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. 

Dropping the F-bomb

This week, KFYR anchor A.J. Clemente was fired for using the F-bomb and other “language” on TV.

In his apology, he said he didn’t realize he was live even though he was miked.

Because  newsrooms are full of people who swear like stevedores, PR people often are surprised to find that emphasizing a point by adding color isn’t always appreciated.   

Because it plays against stereotype, I sometimes drop swear words into conversation with younger, more hip people.

But I rarely do in business meetings.  

One colleague said she deliberately drops a lesser word in meetings to see how people respond.

If no one looks askance—or someone picks it up and runs with it—she feels more comfortable taking it one step further. 

Swear words are part of everyday speech for many people, but use really depends on the formality of the occasion.   

Testing the waters may be the only way to find out how casual you can be—as long as you’re not on TV.  

For more information, please call us at (916) 455-4790 or go to our website at www.dellrichards.com.