affect/effect are two of my other problems. I always have to look them up. Same goes for "lie" and "lay."
Jay, Unless I'm writing for a newspaper, I try not to worry about it too much. I guess I'm rebelling a little, too. But it really bugs me when professional journalists ignore AP style.
Thanks for commenting!
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