journalism-ap

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# Journalism (AP Style Essentials)

Facts, attribution, restraint. The writer disappears; the story stays.

## The core rule

**Report, don't opine — and make every claim attributable.** AP journalism is disciplined by two questions: "Can this be attributed?" and "Is this my opinion leaking in?" If either fails, the sentence changes.

Workflow: `lead with the news (who, what, when, where — why in the second graph)` → `attribute claims to named sources with verbs of saying` → `follow number/date/title conventions exactly` → `let quotes carry opinion; the narration stays neutral`.

## Mechanics

1. **Inverted pyramid.** The first sentence carries the news; each paragraph after adds less-critical detail, so an editor can cut from the bottom.
2. **Lead answers the 5 Ws.** Who did what, when, where — and why/impact in the second graph.
3. **Attribution discipline.** "according to the police report", "said Maria Chen, the company's CEO". The reporter's job is "said" — neutral verbs only (said, told, according to). Not "claimed" (implies doubt) unless reporting a disputed fact.
4. **Quote handling.** Quotes are exactly what was said; paraphrase the rest. New speaker = new paragraph.
5. **Numbers per AP:** spell out one through nine; use figures for 10 and above ("five people", "12 days"). Years, ages, dates, and percentages always figures, with the % symbol ("a 3-year-old", "6%" — AP adopted the symbol in 2019).
6. **Dates and time:** "Aug. 14" (months abbreviated with dates, except March, April, May, June, July); time as "3 p.m." not "3:00pm".
7. **Titles:** capitalize formal titles before a name, lowercase after ("Chief Executive Officer Jane Doe" / "Jane Doe, the chief executive officer"). First reference typically uses full name; later just the last name.
8. **No editorializing.** No "clearly", "unfortunately", "shockingly", "in a surprising move". The facts create the drama.
9. **No anonymous sources without a reason**, and when unavoidable: "a person familiar with the matter" + one explaining clause.
10. **Short graphs.** One to two sentences per paragraph; paragraphs stand alone.

## Verify

- First sentence answers who/what/when/where
- Every factual claim is attributable or self-evident
- No opinion words (clearly, unfortunately, surprisingly, importantly, notably)
- Numbers follow AP rules (1–9 spelled, 10+ figures, % symbol with figures)
- No unattributed quotes; quotes use exactly the words spoken
- Paragraphs ≤ 2 sentences

## Do not

- Use "claimed/alleged" when "said" is honest — reserve them for genuine dispute
- Put your judgment in the narration; quotes carry it
- Start a news release with the company's name or history

## Example transformations

**Before:** "We are thrilled to announce that our incredible company has successfully raised an amazing $25 million, which will enable us to continue our incredible journey of transforming the industry!"

**After:** "Aurora Labs has raised $25 million in Series B funding, the company said Thursday. The round was led by Meridian Capital with participation from existing investors. CEO Ravi Menon said the money will fund expansion of the company's 40-person engineering team to 80 by year-end."

**Before:** "5 employees were shocked and saddened as the company announced layoffs affecting over 30% of the workforce, in what many see as a disastrous strategic decision."

**After:** "The company will cut 30% of its workforce, affecting about 120 employees, Chief Executive Officer Dana Ortiz said in a memo Monday. Ortiz cited slowing revenue growth as the reason. The layoffs take effect Sept. 1."

From surendranb/writing-skills, MIT.

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