Writers love to play with homophones; for example, consider this sentence: “Charles looked for years to find the perfect addition to his first edition history book collection.” Yes, words that sound alike but are spelled differently can delight readers when they are used playfully. Still, when it comes to writing, the addition vs. edition confusion can accidentally mystify readers. Here are some helpful tips and examples you can use to provide clarity when you write using addition and edition.

 

Addition vs. Edition at a Glance

As with many words in the English language, addition and edition sound similar. That is where the similarity ends because addition vs. edition have entirely different meanings. Here are the basic differences at a glance.

• Addition is a noun. It can mean to calculate a math problem, enlarge an item or increase something immaterial.
• Edition is also a noun, but it is used when writing about editing, publishing or broadcasting.

 

What’s the Difference Between Addition and Edition?

When you are writing an article about enhancing city salaries, blogging about simple math problems, tweeting about remodeling a home, or discussing merging two items, use addition. In other words, addition is all about uniting one thing with another.

Edition refers to a single printing that differs from another publication and is published at separate times, a specific number of copies issued at the same time or a publication that is altered in some manner to allow for a new item of that work. An edition can also refer to a single unit or be marketed as a set.

 

When To Use Addition

The noun addition involves a process or action of adding something to the original item and is typically followed by a single preposition such as “of” or “to.” Although the addition definition is often found when discussing math calculations, the add-on can be to almost anything imaginable. Addition can also be used when two physical items are joined, resulting in an enlargement of the original item or space.

Examples of using addition in a sentence:

• The city’s addition of 100 buses will guarantee more availability of seating for the daily commute. (imagined joining)
• Jamie was a welcome addition to the poker game on Friday night because he is wealthy. (tangible to intangible)
• Research shows that children can quickly learn addition and subtraction by using flashcards. (mathematics)
• Adelaide’s home renovation included the addition of two new bedrooms and a sun deck. (joining two physical items)

 

When To Use Edition

The definition of edition shows it is an English noun used in editing, broadcasting or publishing. Edition is used to reference a specific version or publication of a book, article or other text, and the term is generally, but not always, followed by the preposition “of.” Edition is also used to discuss an edited or published document with an anticipated publication date, to denote the total number of available copies of a single publication, to specify a single revision or to talk about a specific news program.

Examples of using edition in a sentence:

• Andrew Cornwell scoured the used bookstores for a first edition of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” (a limited print date)
• Lauren preferred the printed weekly edition of the newspaper over the internet version. (a specific weekly publication)
• To celebrate its 30th-anniversary on-air edition, ABC News held a gathering in Times Square. (aired program)
• Potter fans anticipate Rawlings’ new limited edition to the Potterverse, even though the book will only be available for 30 days. (single publication with limited-run date)
• Stephen King’s storylines contain many editorial notes before a television edition can be broadcast. (revisions to original)

 

Addition vs. Edition: They Are Commonly Confused

If you are still confused about the homophones addition vs. edition, here is another trick you can use to differentiate the two words: Anytime you want to write about “adding” one thing to another, use addition. If you are writing about news, books or other publications, use edition.

If you have other English words or phrases that confuse you, comment below and let us help you clarify them. We love to come up with interesting examples!

When writing SEO content using AP Style guidelines, understanding how to report AP style time and dates can be critical to conveying accurate and complete information to readers. The following guide can help you more fully understand some of the more complicated rules.

 

 

A.D.

A.D. is used when referring to anno Domini or the year of the Lord. Using A.D. to represent the time is acceptable in all references. The full term with year would not read in the year of the Lord 99 as it’s not common and may not be understood by many people. Instead, use A.D. 99.

Do not use the eighth century A.D because it is repetitive. Stating the eighth century is appropriate. Time is presumed to be A.D. if not specified otherwise.

 

B.C.

B.C. should be used when referring to the time period before Christ.

The full reference would be in the year 99 before Christ, but the acceptable abbreviation is B.C., which is placed after the year: 99 B.C.

 

Century, Centuries

Unless used when referring to a proper name, use century in lowercase.

Spell numbers out if under 10: the second century, the 35th century.

When using lowercase to report centuries, spell out any numbers from zero to nine: seventh century.

When reporting proper names, adhere to the organization’s treatment: 21st Century Fox

Figures from 10 and over should be written as numbers: 43rd century.

 

Dates, Decades and Years

Dates are reported using Arabic figures. Do not use nd, rd, st or th.

Proper usage: Jan. 6, 2008, Class of ’88, the 1990s.

Refer to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, as 9/11.

Use a comma after the year when referring to month, date and year in a story.

 

Days of the Week

Capitalize the days of the week and refer to the full name of the day in your stories: Monday, Wednesday, etc.

Exception: When using a tabular format, it is acceptable to refer to three-letter abbreviations for the days of the week: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri and Sat. Do not use periods after abbreviations in tabs.

 

Historical Periods and Events

Widely recognized names of epochs in geology, anthropology, history and archaeology should be capitalized: the Dark Ages, the Pliocene Epoch, the Bronze Age.

Popular names for events or periods that are widely recognized should also be capitalized: the Boston Tea Party, the Great Depression, the Atomic Age, the Civil War.

When referring to a century, use lowercase: the 20th century.

Capitalize the adjectives or proper nouns in period general descriptions: classical Rome, the fall of Rome, ancient Greece, the Victorian era.

If the information about the period or event is not listed, use Webster’s New World College Dictionary capitalization examples. Use lowercase entries if the dictionary lists the format as acceptable.

 

Months

All uses of the names of months should be capitalized. If your story or article uses a specific date, spell out the month when used alone or with a year. When designating the months Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec., an abbreviation is acceptable.

If reporting a month and year, do not use a comma to separate the year.

When the reference is a month, day and year, use commas after the year in the sentence.

Month references in tabular form should use three-letter abbreviations. Do not use a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

Examples:

• June 2018 was a hot month.
• Aug. 8 was the hottest day of the year.
• Rick’s birthday is April 7.
• The sergeant listed Jan. 12, 2011, as the target date.
• The judge ordered depositions for Tuesday, Oct. 5, right after lunch.

 

 

Time Element

When writing news stories, do not use tonight or today. Refer to the day of the week.

Write out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc., when referring to the days that are within seven days of the current date, either before or after.

When appropriate, use the month with a figure. See the section for “Months” above.

Prevent redundancies in reporting such as last Monday or next Monday. The tense surrounding the verb, such as the present, past or future, will generally indicate which Monday the story is referring to: Her job ended Monday evening. Jake will order pizza on Tuesday.

Awkward time element placements should be avoided, especially when suggesting a day of the week as the object of a transitive verb: The court arrested Wednesday.

Rephrasing, using on or moving the time element can be used as potential remedies to correct the phrase.

 

Time of Day

Most stories don’t require an exact time of day to express when an event will happen or has happened. However, there are occasions when a time of day should be reported specifically and in a particular format.

Specifying Time

Specify the time when it offers the reader a clear picture of the scene. For example, were people at home when the earthquake occurred, or were they at work? Although reporting a clock reading in each datelined community may add information, it is more illustrative to use descriptors such as rush hour traffic or pre-dawn hours.

If time is a critical element in the story, specify the moment. For example, what time will the moon set? When will the president address the nation? What is the kidnapper’s deadline?

Using Clock Time

When reporting a clock reading in a datelined community, use the time in that area.

If there is no dateline in the story, report the clock time where the event took place or will occur.

Exception: When using a tabular listing or reporting a nationwide story involving radio or television programs, specify when the program will be broadcast using Eastern time. Follow the noted time with EST or EDT and specify the clock time in a separate paragraph when the program will be aired in the different time zones if it is practical to do so. If the nationwide program will be simultaneously broadcast across time zones, note that as well.

Abbreviating Zones

Only use the zone abbreviation of EST, EDT or PST after a specific clock time if:

• The story refers to specific times involving travel or other activities affecting people in more than a single time zone. Examples may include a televised speech or a court building’s closing hours.
• The item reported involves radio or television programs.
• The advisory item is meant for editors.
• There is no dateline on the item.

Converting Time

Report the actual time zone within the continental United States in your story rather than converting clock times to Eastern time. If a high interest is expected from different areas, add PST, CDT, etc., so readers can determine the equivalent of their local time.

If the story is from outside the United States and time is critical to your narrative, provide an Eastern time zone conversion following this format: The plane reportedly crashed at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. EDT) yesterday.

 

 

Time Zones

When writing stories reporting about a particular time zone, capitalize the full name: Central Standard Time, Eastern Standard Time, Eastern Daylight Time, etc.

Stories written in short form should use lowercase time zone designations, except for the region: Mountain time, Eastern time zone, etc.

If there is no clock time reported, spell time zone out: San Francisco is in the Pacific time zone.

When stories refer to time zones within Mexico, Canada or the United States, it is acceptable to use the abbreviations of EST, CDT, etc., on the first reference when a clock reading is linked: 10 a.m. PST, noon CDT. (No commas are used to set off the abbreviations.)

Spell out time zone references that are not within the contiguous United States: If the rocket blast occurred at noon EDT, it would have taken place at 1 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time, and the Alaskan people would have witnessed the event at 8 a.m. Alaska Standard Time.

GMT

Universal Time, or Greenwich Mean Time, is an exception to the AP guide’s spelled-out format. It is acceptable to add the abbreviation of GMT if a clock reading is used on the second reference.

The time kept by the atomic clock can also be referred to as Universal Time Coordinated, or UTC.

 

Today, Tonight

Use the day of the week instead of using tonight or today in your news stories. The only exception is when referring to general phrases with no specific day or within direct quotations: Customs seen as acceptable today are much different than those from a century ago.

It is acceptable in some writing narrative types to use this morning, tonight, today and this afternoon when referring to the weekday would be awkward.

Example:

• Writing an internal company memo: Jack Jones became vice president of human resources at noon today.
• Writing a public announcement: Jack Jones became vice president of human resources at noon on Friday.

 

Years

When referring to a day and month within the current year, omit the year: The court convened on March 22.

Include the year when writing about a future or past year, and set it off with commas: Sep. 10, 2028, is the anticipated target date.

To indicate the span of centuries or decades, use a lowercase S without apostrophes: the 1900s, the 1750s.

There is an exception to the general rule about starting a sentence with numbers when writing about years: 2020 was not a particularly good year.

 

Just in the Nick of AP Style Time

Hopefully, this AP style time and date guide helped you kill time. The rules are nuanced and a little difficult to get used to at first, but with practice and by continually referencing this guide, you’ll learn them in no time. Which section helped you this most? Comment below!

 

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This AP style coronavirus topical guide was created in accordance with AP Stylebook guidelines. The entries listed can help you produce informative and accurate articles about the coronavirus, COVID-19 and associated topics.

 

Coronaviruses

There is a virus family known as coronaviruses that include many types of individual viruses. These viruses have spikes protruding from their surface that reminded researchers of a crown, thus the name meaning “crown virus.”

The individual viruses can affect both people and animals with a wide variety of symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening. The viruses can cause common colds, MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and COVID-19.

Referring to a singular coronavirus should only occur in headlines and in such instances: Susan was anxious over coronavirus safety issues.

In all other cases, include the article the.

• Correct: The mayor stated the coronavirus cases are rising.
• Incorrect: Susan was anxious about coronavirus.

COVID

Never refer to the coronavirus as only COVID unless you are quoting someone or using the term as a proper name.

COVID-19

COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019, is the latest disease discovery in the coronavirus family and is believed to have first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

Common COVID-19 symptoms include coughing, trouble breathing, fever, a sore throat, loss of smell or taste, and muscle pain. People with prior medical conditions may develop more life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia.

When writing stories about COVID-19, using the general term the coronavirus as an initial reference is acceptable. However, although the phrasing implies a single virus instead of a disease, the context usage clarifies the confusion. Other first references that are acceptable when talking about the virus include the new virus or a new coronavirus.

Use COVID-19 when referring to the disease that is caused by the virus. It is not correct to write COVID-19 spreads through the air, because COVID-19 is not the virus. Instead, write the coronavirus spreads through the air. 

When writing about COVID-19 or the science behind the disease, clear and concise distinctions are important. Rather than use general references or terms, be specific.

SARS

When reporting on specific coronaviruses, it is acceptable to first refer to the disease as SARS, as long as the 2003 Asian virus is identified later in the article as severe acute respiratory syndrome.

When referring to SARS-CoV-2, it’s acceptable to say the virus that causes COVID-19 and the COVID-19 virus. Do not say a new virus called COVID-19, because COVID-19 is the disease, not the virus.

MERS

MERS can be used as a first reference for the 2012 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome once the disease’s name is spelled out later in the article.

 

Antibodies

The human body has an immune response known as antibodies that fight infection. By using a blood test to identify different types of antibodies, traces of previous infections within the body can be detected. Current or active infections are not easily identified using a blood test, but there are other tests that can better recognize those active illnesses or diseases.

• Ex: The body immediately employs antibodies to combat infections before they can be detected using blood tests.

 

Anti-inflammatory

An anti-inflammatory is a product or drug used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation within the human body. The most popular types are NSAIDs.

• Ex: Since inflammation in joints can cause immense pain, over-the-counter NSAIDs are a popular anti-inflammatory remedy.

 

Antiseptic, Disinfectant

Antiseptics are used on living things to remove or kill germs. Disinfectants kill germs on inanimate objects. The correct adjective is disinfectant, not disinfecting.

• Ex: Children love using brightly colored hand sanitizing antiseptic products.
• Ex: The school used a disinfectant bleach on chairs and countertops.

 

Antiviral (n., adj.), antivirus (adj.)

When referring to antiviral or antivirus, no hyphen is needed. In general terms, use antivirus, but when using medical references, refer to antiviral.

• Ex: The antivirus controls were difficult to implement.
• Ex: The antiviral drug production date was pushed back for the second time.

 

Asymptomatic

Avoid medical jargon when possible. Rather than refer to the term asymptomatic, use phrases such as without symptoms or no symptoms.

• Ex: Although Phillip felt no symptoms, he was sure he was suffering from the flu for the third time that season.

 

Bandanna

The bandanna is a square of fabric made popular during cattle drives in America after the Civil War.

• Ex: Two Colorado residents were wearing bandannas as face coverings.

 

Cancel, Canceled, Canceling, Cancellation

When something is canceled, it is made void. When writing for American publications, use cancel, canceled, canceling, and cancellation.

• Ex: The reporter announced the rally was canceled due to rain.

 

CARES Act

Unless you are quoting a direct reference to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, avoid mentioning the CARES Act. When referring to the United State’s $2.2 trillion aid package for workers and businesses, use expressions such as the coronavirus aid bill, the coronavirus relief bill or the coronavirus rescue package. Do not refer to the relief money as stimulus aid, because the bill was issued to replace money lost in the economic collapse caused by the coronavirus shutdown, not stimulate the economy.

• Ex: Senators battled long into the night to come to an agreement over the coronavirus aid bill.

 

Cases

Do not refer to people as cases when reporting the coronavirus, and refrain from the redundant and incorrect phrase positive cases.

• Incorrect: Forty positive cases were reported yesterday.
• Correct: Forty people tested positive yesterday.

 

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on first reference for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services department located in Atlanta. Clarify with preceding terms such as federal, national or U.S. as needed. Using CDC upon further reference is acceptable, but use a singular verb.

• Ex: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closed for a long weekend. Posted window signs noted the CDC will open for regular business hours on Tuesday morning.

 

Contagion

Do not use the phrase contagion in your writing. Illness, virus or disease are usually better to use.

• Ex: News of the illness and related symptoms quickly spread across the village thanks to the hometown newspaper.

 

Contact Tracing

Contact tracing is the process of monitoring or tracking people thought to be in close proximity to someone known to be infected with a disease. Do not place the term in quotation marks. If using the phrase as a modifier, include a clarifying hyphen.

• Ex: The government’s contract-tracing program gained momentum.

When possible, rephrase or add variety with terms such as close contact or close proximity.

• Ex: The agency is working to identify individuals who came into close contact with Sam Jones at the nursing home.

 

Data

General use of the term data for large audiences or journalism contexts uses singular pronouns and verbs. When reporting or writing for academic or scientific papers, use plural pronouns and verbs.

• Ex: The New York Post’s data is sound.
• Ex: The National Academy of Sciences reported data signifiers about the different coronavirus symptoms.

Use database and databank as one-word identifiers, but data processing (as both a noun and adjectives) and data center without hyphens.

• Ex: The New York coronavirus data center was overwhelmed with new patient information in March.

 

Death, Die

When individuals die, report the death. Euphemisms such as passed away, passed on or departed soul should be avoided except in direct quotes.

• Ex: When John McCain died, foreign dignitaries attended the funeral.

 

Diseases

Common names for diseases should never be capitalized. This includes leukemia, cancer, hepatitis, emphysema, etc. If referring to a disease known by a geographical area or a person’s name, only capitalize the referring proper noun, such as Parkinson’s disease or West Nile virus.

Avoid generic or victimizing reporting such as: John is a stroke victim, and his wife is battling COVID-19. Instead, use more precise terms.

• Ex: Joe had a stroke, and Suzannah has esophageal cancer.

 

Distances, Time Periods

Distances are represented by numerals.

• Ex: Stay 6 feet apart when standing in line.

Numbers under 10 referring to months, days, years or weeks are spelled out.

• Ex: The cough lasted eight days.

 

Distance Learning (n., adj.)

Distance learning is a phrase denoting education using computers at home instead of attending in-school classrooms. No hyphen is required.

• Ex: Sonny signed up for three distance learning classes.

 

Doctor

Use the designation Dr. or Drs. (plural) in the first reference before the name of a professional individual that holds a medical or dental doctoral degree. This includes doctor of medicine, doctor of pediatric medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of dental surgery, and doctor of veterinary medicine.

• Ex: Dr. Deborah Birx held a press conference yesterday to discuss the pandemic.

While other individuals may hold doctorate degrees, do not use the title of Dr. before their name. Instead, note the person’s credentials or expertise when referencing them. Use as many details as necessary.

• Ex: John Jones’ degree in immunology uniquely qualified him to lead a virology team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Drive-thru

The action of staying inside your vehicle, moving through the area, and still receiving information, services or goods is known as a drive-thru process. Hyphenate in all instances.

• Ex: The drive-thru pharmacy only had three cars in line.

 

Epidemic, Pandemic

Epidemic and pandemic should not be used interchangeably, so look to public health official declarations to identify which to report. A disease that spreads rapidly through an area or group is called an epidemic, but when an epidemic spreads worldwide, it is referred to as a pandemic. Do not use the term global pandemic, because it is redundant.

• Ex: The World Health Organization identified COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

 

Exposure

Exposure occurs from close proximity to or coming into contact with a substance considered harmful. That exposure can lead to illness or infection. People are never tested for exposure to the virus. Individuals are tested to see if they are infected with the virus.

• Ex: To prevent exposure to the newly discovered disease, people began to work from home and shop online.

 

Front Line(s) (n.), Front-line (adj.)

When using front line, differentiate the adjective from the noun with a hyphen.

• Ex: Front-line doctors wore personal protective equipment to shield themselves from exposure to the disease.

 

Good Samaritan

A good Samaritan is someone who stops to help another person in distress. Always capitalize Samaritan because the name represents a geographical location.

• Ex: The good Samaritan rescued the kitten from the tree.

 

 

Hand-washing

The importance of hand-washing to eliminate the spread of viruses came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic. Include a hyphen.

• Ex: The doctor suggested hand-washing can prevent the spread of the virus.

 

Health Care

When reporting on health care, always use two words.

• Ex: The health care office opened early Monday morning for vaccination appointments.

 

Home schooling (n.), Home-schooler (n.), Home-school (v.), Home-schooled (adj.)

Only the noun home schooling does not carry a hyphen.

• Ex: Alexandra’s parents decided to home-school their gifted child.

 

Hot Spot

A hot spot is an area with a sudden rise in numbers of an identified disease or infection.

• Ex: The clusters mentioned by WHO were consider infectious disease hot spots.

 

Hydroxychloroquine

Hydroxychloroquine has been used for decades to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. During the early days of the COVID-19 spread, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine to treat the disease. The authorization was rescinded on June 15, 2020, but doctors still have access to the drug and can still treat patients for alternate issues and for COVID-19 using an off-label prescription.

• Ex: Dora Mae took hydroxychloroquine for two weeks as part of a treatment plan for malaria.

 

Incubation Period

An illness’s incubation period is the length of time between the first contact with an infectious person and the appearance of the disease or the onset of symptoms.

• Ex: Doctors warn the incubation period of the new coronavirus is two weeks.

 

Isolation, Self-isolation, Quarantine

There can be confusion when using the terms quarantine and isolation interchangeably, but in terms of common usage, it is permitted in AP stories when discussing the pandemic.

It should be noted that the CDC distinguishes between the two. A quarantine restricts the actions or movements of individuals thought to be exposed to a disease. The quarantine provides time to see if the person presents symptoms. On the other hand, isolation is the act of separating already sick individuals from healthy people in a way that prevents contact or the spread of disease. Self-isolation occurs when individuals voluntarily remove themselves from society while indications or symptoms of an illness are present.

• Ex: Individuals exposed to COVID-19 are asked to self-isolate for two weeks.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines quarantine in broader terms that include restrictions of movement, passage or travel to prevent contagious infections, illnesses or diseases from spreading.

• Ex: The panel discussed implementing a quarantine but dismissed the idea as too extreme given the limited information available at the time.

 

Lock down (v.), Lockdown (n., adj.)

When reporting information about either a lockdown or lock down, take care to define what you mean in the article. The word usage should not be left to individual interpretation.

• Ex: Three states requested their citizens lock down for two weeks.

 

Masks, Respirators, Ventilators

Although there are differences between masks, respirators and ventilators, the average reader may not differentiate the terms when reading an article.

An N95 mask, for example, is a cup-shaped mask that covers the mouth and nose and filters the air. Health care and construction workers typically use N95 masks. Technically, N95 masks are respirators, but AP prefers the term masks to avoid confusion.

N95 masks are different from surgical masks, which are loosely worn over the mouth and nose.

A ventilator is a type of machine used to help people breathe. It is acceptable to use breathing machine. 

 

Medical Job Titles

Using scientific or medical titles when writing can be cumbersome or lead to confusion, so avoid the terms whenever possible. Instead, identify an individual’s expertise in simple terms.

Instead of epidemiologist, use public health researcher.

Instead of pulmonologist, use lung specialist.

Instead of virologist, use virus expert.

If mentioning a government title in your article, use the complete job title.

• Ex: The conference announced that state Epidemiologist Mira Sanchez would be the guest speaker.

 

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (CDC term); Multisystem Inflammatory Disorder in Children and Adolescents (WHO term)

Both multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and multisystem inflammatory disorder in children and adolescents should be avoided when following AP style. As an alternative, refer to the conditions as a rare inflammatory syndrome (or condition) linked to the coronavirus and occurring in children.

• Ex: The CDC stressed that the number of children affected by the rare inflammatory condition is still unknown.

 

National Institutes of Health

There are 27 specialized institutes that make up the National Institutes of Health. As the principal biomedical research arm for the Department of Health and Human Services for the United States federal government, the National Institutes of Health should always be capitalized. It is acceptable to use NIH for a second reference.

• Ex: The National Institutes of Health issued a joint letter of concern about the coronavirus.

 

Nonessential

An item that is not necessary is considered nonessential. Treat as a single word and do not hyphenate.

• Ex: The use of antibacterial spray after a shower was considered nonessential.

 

Patient

An individual that has been or is currently being treated by a medical professional is considered a patient. Since most people who contract the virus never seek medical help and never become hospitalized, avoid referring to individuals in the general population as patients.

• Ex: The hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were kept in an isolated wing to prevent the disease’s possible spread.

 

Pathogen

Due to possible confusion, avoid using the term pathogen. Use viruses or bacteria instead, depending on the context. Germs or bugs are acceptable only as generic terms.

• Ex: Hand-washing was shown to diminish the spread of the virus.

 

Percent, Percentage, Percentage Points

Care should be taken when reporting percent, percentage and percentage points because of possible confusion.

When reporting percentage with a numeral, use the % sign without a space.

• Ex: The stock market was up 4.7%, to the surprise of most economists.

Sentence constructions using the % sign should use the singular verb when they stand alone. Use the % sign if an of construction follows a singular word, too.

• Ex: The teacher said 65% is considered a failing grade.
• Ex: The school reported that 75% of the sorority was at the rally.

However, use a plural verb following the of construction and a plural word.

• Ex: The school reported that 75% of the sorority sisters were at the rally.

Avoid using percentages at the beginning of sentences. If unavoidable, spell out the full term.

• Ex: Ninety-eight percent of babies are born without teeth.

When reporting percentages, do not use fractions, and when reporting ranges, it is acceptable to use 10%-18%, 10% to 18% and between 10% and 18%.

• Ex.: The housing mortgage rate continues to drop below 3.6%.
• Ex.: New home buyers grew in number in March from 6% to between 8% and 9%.

Avoid reader confusion between percentage and percent. When not used with a number, use percentage.

• Ex.: The percentage of people waiting in line for testing grew quickly.

Percentage point and percent are also confused. A change from 10% to 15% is a five-point rise, or a change of 5 percentage points. This is not the same as a 5% change. It’s actually a 50% increase.

• Ex.: He was shocked when the news reported the 30% increase in virus spread.

Take care when reporting percentage points.

• Correct: The voter turnout rose by a 0.34 percentage point.
• Incorrect: The voter turnout rose by 0.34 of percentage points.
• Incorrect: The voter turnout rose by 0.34 of a percentage point.

Don’t use numbers and figures when casually reporting percentages — use words instead.

• Ex: She has a zero percent chance of winning.

 

 

Personal Protective Equipment

Equipment used to minimize personal exposure to hazards that cause illnesses or injuries is referred to as personal protective equipment. Refrain from using PPE when possible. If directly quoting an individual, identify the phrase by spelling it out later in the article.

• Ex: Cleaning the asbestos out of the basement required personal protective equipment.

 

Preventive

Use preventive, not preventative. 

• Ex: Doctors discovered it only took a small dose of the preventive medicine to thwart the illness.

 

Reopen

When mentioning the reopening of a closed building or business, do not hyphenate the term.

• Ex: The notice stated the gym would reopen on Monday morning.

 

Remdesivir

Developed by Gilead Sciences, remdesivir is an experimental antiviral medicine approved for emergency use on COVID-19 patients by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Used only within hospitalized settings, the drug is given intravenously. Since remdesivir is not a brand name of the medicine, do not capitalize the term.

• Ex: The doctor ordered a remdesivir IV catheter for the seriously ill patient.

 

Risk

Risk that occurs within one group when compared to the risk associated with other groups is referred to as relative risk. Scientific studies often express the number in ratios or fractions. When no specific difference is mentioned, the ratio is assumed to be 1. If your reference study states the relative risk of getting COVID-19 for a group of children in the United States is 1.5 times more likely compared to children in England, report specific numbers. In this case, children in England would be 50% less likely to get COVID-19 than children in the United States. Don’t refer to how likely the individuals would be to get the disease unless you know the absolute risk data.

The risk of something occurring is referred to as an absolute risk. When reporting absolute risk numbers or percentages, include both views for a complete story. You do not need to refer to the term absolute risk. For example, reporting that a drug may extend a person’s life by 50% (the relative risk) may sound impressive, but the actual numbers may mean that someone may live six months after having medical treatments instead of four months on average without those treatments.

 

Shelter in Place (v.), Shelter-in-Place (adj.)

Individual interpretations of the terms shelter-in-place or shelter in place can differ widely, so explain what you mean.

• Ex: The governor authorized a shelter-in-place order to begin before Christmas.
• Ex: Many people decided to shelter in place for 10 days.

 

Shutdown (n.), Shut Down (v.)

Use shutdown (one word) as the noun form and shut down (two words) as the verb. Never hyphenate these phrases.

• Ex: The 10-day business shutdown was mandatory.
• Ex: The bakery shut down per the governor’s mandate.

 

Social Distancing, Socially Distancing

When reporting on social distancing or socially distancing individuals, no hyphens or quotation marks are needed.

• Ex: Social distancing is required when shopping in a grocery store.
• Ex: The family members have been socially distancing for two weeks.

Social distancing generally involves efforts to restrict gatherings of individuals. The main goal of the action is to slow or stop an infectious disease spread. Restrictions can include remaining 6 feet from other individuals, limiting the gathering number of people in events or homes, closing classrooms, shutting down or limiting public transportation, etc.

• Ex: Masks are required inside federal buildings, and all participants are asked to social distance.

Since social distancing is widely used and commonly known, there is no need to define the context. If new limitations or steps are required for the focus of the article, spell those steps out.

 

Stay at Home (v.), Stay-at-Home (adj.)

Use stay at home (no hyphen) for the verb form. The hyphen is necessary when used as a compound adjective: stay-at-home.

• Ex: To comply with the stay-at-home request, Louise began working from home.
• Ex: It was difficult for many people to stay at home and limit their shopping to once a week.

 

Telecommute, Telecommuting, Telecommuter

One of the significant changes society has experienced during the pandemic is the number of people that now work from home. Use telecommute, telecommuting and telecommuter when referring to working from home.

• Ex: The mayor tried to telecommute whenever possible but still found herself going to work three days a week.

 

Teleconference, Teleconferencing

A computer or telephone conference with participants in various locations is a teleconference.

• Ex: James went online to schedule a teleconference with his doctor when he developed a cough.

 

Telemedicine

When doctors see patients remotely because they cannot be physically present, the practice is known as telemedicine.

• Ex: The insurance allowed telemedicine calls due to the governor’s stay-at-home order.

 

Travel, Traveled, Traveling, Traveler

When reporting on movement, use travel, traveled, traveling or traveler.

• Ex: The American traveler was asked to quarantine for 14 days when he arrived in Ireland during the pandemic.

 

Underlying Conditions, Preexisting Conditions

Underlying conditions or preexisting conditions can leave readers confused when discussing COVID-19 and related death or illnesses. Use terms such as other health problems or existing health conditions to clarify the situation. Do not use a hyphen for preexisting conditions unless it is a direct quote.

• Ex: The health insurance no longer covered existing health conditions.
• Ex: Hospitalization was necessary due to several other health problems impacting his lungs.

 

Videoconference, Videoconferencing, Video Chat

Do not use hyphens for videoconference, videoconferencing or video chat.

• Ex: The video chat was deemed a failure when the system only allowed eight participants.

 

Virus’s

Virus’s is the singular possessive of virus. Do not use virus’.

• Ex: The virus’s spread through his neighborhood led Nigel Jones to self-isolate.

 

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is based in Geneva. It is a United Nations health agency that sets international guidelines regarding treating global diseases and outbreaks. Refer to the extended name on first use, then second and further references can use WHO or the WHO.

• Ex: The World Health Organization issued alerts about the spread of virulent diseases.

 

If you cover stories related to the coronavirus and COVID-19, use this AP style coronavirus topical guide as a trusted reference. We’ll continue to update it as the AP Stylebook makes changes related to common usage. Don’t forget to check out our other blogs about AP style basics.

 

As a child in middle school, I remember struggling when I wanted to understand how to correctly use who vs. whom. My heart was broken every time I got an essay back with a big red circle around whom. Still, I was determined to use the terms correctly, so I kept trying. It took some time to understand the differences, but now that I do, I want to share a few secrets I have collected about how to use who or whom in sentences. Read on to discover some who vs. whom examples that can help you in your writing.

 

Who vs. Whom at a Glance

Almost everyone struggles with understanding when to use who vs. whom in their writing, even long-time English speakers or active bloggers with millions of followers. The secret is the word placement in a sentence.

* Who is a pronoun, but it is a subjective pronoun. Who refers to a verb as the subject in a sentence and is the action mover or achiever.

* Whom is also a pronoun, but it is an objective pronoun. Whom replaces the object in a sentence, which means whom receives the sentence’s action.

* Exception: Use whom at the beginning of your sentence or compound clause if it is after a preposition or if it is a part of formal writing.

 

What’s the Difference Between Who or Whom?

Believe it or not, the easy answer about when to use who vs. whom is their placement in a sentence. If you take a sentence apart, the subject could be “he,” “she” or “I,” and the object could be “him,” “her” or “me.” Since who is a subjective pronoun and whom is an objective pronoun, try replacing the “I,” “me,” “he,” “she,” “him” or “her” in your sentence to find the correct word. Who replaces “he,” “she” or “I,” and whom replaces “him,” “her” or “me.”

There is an exception to the rule that states you should use whom after a preposition or to differentiate formal and informal speech.

 

When To Use Who

Who refers to or replaces the subject of a sentence and is often the first word in a question. You may have to rearrange the sentence structure to find the subject, but you will become a pro after a few attempts.

Examples of using who in a sentence:

• Andrea is the one who wants to leave the noisy party. (She wants to leave.)
• Who set the alarm clock to go off at midnight? (He or she set the alarm.)
• I need to know who made these delicious brownies. (He or she made the brownies.)

 

When To Use Whom

Whom refers to or replaces the verb’s object in a sentence. You will need to rearrange the sentence structure to find the object, then replacing it will be easy.

Examples of using whom in a sentence:

• The letter began, “To whom it may concern.” (The letter concerns him or her.)
• Whom do you want to see win the Oscar nomination? (You want to see him or her.)
• Angel saw a man bent over a flower bed whom she presumed owned the home. (Angel presumed it was him, the homeowner.)

 

The Exception to the Rule About Using Who or Whom

The exception to the rule about when to use who or whom states that whom is used after a preposition in a sentence. Common prepositions include “with,” “against,” “among,” “behind,” “near” and “on.” The exception also applies to using whom to differentiate formal and informal speech in sentences.

Example of the exception to the rule using who or whom:

• The team was disorganized, so it was difficult to determine against whom she was playing. (Against is a preposition.)
• Samantha wasn’t sure with whom she would ride to the concert. (With is a preposition.)
• To whom do you wish to speak? (Formal sentence)
• Who do you want to speak to? (Informal sentence)

 

Using Who vs. Whom – They Are Commonly Confused

If you are still confused, even with all the who vs. whom examples, I have a secret you can use to distinguish between the two words in your writing. If you can replace who with he or she in your sentence and it makes sense, use who. If the sentence only makes sense when you replace the word who or whom with him or her, then use whom.

Yes, knowing when to use who vs. whom can be confusing, but these examples and hints should help you clarify their placement in your writing. If you have any other words or phrases that confuse you, let us know. Just comment below, and we will be glad to help!

When I watched “Grease” for the first time, I fell in love with the music and wanted to stand up and dance when “Born to Hand Jive” came on. That was my first experience with the word jive, and I had no idea what the word meant. Now I do, and I want to share it with you. So, let’s discover the differences between the words jibe vs. jive, and learn how to use them in sentences.

 

Jibe vs. Jive at a Glance

When words aren’t familiar, it can be difficult to identify how to use them correctly in your writing. Jibe vs. jive are two such words. Here is some basic information on each of them to help ease your possible confusion.

• Jibe is both a noun and a verb. It can mean to taunt, agree with or move rapidly.

• Jive can be used as a noun, verb or adjective. It refers to foolish talk, being a phony person and a style of movement.

 

What’s the Difference Between Jibe and Jive?

Yes, jibe and jive are confused all the time, but the jibe vs. jive definition are very different from one another. If you are referring to boats or mean verbal taunts, use jibe. When blogging to your followers about a dance or crazy hipster phase, use jive. Jive also describes foolish conversation.

 

When To Use Jibe

You can use the verb jibe in three different ways. The most common use of jibe is when referring to comments or thoughts not agreeing with someone else’s ideas. You can also use the word when you are writing about one person taunting another in a disrespectful way.

If you are blogging about a sailing incident that involves sudden, forceful movement, you can also use jibe.

Examples of using jibe in a sentence:

• Her explanation doesn’t jibe with what the other diners said about the chef’s accident.
• The men yelled jibes as Melinda walked by the construction site.
• The sail jibed and almost thrust the boat off course with the sudden movement.

 

When To Use Jive

Jive can be used as a noun, verb or adjective. As a noun, jive refers to foolish talk or deceptive conversation, but it can also refer to a type of dance performed to swing music. The verb reference of jive is almost the same as when used as a noun; again, it means talking foolishly, being deceptive, and moving in a specific way to swing music. When using jive as an adjective, it refers to someone or something that is phony.

Examples of using jibe in a sentence:

• As he shouted louder to draw attention, the crowd shook their heads and dispersed as they recognized his jive talk.
• You can’t count on Donald for accurate information because he jives everyone.
• They went from swing dancing to hand jiving, and the crowd cheered.
• Jeremy lied to his boss too many times, so his jive excuses about being late won’t work anymore.

Jibe vs. Jive Are Commonly Confused

If you are still confused about how to use jibe vs. jive, I have some helpful hints. When referring to a boat or someone being mean, use jibe. If you are writing about someone being phony or a crazy dance movement, use jive. Lastly, when describing two things or ideas that don’t fit together, use jibe. The English language contains many confusing words. If you have some examples of words or phrases that confuse you, comment below. We would love to help you clear that confusion away!

If you want to write a story about an eminent astrologist with an immanent belief in an imminent asteroid strike, think again! Most people get confused when one of these words shows up in a sentence, but using eminent, immanent and imminent together may baffle readers and send them into an imminent mental meltdown. That is because most people don’t know the difference between the three words. If you don’t have a crystal ball to help you through the confusion and you want to know more about how to successfully use eminent vs. immanent vs. imminent, keep reading.

 

Eminent vs. Imminent vs. Immanent at a Glance

If you are confused about the difference between eminent, imminent and immanent, you aren’t alone. Some adjectives are seldom used in general writing, and these are three of them. To help clarify the confusion you may have about the words, check out the following definitions.

* Eminent refers to a distinguished, respected or famous individual. However, it can also describe an object when emphasizing a uniquely positive quality.

* Imminent means something is about to happen, usually threatening. It states an event is looming.

* Immanent can describe something inherent, but it can also refer to an inner mental state, dwelling within, or something restricted to the mind.

 

What’s the Difference Between Eminent and Imminent and Immanent?

Although the words eminent, imminent and immanent look much alike, they have very different meanings. When writing about a respected individual, use eminent. If you are blogging about a threatening situation, use imminent. Writing about a mental state of mind or a condition surrounding God, use immanent.

 

When To Use Eminent

When a person stands out or has achieved something in their field that surpasses many others, they are said to be eminent individuals. This term is most commonly used in scholarly fields or government departments. Eminent can also refer to an object’s extraordinary qualities.

Examples of using eminent in a sentence:

• An eminent university professor held classes all week, but there was standing room only for the lectures. (renowned scholar)
• The military referred to the four-star general as an eminent state department favorite. (famous)
• The violin’s eminent tones reverberated through the theater, causing many to weep. (extraordinary sound)

 

When To Use Imminent

Imminent is often associated with the pain, dread or danger of an event that is about to happen. When writing about an impending incident, imminent can also refer to a threatening situation.

Examples of using imminent in a sentence:

• Joy’s husband paced the hospital floor as he waited for the imminent news about her car accident. (painful event)
• The hurricane was declared a class four as the imminent winds finally hit, reaching 150 mph. (dangerous event)
• Volcanologists believed the west coast was in imminent danger of a historic eruption. (threatening event)
• The kitchen fire became imminent when the cooking grease in the pan burst into flames. (impending event)

 

When To Use Immanent

When writing about a mental state of being, something inherent, or having to do with God’s existence in the universe, use immanent. The secret here is to remember the focus of immanent is inside the individual. Did you notice that immanent contains the word “man” while the other two do not? You can use that clue to identify something inside man or having to do with God when trying to decide which of the three words to use. Let’s keep that little secret to ourselves, okay?

Examples of using immanent in a sentence:

• The divine mystery of humanity is thought to be immanent within each individual. (mental state)
• Goddesses and gods are immanent in Roman literature. (inherent)
• Most people believe in an immanent deity that created the universe in some way. (God within)
• Some individuals focus on the immanent decay of humanity instead of looking at man’s creativity as a positive counterforce. (inner being)
• Many philosophers claim that love is the strongest and most immanent force in the world. (dwelling within)

 

Eminent vs. Imminent vs. Immanent: Bursting the Confusion Bubble

Although eminent vs. imminent vs. immanent are all adjectives, they are very different. Using the clue about the word “man” hidden within immanent can help you quickly identify how to use it. Since eminent is the only one of the three words to begin with an “e,” think of it as famously different, and you can easily differentiate that one, too. That only leaves the dangerous word imminent to stand all alone. Wasn’t that easy?

If you are still struggling to differentiate between eminent vs. imminent vs. immanent, comment below and tell us how we can help. Also, if you have other words that confuse you, let us know in the comment section.

While on vacation, have you ever had the capital idea to visit your nation’s capitol building and wander around the expansive hallways to see if any capital trials are being held there? If you are confused by the use of capital vs. capitol in that introductory sentence, you aren’t alone. Writers often transpose these simple words because of their multiple meanings, which can make understanding any article containing examples of capital and capitol difficult to read. To help you understand when to use which word, let’s clarify the confusion.

 

Capital vs. Capitol at a Glance

English can be a strange language, even to native speakers. With only a single letter to differentiate between capital and capitol, the two words are easy to confuse. Here is some basic information about each word to help you better identify how they can be used.

• Capital is both an adjective and a noun. It can mean important, punishable by death, pertaining to a country’s seat of government, net worth, or a descriptor for uppercase letters.
• Capitol refers to a single or group of buildings used by officials to perform government functions with the help of the legislative body.

 

What’s the Difference Between Capital and Capitol?

Capital and capitol are easily confused, but the capital vs. capitol definitions are very distinct. When writing about a criminal case, someone’s net worth, or the size of letters on the page, use capital. If you are referencing the legislative building in your state or government, use capitol.

 

When To Use Capital

Capital is a noun and an adjective. When you use the term as a noun, it refers to a city within a country that houses the local government. As an adjective, capital can denote wealth, uppercase letters, brilliant ideas, influential works and executable criminal offenses.

Examples of using capital in a sentence:

• The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, a city of approximately 53.77 million people. (capital city)
• Investors need to liquidate their capital before a market crash to stay solvent. (assets or investments)
• Capital letters should be used with care when texting, so you don’t offend people or appear to be shouting. (uppercase letters)
• Jane Goodall had a capital idea about building a gorilla reserve. (brilliant idea)
• Authors often can’t decide which of their novels is their capital (most influential)
• Before being charged with capital punishment, Ted Bundy was tried for more than a dozen crimes. (a crime punishable by death)

 

When To Use Capitol

Capitol is a noun that refers to a state or federal building. Although some large cities have capitol buildings, the term is typically used to reference a building or group of buildings where state or federally appointed legislatures meet. These buildings are set apart for that purpose alone.

Examples of using capitol in a sentence:

• A congressional shouting match inside the capitol building lasted for six hours. (federal legislative building)
• The steps of the state’s capitol were stained with green paint by zealous demonstrators. (state’s governmental building)

 

Clarifying the Capital vs. Capitol Confusion

Here’s a simple trick you can use to understand the difference between capital and capitol. Think of the “o” in the word capitol as a building or circle of buildings. For every other reference requiring capital or capitol in your articles, use the word with an “a.” In other words, when you refer to an important building that government officials use to conduct business, use capitol (remember the “o”). If your article is about criminal punishment, a person’s net worth, a net gain in assets or an excellent idea, use capital (everything else uses the “a”).

Now that you understand the capital vs. capitol confusion, are there any other words or phrases you would like more information or clarification on? If so, comment below. We would love to help you!

Well, it happened again! The English language has thrown another curveball, and it comes in the guise of a simple letter “s” at the end of the word beside. Although beside vs. besides are commonly confused with one another, they are used in very different ways. Let’s gather our notes and make sense of the confusion.

 

Beside vs. Besides at a Glance

* Beside is a preposition. It describes a location and is used to identify next to or close to.

* Besides can be a preposition (most common) or an adverb. When used as a preposition, it carries the meaning of apart from or in addition to. As an adverb, the word’s meaning changes to another thing, moreover, or furthermore.

 

What’s the Difference Between Beside and Besides?

Did you know that beside in old English means “by the side of”? So, use beside when you need to put two items next to each other. Use besides when you are making additions to or exceptions from something you are writing about.

 

When To Use Beside

Whether you are working on a news article or updating your latest blog, it’s quite common to type on your computer and suddenly see the dreaded red line under the word beside. Don’t despair. There is a simple way to remember how to properly use the word because beside allows you to use two nouns in a physical location – side by side. Think of beside as a more formal replacement for “be next to,” and the confusion will instantly vanish. Cookie beside milk, hat beside glove, etc.

Examples of using beside in a sentence:

• Andrew loves to sit beside Rihanna on the bus.
• The tree beside the courthouse looked dead enough to blow over in the wind.
• I always stand my guitar beside my bookcase before bed.

 

Exception to the Beside Rule: Beside the Point

There is an exception to the rule when using beside, which is the phrase beside the point. The idiom means that something is not relevant to the discussion or that it is unimportant. Although many people say besides the point when they speak, it is incorrect.

Examples of using beside the point in a sentence:

• The tomato plants needed sunlight, but that is beside the point. They needed water more.
• Jillian doesn’t like James, but that is beside the point because she doesn’t like most people.
• Walking on the beach to enjoy the sunshine felt almost beside the point because the wind was so cold.

 

When To Use Besides

Since besides can be used as an adverb or a preposition, it is commonly confused with beside. Adding an “s” makes the preposition besides mean in addition to and except, and that is why there is so much confusion. When used as an adverb, besides replaces the formal term moreover.

Examples of using besides in a sentence:

• Andrea had three hamsters and two snakes besides. (and)
• Everyone at that party was arrested besides Sammie. (except for)
• Evan had nothing besides a $10 bill. (only)
• When ordering my meal, I could smell the meat cooking and something else besides. (in addition to)
• I can’t exercise today because I lost my hat. Besides, it’s hailing. (furthermore)
• The cabin kept them dry from the pounding rain but not much besides that. (otherwise or else)

 

Beside vs. Besides Are Opposites

Yes, the English language can be confusing. However, the differences between beside vs. besides are simple if you think of them as opposites. Use beside when you need to put two items together. Use besides when you are making exceptions or adding an exclusion.

If you are still confused about beside vs. besides, please tell us how we can help. Also, if you are trying to figure out any other commonly confused words, let us know in the comments below.

When writing about emotionally charged or violent crimes, it is essential to remain credible, especially if you follow AP Stylebook guidelines. Although accuracy and precision are critical when reporting criminal behavior or accusations of harm, it is often difficult to remain detached. This AP Style criminal charges topical guide is designed to help.

A Guide to AP Style Criminal Charges and Activity

The following topical guide entries were written using AP Stylebook rules.

Accused

Individuals are accused of a crime, not with a crime. Also, to avoid suggested guilt before trial, don’t use inflammatory phrases such as accused killer or accused suspect.

• Ex: Tiny Wilson was accused of kicking the door down when his business partner changed the building’s locks.

 

Allege, Alleged

Use allege or alleged with great care. Allege means something is unproven, so don’t use the term if you know that the event occurred.

Credit the source of the allegation you report if it’s impossible to avoid making an assertion. As a writer, it is essential to avoid all personal allegations and only cite sources that come from an indictment, public official’s statement or arrest record in a criminal case.

If an action is unproven, use alleged action, but remember to state the source. Since alleged can have possible negative connotations, refrain from using alleged victim. Don’t use both alleged and accused together, and choose words such as apparent or reputed when using a qualifier.

• Ex: The mayor’s report alleges there were more than a dozen shooting events in New York’s subway this year.
• Ex: The alleged bribe of the governor’s wife was listed as the cause of divorce in the petition.
• Ex: The apparent suicide was the result of three months of alleged bullying by classmates.

 

Arrest

Prevent pre-judging individuals with phrases such as arrested for drunken driving or arrested for slaying. Instead, use language such as arrested on suspicion of if the charge is not filed yet or arrested on the charge of if charges have been filed.

• Ex: An unnamed teen has been arrested on suspicion of robbery outside the home of California’s new governor.

 

Assassin, Assassination

When a politically prominent or influential religious figure is killed, the killer is known as an assassin. The act of the sudden attack and killing of that individual is considered an assassination.

• Ex: Onlookers say that the assassin slid into the shadows moments after thrusting a knife into the mayor’s chest.
• Ex: The assassination of Cardinal Jerome rocked the city for weeks.

 

Brain-Dead, Brain Death

A person without a viable brain function is considered brain-dead. The event is called brain death.

• Ex: A healthy baby girl was born in a Czech clinic to a brain-dead mother.
• Ex: After having a cardiac arrest episode, the elderly man suffered brain death.

 

Burglary, Larceny, Robbery, Theft

The legal definition of burglary varies between states, but a general definition is that it occurs when an individual enters and unlawfully remains inside of a building with the intent to commit a crime. Breaking and entering is not necessary.

Larceny is a legal term that refers to the action of wrongfully taking someone’s property. The nonlegal references of theft or stealing are more frequently used; however, theft is actually a larceny without the threat of plundering or violence.

When violence or threats are used in the commission of a larceny, the action becomes a robbery. However, the term specifically refers to the act of rifling or plundering another’s property, so robbery can be used when a person who owned the property was not there when the event happened. 

SPECIAL NOTE: Someone can steal personal possessions such as money or cars. Buildings and people can be robbed by removing personal items without permission.

• Ex.: John committed a burglary when he hid in the basement until the shop closed.
• Ex.: The prosecutor charged Susanna Trendel with larceny because she had the priceless watches in her possession when she was arrested.
• Ex.: While Lyle and Sara were away on vacation, their home was robbed. The thieves even stole the children’s piggy banks.
• SPECIAL Ex.: Brian Gunderson accused Jackson Smythe of stealing his wallet during the robbery late last night.

 

Civil Case, Criminal Case

When a contract is breached or an individual is wronged, a civil case can be filed against a business, individual or government agency. That civil lawsuit will seek damages from another business, individual or government agency.

If the federal government or a state charges an individual with a crime, the lawsuit results in a criminal case.

• Ex.: Emma Swanson filed a civil case against Tom Swanky for running his car through her garage door.
• Ex.: The criminal case focused on accused bank robber Liam Jones and his unidentified associate.

 

Clinically Dead, Clinical Death

It is best to avoid using clinical death or clinically dead because those terms don’t come with a standard definition. Although they often mean there are no measurable breath sounds, brainwaves or heartbeats, it is sometimes possible to keep a reported clinical death on machines and later resuscitate the clinically dead person.

Ex: John was rushed to the hospital after experiencing a seizure and was declared dead upon his arrival.

 

Convict, Convicted

When a person is convicted of a crime, he or she becomes a convict. Never use convicted for.

• Ex: Tony Hayes was convicted of brutally slaying his brother over a video game they played in 2020.

 

Drunk, Drunken

The adjective drunk is used after the verb form of to be.

Drunken is used as an adjective before nouns.

See addiction.

• Ex.: Ginger Jones is drunk after imbibing a single shot of tequila.
• Ex.: The drunken man wove his way between parked cars.

 

DUI, DWI

DUI is an abbreviation for the term driving under the influence.

DWI is an acronym for the phrase driving while intoxicated.

Both are acceptable in all references.

See drunk, drunken. 

• Ex.: When the police charged the mayor with DUI, it made all the papers.
• Ex.: Even taking prescription medications can result in a DWI offense.

 

Execute, Execution

Only a court can hand down an order to execute. The person’s life is then taken in a manner approved by that state, government or military branch of service in an event called an execution.

• Ex: Attorneys for Johnson, who has terminal cancer, have asked the Supreme Court to stop the execution so Johnson can die naturally.

 

First Degree, First-Degree

One of three degrees used to judge murders, first degree is the highest. Use a hyphen when first-degree is a compound modifier.

• Ex: The book said it was murder in the first degree.
• Ex: Elroy Stone’s final conviction was first-degree murder.

 

Homicide

A homicide occurs when there is a deliberate killing of one person by another. Although the term homicide covers slaying, killing and manslaughter, the act should not be reported as murder unless the court convicts someone. Instead, report the cause of death using terms that explain the action that led to the death: beating, drowning, stabbing, poisoning, etc. It is appropriate to say that a victim was slain.

• Ex: The death of an Idaho man has been ruled a homicide.

Indict

Avoid using indict or indicted unless reporting that charges were brought in a legal process. Any other use can lead to an appearance of judgment and bias prior to trial.

• Ex: A federal court indicted Matthew LaMoine on a charge of bribery and corruption.

 

Killer

When someone commits a homicide with a motive, they become a killer.

Ex.: Tony became a killer when he shot John six times with a revolver.

 

Lawsuit

The term civil lawsuit is considered redundant. To avoid possible pre-trial judgment or bias, use accused, accusing or accuses when reporting on a lawsuit.

• Ex: In a lawsuit filed by Denzel Jacobson, Mary Ellsworth is accused of using a steel baseball bat to destroy his vehicle’s exterior.

 

Manslaughter

When a death results from an action performed without premeditation or malice, it is classified as manslaughter. This type of homicide is the result of unintentional negligence.

• Ex: Terrance Crawford was charged with manslaughter after the tree he was cutting down fell onto Maisy Dower as she sat in her backyard drinking tea.

 

Murder, Murderer

Murder is the premeditated and violent action of a convicted person that causes the death of an individual. The homicide can occur during a rape, home invasion, fit of rage, etc. Report the action causing the death instead of noting that X was accused of murdering Y. An individual becomes a murderer only after a court convicts him or her of the crime. Remember to specify the type of killing when reporting any kind of murder.

• Ex: Lavinia Jute was convicted of murder in the stabbing death of her best friend, Trisha Cambridge.
• Ex: Charlie Smith became the third murderer in her family yesterday when the court handed down a guilty verdict in her mother’s poisoning.

 

Privacy Rule

Anyone under the age of 18 that has been accused of a crime is considered a juvenile and should not have their names or images published. The same is true for victims of violent crimes such as abuse or sexual assault or juveniles that are witnesses to crimes.

There are some occasions when a regional editor will authorize an exception to the privacy rule, but these are rare and must follow state and national laws. If public safety is in question, a manhunt is underway, or the youth has been charged as an adult, the juvenile’s name may be published.

If the police have published a juvenile’s name because of a possible abduction or other serious offense against the minor and it is later discovered the child was a victim of sexual assault or abuse, refrain from any further identification of that juvenile.

• Ex.: The police have not identified the juvenile kidnapping victim’s name at this time.
• Ex.: After a four-day ordeal, the kidnapper released the seven-year-old child in the Youngstown shopping mall parking lot.

 

Slaying

A slaying occurs when there is an intentional killing of an individual. This action is also known as manslaughter, homicide or murder.

• Ex: The slaying death of Andrew Potter by his grandson came as a complete surprise to all his neighbors.

 

Sue

To avoid possible bias before trial, refrain from using the term sue. Use phrases such as accuses or accusing.

• Ex: Jilly Landon’s agent reported to ZYXQ News that the famous actress is not part of a lawsuit accusing the theater of fraud and libel.

 

Survivor

A survivor can be someone who experienced a traumatic event or an individual who escaped an incident. Use this term with care because of its political and inexact nature. If there is possible confusion, clarify the event’s specificity, the injury or the death.

Groups of survivors are given more leeway than individuals if those reported about were never in any danger of specific death.

• Ex: The reporter rushed to the scene of the avalanche to interview the single survivor.
• Ex: The ceremony honored the survivor, Lonny Tippet, and the firefighters that pulled him from the fire.

Suspect, Suspected

When referring to an individual that authorities have confirmed committed a crime, using the term suspect is incorrect. However, when an individual’s identity is unknown and the authorities believe a person committed a crime, then suspect is correct.

When describing an event, use rapist, robber or killer when appropriate, not suspect. 

• Ex: A fourteen-year-old became the suspect of a larceny investigation after police discovered the teen had $2,000 in his pocket.

 

Victim

The term victim can be confusing and should be used with care. A victim of a crime can endure many types of problems, including being injured, killed or abused. Use clear and concise language to clarify possible confusion.

In a crime report, beware of inherent biases such as alleged victim and avoid any connotations of guilt by using the term accuser instead of victim when referring to the person alleging the crime.

• Ex: The Clearbridge Mall was the site of a mass shooting event on Saturday, and one victim was hit in the leg by a 45-caliber bullet.
• Ex: The accuser claims Jeremy Bernard held her against the wall and tried to steal her purse.

 

AP Style Criminal Charges Clarified

Now that you have access to the essential spellings, definitions and terms used to properly discuss criminal activity under the AP style guidelines, you can confidently cover these difficult topics.

Politics, and especially elections, can spark big emotions that result in writing bias or accidental inaccuracies. To prevent writing mistakes, use this AP style 2020 Elections Topical Guide. We include explanations that can help you generate stories about the 2020 presidential elections in accordance with AP Stylebook rules. A list of recent political terms follows the election guide to help you understand and use the new phrases correctly.

 

Most Common 2020 Presidential Election AP Style Reference Terms

Here are the most commonly used terms referenced in AP style 2020 presidential election stories.

Advance Voting, Absentee Voting, Early Voting, Mail-in Voting

The act of allowing voters in some states to cast ballots before November 3rd is called advance voting. Each electoral system has an advanced voting procedure, including voting in person, absentee voting, or voting by mail.

Absentee voting occurs when someone requests a ballot to be sent to their home because they will not be able to vote in their state of residence on Election Day. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, those states that allow absentee voting permit anyone to request an absentee ballot. Some states are even sending instructions to registered voters on how to request an absentee form. More information can be found at https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020/.

Some electoral systems rely primarily on mail to conduct business. For those states, using terms such as mail-in voting, mailed votes, and mail voting is acceptable.

For states with many voting options, using the preferred phrase advance voting can eliminate reporting bias that early voting may create.

Report voter fraud with care. President Trump claims mail-in voting can cause widespread fraud, but the five states using mail ballots before the 2020 presidential election reported no signs of significant fraud.

Compound modifiers should be hyphenated:

• Ex: According to the governor, advance-voting procedures are well organized this year.
• Ex: The request for mail-in voting forms overwhelmed the office.
• Ex: The number of absentee-ballot votes was expected to be in the millions.

 

AP VoteCast

VoteCast is not an exit poll and should not be referred to as such. Conducted by NORC for the Associated Press at the University of Chicago, VoteCast can be used as a secondary reference when referring to the survey or the poll.

 

Disputed Election

When writing about a disputed victory or a disputed election, use caution. Rely on reputable sources to assess the outcome and specify the report’s completeness and accuracy about the vote count.

Recounts should not automatically be considered disputed territory. Many states have automatically recounted voting areas with close election tallies. Candidates are also allowed to request recounts in many areas.

If one candidate disagrees with the election outcome, do not report it as disputed. If there is evidence of misconduct or fraud, the contest then becomes a disputed election.

• Ex: No one disputed the race, but the vote recount began immediately upon finding there was a difference of fewer than 200 votes between the candidates.
• Ex: When three counties were not included in the state’s final voter tally, Alexander Quinten disputed the outcome of the election.

 

Election Returns

Election returns are typically considered outdated the moment they are published. Use sparingly. Early returns and inaccurate first vote counts are sometimes blamed but don’t rely on initial counts to accurately reflect the winner of the election. There are some states that require weeks to count provisional and advance ballots.

At the conclusion of the race, and once the state is called, describe the candidate’s victory in terms of percentage points instead of exact voting numbers. Report the state of the vote count, not the count itself. Also, since vote counts differ between reports from moment to moment, never state an exact number.

• Ex: When the state called the race last night in Michigan, there were over 4.7 million counted votes, and less than an estimated 20,000 votes between Clinton and Trump.
• Ex: The Wisconsin race was close and resulted in a narrow victory for Trump of approximately 1 percentage point.

 

Electoral College

The United States assigns electoral voters from each state according to the number of residents living within that state. There are 538 members in the Electoral College, which are assigned to equal the number of representatives in the Congress. The District of Columbia is the exception because it has three members in the college but no representatives in the legislature.

To win a presidential race, one party must collect 270 electoral votes. The electoral votes are determined by the state’s election and popular vote numbers. Sometimes the electoral votes are split, but more commonly, the votes are presented to one candidate. Capitalize Electoral College, but use lowercase when citing electoral vote(s).

The electoral system has been split five times since its inception. The latest example was in 2016 when one candidate won the popular vote, and the other candidate won the presidency.

• Ex: The Electoral College decided to wait to cast their electoral votes until after lunch.

 

Exit Poll

When one of the major multi-media sources such as ABC or NBC conducts an in-person survey or interview at the time individuals are leaving the polling area, it is referred to as an exit poll. The exit polls are run by the National Election Pool and are overseen by AP’s Emily Swanson as the director of public opinion research. Swanson must give consent before AP staff can cite or refer to the poll results.

• Ex: The exit polls showed the voters favored the incumbent mayor.

 

Majority, Plurality

The difference between majority and plurality can be significant in an election. A majority consists of more than 50% of the votes. A plurality is less than 50%, but involves ballots that still tally to the largest number of votes counted. A plurality often occurs when there are more than two candidates in the race.

• Ex: It came as no surprise when the win ended with a plurality count of 33% instead of a majority of over 50% of the votes because five candidates were vying for the same position.

 

Overvote

When a voter marks too many boxes for candidates on a ballot, it is called an overvote.

• Ex: The ballot was discarded when the vote processor noticed an overvote – three presidential candidate boxes had been marked.

 

Poll Monitors, Poll Watchers, Poll Monitoring, Poll Watching

Partisan or nonpartisan citizen observers that are assigned to oversee ballot counting are known as poll watchers or poll monitors. The individuals are trained in monitoring election offices and polling places to look for irregularities in vote tallies. The observers can also suggest system improvements.

Monitors that favor one candidate, ballot or proposition over another are considered partisan poll watchers. Poll watching for election fairness in local polling offices is established by allowing a select number of chosen individuals from each side to view tabulation to prevent possible contested issues in the counting procedure or voting fairness process.

Watchers can observe, not intervene or interfere, in the election process. However, some states give the poll monitors rights to challenge voter eligibility. If a challenge is presented, a provisional ballot will be cast.

With more than half of the 2020 Election Day ballots expected to be cast before November 3rd, the watchers’ power may be extended to monitoring advance voting. The individual ballots may need to be reviewed by both party observers to decide if the ballot is valid.

No hyphen is used when poll monitoring is reported as a noun, but when applying the term as an adjective, hyphenate poll-monitoring.

• Ex: The poll-monitoring procedures were modified in 2020 to allow poll monitoring for advance voting in California.

 

Precinct

A precinct is an area inside a town, city or other municipality established for law enforcement or voting purposes.

• Ex: Five polling centers were set up within each precinct to allow voters easy access in casting their vote.

 

Precincts Reporting

Avoid the term precincts reporting when possible due to the potential inaccuracy represented by the numbers. When states with advance votes offer numbers for precincts reporting, percentages from a single county could skew the numbers. If precincts reporting 100% of the numbers are in, there may still be numerous ballots from early or absentee voting that were not counted. If your story or narrative relies on this information, include an estimated number of outstanding votes with your graphics or text.

• Ex: With 100% of all Alaskan precincts reporting, a win is being celebrated by the Jeremiah Kichler camp. However, there are still an estimated 25,000 absentee votes left to count.

 

Race Call

The Associated Press can call election winners based on vote count analysis, precinct data and polling research. Once the race call comes from the AP, it is no longer a projected race. Report it as a win, with no acknowledgment of the source required.

 

Ranked Choice Voting

When voters rank their candidate choice by preference in an electoral system, it is referred to as ranked choice voting. If no winner can be determined from a majority of cast ballots, the rankings are used to determine the voters’ preference. Avoid using “RCV” to refer to ranked choice voting, unless it is a subsequent reference, and the abbreviation must be used in quotations. No hyphens need to be used in the compound modifier.

• Ex: The ranked choice voting system was used to determine a winner in the Eastern District, but the “RCV” results are now being contested after two boxes of absentee ballots were found under a table.

 

Supermajority

When a supermajority is required, the candidate must garner support with a threshold majority of 50% plus 1.

 

Undervote

If a voter leaves propositions or offices on the ballot unmarked, the ballot is called an undervote.

 

U.S. Postal Service

Use the full title of U.S Postal Service when first mentioning the agency. Any subsequent references should be capitalized but can be limited to Postal Service.

 

Votes Counted, Votes Cast

The number of votes counted is not the same as the number of votes cast, so it is more accurate to use the counted subset when discussing election returns. In some states, this number can be expected to change for several weeks after the election.

• Ex: Of the 10 million estimated votes cast, Tillson maintained a constant lead of more than 5,000 votes.
• Ex: For two weeks after the election, the votes counted by the poll committee continued to show Martinez in the lead.

 

Voting

More 2020 voters are expected to cast their votes before Election Day than during any time in U.S. history. To accurately report this voting phenomenon, refrain from using phrases about voters casting ballots in “Tuesday’s election.”

• Ex: Once the voting concluded on November 3rd, ballots could be accurately counted.
• Ex: National polls were closed, and voting concluded on Tuesday night.

 

 

 

Additional AP Style Political Terms

When writing AP style political stories, use the following terms.

 

Congress, Congressional

Unless you refer to the name of the Senate or House as a unit in an official capacity, use lowercase for the adjectives congress or congressional. Capitalize Congress only when referring to the formal name.

 

Conservative

When discussing a philosophy or political party, use conservative in lowercase.

 

Democrat, Democratic, Democratic Party

Capitalize the name of the Democratic Party in the U.S. when referring to its members. Use lowercase when the term is generic.

Democratic replaces Democrat in instances such as Democratic-controlled territory, except when quoting an article.

• Ex: The Democratic senator held a press conference at the golf course last Sunday.
• Ex: Current social values are founded upon past democratic societies.

 

Democratic Socialism

Vermont’s senator, Bernie Sanders, and New York’s representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, embrace a political ideology known as democratic socialism. Capitalize the term only when the candidate represents the Democratic Socialists of America.

• Ex: As a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Bernie Sanders briefly outlined his political stance.

 

District

Always capitalize and spell out district in reference to a geographical area. Use an ordinal number to identify the region.

Ex.: Results from the 2nd District came in just before midnight.

 

Election Day, Election Night

Capitalize Election Day when referring to the U.S. November elections. Use lowercase when reporting the term election night.

Ex.: Kentucky’s Election Day scenario erupted in confusion on election night.

 

EMILY’s List

Emily’s List is an organization focusing on the election and fundraising of women supporting abortion rights.

 

First Lady, First Gentleman, Second Lady, Second Gentleman

Often used to identify the spouse of the president of the United States, first lady and first gentleman are not official titles, neither are second lady or second gentleman (spouse of the vice president). Use lowercase when using these titles, but when possible, rely on an official title.

 

Fundraiser, Fundraising

Fundraisers are methods used by political parties to raise money for campaigns, events and elections.

 

Leftist, Ultra-Leftist, Left-Wing

The terms leftist, ultra-leftist and left-wing should be avoided. Use more precise descriptors when writing about political leanings.

 

Liberal, Liberalism

When referencing a liberal philosophy, use lowercase.

 

Majority Leader, Minority Leader

Use lowercase when referring to either the majority leader or minority leader, unless identifying a formal legislative title with a name.

Ex.: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer celebrated with friends after his race was called as a win.

 

Misinformation, Fact Checks, Fake News

Misinformation is a term used to describe false information about a topic that some individuals may mistake as the truth. Disinformation refers to misinformation that is spread intentionally and created to confuse and mislead society. The false sources can also come from exaggerations, honest mistakes and factual misunderstandings. Use of the term excludes satire, parody and opinions; however, propaganda, hoaxes and news story fabrications are included in this category.

Print materials, social media, broadcasts and websites can all spread misinformation. Even videos, audio recordings, and photographs can transmit misinformation when selectively manipulated or purposefully edited.

When using the term fake news, quotes should be used to signal deliberate falsehoods or exaggerated stories claiming to be news. Use of the term fake news”should be avoided when possible, and the information should be labeled as misinformation. However, be specific when using either term to describe false information by reporting factual descriptions. False claim amplification should be avoided.

When information is in dispute, avoid partiality by labeling the article as fake news. If the term fake news is used in quotes, report on why it was used to report the misinformation and what the foundation of the claim is.

Alternative wording for misinformation and fake news may include erroneous reports, questionable reports, false reports, unverified reports or disputed reports.

Simple fact-checking can aid in debunking misinformation and fabricated stories and should be part of your writing. Research to affirm, verify or disprove leading statements is essential in maintaining copy accuracy and credibility. The goal is to use fact-checking to explain exaggerations, falsehoods and political angles to hold public figures and politicians accountable for what they say.

When an assertion differs from known facts, note the differences. When disputed points or difficult questions require additional reporting, use fact-checking to clarify the issue. When necessary, a separate piece should be written after the fact check.

Note these important points about fact-checking data:

Offer the assertion, state the problem and present correct information. Quote the data being checked and offer all facts. Back your argument with attributions or citations.

Don’t offer personal views when arguing your facts.

A person’s views and opinions should not be checked when they involve preferences or personal tastes, even when the ideas are outside society’s mainstream.

Fact checks can use words instead of statements to prove they are correct or incorrect. Words can stand as false, true, selectively used, exaggerated, mostly accurate, clearly wrong, etc. Use data supported by the facts to prove your fact-checks.

When you cannot confirm reports or statements, or the information can’t be verified immediately, say so. Remember to report your efforts to corroborate the facts.

Usage notes:

• (n.) fact-checking
• (n.) fact check
• (v.) to fact-check

 

PAC

The Political Action Committee is often abbreviated as PAC. The organization collects and distributes money to political candidates, campaigns and parties. Federal law in the United States limits legal contributions, and those collected monies may not be given to campaigns by labor unions or corporations. The Federal Election Commission oversees the enforcement of contributions.

PAC may be used as a primary reference, but the full name should be spelled out in the story.

A super PAC is a political organization allowed to spend and raise unlimited donor amounts for political purposes. The money collected by the super PAC can come from unions and corporations, which monies can then independently be donated to federal campaigns without restriction. The donations must be reported to the FEC, but there are no other restrictions as to donation amounts or locations.

 

Party Affiliation

The political party of any candidate is pertinent to all reporting on a campaign, issue or election, so always cite the party affiliation.

 

Political Parties and Philosophies

If the word party is traditionally connected to a political organization’s name, capitalize both the party name and the word party.

• Ex: The Republican Party meeting on Saturday night had more attendees than the Socialist Party gathering held next door.

The political philosophy is reported in lowercase, but when referring to members of a political party, capitalize the affiliation. This includes Conservative, Liberal, Communist, Socialist, etc.

When using a proper name derivative, capitalize it. The adjective or noun forms of philosophical names should be lowercase. The usage should be applied to Marxism, Nazi, fascism, communism, etc.

• Ex: The Communist Party was shocked when the liberal Conservative Party voted that communism and democracy were incompatible.

A specific political description of a candidate’s views or philosophies is better than a generic label of conservative or liberal.

 

Policymaker, Policymaking

Denote each term of policymaker or policymaking as a single word.

 

Polls and Surveys

Refer to the AP Stylebook chapter on reporting public opinion surveys and polls for more information. Exaggeration and bias should be avoided.

 

Possessive Form

When proper names end in an “S,” add an apostrophe.

Ex.: Charles Dickens’ novel was banned in four Kansas school systems after the election.

 

Preelection, Reelection, Reelect

No hyphen is required when using preelection, reelection or reelect.

 

President, Vice President

When president or vice president is used as a title before a proper name, the words should be capitalized. Use lowercase at all other times. There is no hyphen in vice president when used as an adjective.

• Ex: Vice President Biden stopped to wave at his fans.
• Ex: The president was escorted out of the building by armed guards after gunshots were heard.

 

Presidential, Presidency

Unless used as part of a formal name, presidential is lowercase. Always make presidency lowercase.

• Ex: The presidential limousine was washed by hand every Saturday afternoon.
• Ex: The battle for the presidency raged on for months.

 

Presidential Election

Report the term presidential election in lowercase.

 

Press Secretary

Unless referring to a person with a formal title, use press secretary in lowercase.

 

QAnon

QAnon is an internet conspiracy theory promoted by right-wing extremists with apocalyptic beliefs.

Followers believe President Donald Trump is fighting against the “deep state” in a secret government campaign focusing on child sex trafficking by cannibals and satanic pedophiles. Followers read cryptic posts that are randomly published by “Q,” a supposed government insider.

QAnon emerged in 2017 on an anonymous message board, and dedicated followers discovered favored conspiracy theories. The site gained traction with many individuals and groups, including Trump supporters. The FBI issued a bulletin mentioning QAnon in May 2019. The report warned that extremists might become a threat through domestic terrorism and fringe beliefs that were “very likely” to lead to violent crimes.

Some QAnon followers are anxiously waiting for “The Storm.” Supporters believe thousands of operatives in the “deep state” will be gathered and sent to Guantanamo Bay, including high ranked Democratic individuals such as Hillary Clinton.

The movement is sometimes referred to as “cult-like.” Many of the movement’s followers have run for pollical office, including Independent Party and Republican Party candidates.

Trump has not disavowed the QAnon movement.

 

Republican, Republican Party

Capitalize both Republican and Republican Party. The abbreviation GOP, which stands for the Grand Old Party, can be used as a second reference.

 

Rightist, Ultra-Rightist, Right-Wing

Due to possible bias, avoid the terms rightist, ultra-rightist and right-wing. Use more precise political descriptions to avoid confusion or bias.

 

Representative, Rep., Reps.

As the formal title for members of the House, representative may be abbreviated as Rep. or Reps. when used before public names.

 

Tea Party

The tea party is a populist movement known to oppose the political establishment in Washington. Always use lowercase terms when referring to the group.

 

 

AP Style Political Idioms

Note the proper spelling, punctuation and capitalization of these AP style political idioms.

“Alt-Right”

Avoid using the term “alt-right” to signify a political leaning movement toward racism, populism, and other biased groups. If required to use the word “alt-right” when clarifying what the political faction says, qualify and set it apart with quotation marks. Always use a hyphen and make it lowercase. More information is included in the Stylebook for your review.

 

Antifa

When referring to anti-fascist groups or individuals, Antifa is often used. The term covers far-left militant groups that resist white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Use the word with a definition or explanation because the term is still generally unknown.

 

Battleground States

The states that could go either way in an election for the major political candidates are referred to as battleground states. This includes presidential or statewide races.

 

Black Lives Matter, #BlackLivesMatter, BLM

Black Lives Matter is a 2012 political movement sparked by the death of Trayvon Martin. The global BLM movement’s goal is to eradicate white supremacy and systemic racism and to fight violence against Black individuals. Capitalize the first reference of Black Lives Matter, then it is acceptable to use BLM’s acronym as a second reference.

Many groups claim to be part of the BLM movement and use “Black Lives Matter“ in the group name. There are only 16 affiliates of the Black Lives Matter Global Network. The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation was created in 2014 after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The organization provides funding and infrastructure to affiliated chapters. Use the group’s full name the first time, and then the BLM network can be employed in any following references.

If citing philosophies such as “blue lives matter” or “all lives matter,” remember they are not formal groups. Enclose all responses to the Black Lives Matter movement in quotes, and use the lowercase.

 

Close Race

Unless you can back this term up with data from polls or election results, avoid the phrase close race when describing a political contest.

 

Dark Horse

When a political candidate emerges suddenly from the shadows, the individual is called a dark horse.

 

Front-Runner

The person in the lead in a political race is referred to as the front-runner. Hyphenate the term and use it with care because information can be updated often, and that can make your data inaccurate if the front-runner slips behind.

 

Head to the Polls

Many voters may choose to vote by mail, so avoid head to the polls when describing the election.

 

Kingmaker

Historically, a kingmaker is someone rich and powerful enough to boost a candidate into public office using their clout.

 

Populism

Populism is the idea and political philosophy promoting the power and rights of the ordinary people in contrast to the elite. Avoid referring to politicians or political candidates as populist unless quoting or paraphrasing texts; however, using the general term is acceptable.

 

Rank and File (n.), Rank-and-file (adj.)

When referring to ordinary political party members, it is acceptable to use rank and file or rank-and-file.

 

Stalking Horse

A stalking horse is a person entering a political race to entice voters away from a specific candidate. The stalking horse then withdraws from the race and endorses an opposing candidate.

 

Surrogate

Avoid the term surrogate to refer to a person of prominence who campaigns in the name of, or on behalf of, a particular political candidate.

 

Swing States

States without a history of voting in favor of solely the Democrat or Republican party in the past three elections are known as swing states.

 

 

2020 Election Timeline Notes

The process of seating the winning candidate for U.S. president has led to a legal battle over disputed vote counts in key states. When disputes occur, the government relies on the U.S. Constitution, which established federal law creating a procedure for calling the winner. The procedural steps cover a two-month period. Here are the key details and associated dates:

 

Nov. 3rd

Election Day in all 50 states begins the process of selecting the next president. However, the voters do not choose the winner. Instead, their votes are represented by state electors that pledge to support one of the candidates. The electorate ballot then signifies the voice of the voters of the state. Voting stops at the close of polls on Nov. 3rd, then the counting begins.

 

Late November and early December

Most states set a deadline for certification of their voter election results in late November. When the ballot count is disputed, or when one side decides to litigate the results, there is no penalty for missing the established deadline.

 

Dec. 8

The safe harbor deadline, Dec. 8, was established to protect electors from challenges by Congress after this date. Once the state certifies its electors by Dec. 8, Congress cannot ignore or disregard the representatives when making the final tally.

 

Dec. 14

Electors meet within their states by Dec. 14 to cast the state’s ballots for president. If a state misses this deadline, the electors from that region could be excluded from the electoral tally. If an electorate representative is seated between Dec. 8 and Dec. 14, he or she can still vote in the general count. Congress can challenge the newly seated electors, but after the state’s governor certifies the number and voting electors, the number stands.

 

Dec. 23

Dec. 23 is the date the electoral vote numbers are required to be reported to Congress.

 

Jan. 3

The newly elected members of Congress take their seats on Jan. 3 after being sworn in.

 

Jan. 6

All reported electoral votes are counted on Jan. 6. Once the votes are tallied, a winner of the presidential election can be formally certified.

If electoral votes do not show a majority winner, the House of Representatives, under provisions by the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, will vote to name the next president. This is done by allowing each state a single vote for a candidate, and when the delegation’s vote numbers reach 26 for one party, that person becomes president. The Senate uses the same method to choose a vice president.

If Congress challenges electors because of seating irregularities before Dec. 8, or if a state sends competing electorates to Congress, the House or Senate must determine which is the valid representative and which vote counts. This occurred in 1876, and a law passed in 1887 helps clarify the situation, although the issue has never come up again. For that reason, how the procedure may be corrected is still untested.

 

Jan. 20

The U.S. Constitution declares the presidential term will begin on Jan. 20. Inauguration takes place unless Congress is unable to certify a winner. According to federal law, an “acting president” would be designated to stand in until the issue can be settled. If Congress has certified neither the presidential race nor the vice-presidential race by this date, the House speaker becomes acting president. If the Speaker of the House position has not been filled, the Senate’s president pro tempore will become acting president.

By using this AP style 2020 Elections Topical guide, you can better ensure that you’re writing about the 2020 general election and AP style political terms correctly. Check out more of our GrammarSpot articles to learn about AP Style Basics.