The most interesting thing to me is the fact that the Stylebook is not
anti-metric.
Apparently, many anti-metric (or generally innumerate) AP reporters are
ignoring their own style guide.
Bill Potts, CMS
San Jose, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
> Behalf Of Michael G. Koerner
> Sent: November 02, 2000 12:30
> To: U.S. Metric Association
> Subject: [USMA:8959] Re: AP Stylebook (its metric instructions)
>
>
> *Very interesting* information. GOOD ammunition for use in the media
> war. I would certainly use this when corresponding with
> news/sports/feature editors regarding the use of SI in everyday reporting.
>
> :-)
>
> "James J. Wentworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Subject: [USMA:8945] AP Stylebook (its metric instructions)
> > Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2000 14:27:15 -0900
> > From: "James J. Wentworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: U.S. Metric Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >
> > I have two copies of "The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel
> > Manual," and
> > here is what it says regarding the use of metric units (from the 1998
> > edition). When you read this, you will see that most AP reporters are
> > going
> > against the instructions given in the AP Stylebook! Here is the full
> > quotation:
> > ************************************************************
> > --METRIC SYSTEM-- In general, metric terms should be included in a
> > story
> > when they are relevant.
> >
> > There are no hard-and-fast rules on when they are relevant, but the
> > following two guidelines have been developed to cover questions likely
> > to
> > arise as metric measurements gain increased acceptance in the United
> > States:
> >
> > -- Use metric terms when they are he *primary form*
> > [emphasis mine -- JJW] in which the source of a story has provided
> > statistics. Follow the metric units with equivalents in the terms
> > more
> > widely known in the United States. Normally, the equivalent should be
> > in
> > parentheses after the metric figure. A general statement such as: "A
> > kilometer equals about five-eighths of a mile," would be acceptable,
> > however, to avoid repeated use of parenthetical equivalents in a story
> > that
> > uses kilometers many times.
> >
> > -- Provide metric equivalents for traditional forms if a metric unit
> > has
> > become widely known. As speedometers with kilometer markings become
> > more
> > prevalent, for example, a story about speed limits might list miles
> > per hour
> > and *provide kilometers per hour in parentheses* [emphasis mine --
> > JJW].
> >
> > ABBREVIATIONS: The abbreviation "mm" for millimeter is acceptable in
> > references to film widths (8 mm film) and weapons (a 105 mm cannon).
> > (Note
> > space between numeral and abbreviation.)
> >
> > Do not otherwise use metric abbreviations in news copy.
> >
> > The principal abbreviations, for reference in the event they are used
> > by a
> > source, are: "g" (gram), "kg" (kilogram), "t" (metric ton), "m"
> > (meter),
> > "cm" (centimeter), "km" (kilometer), "mm" (millimeter), "L" (liter,
> > capital
> > "L" to avoid confusion with the figure "1") and "mL" (milliliter).
> >
> > CONVERSION FORMULAS: A conversion table for frequently used metric
> > terms
> > follows.
> >
> > In addition, separate entries for "gram," "meter," "liter," "Celsius"
> > and
> > other frequently used metric units define them and give examples of
> > how to
> > convert them to equivalents in the terminology that has been used in
> > the
> > United States. Similarly, entries for "pound," "inch," "quart,"
> > "Fahrenheit," etc., contain examples of how to convert these terms to
> > metric
> > forms.
> >
> > To avoid the need for long strings of figures, prefixes are added to
> > the
> > metric units to denote fractional elements or large multiples. The
> > prefixes
> > are: "pico-" (one-trillionth), "nano-" (one-billionth), "micro-"
> > (one-millionth), "milli-" (one-thousandth), "centi-" (one-hundredth),
> > "deci-" (one-tenth), "deka-" (10 units), "hecto-" (100 units), "giga-"
> > (1
> > billion units), "tera-" (1 trillion units). Entries for each prefix
> > show
> > how to convert a unit preceeded by the prefix to the basic unit.
> >
> > <The conversion chart is just like ones we've all seen before, so I
> > won't
> > reproduce it here.>
> >
> > Jason
>
> n t
> --
> __________________________________________________________________
> __________
> Regards,
>
> Michael G. Koerner
> Appleton, WI
> __________________________________________________________________
> __________
>
>
