Tuesday, February 23, 2016

It's not just AP Style, it's AP logic



Recently, a client suggested they write an article that we send out.

We gently said “no”, citing "AP Style" as the bottom line for credibility from journalists and for getting releases published.

While knowing how to use words accurately is important, “AP Style” also is shorthand for a specific type of logic: One thought per sentence with each sentence adding to the sequence.

We often see phrases in sentences that don’t move the action forward or worse, open up a raft of “wormy” questions that never get answered.  

When on the final draft of a very short PSA, someone wanted to add that the spokesperson had been helped by the organization.  

While this was a good idea, it was completely different PSA.   

For that, you had to say what the spokesperson was doing before as well as what they are doing now to show a change.   

You also needed to show how or why that help made a difference.  

To “write” clearly and succinctly, you need to think like a journalist: follow each thought to its logical conclusion, including all the implications.    

For more information, please visit Dell Richards Publicity at www.dellrichards.com