I am shocked at that provision of the AP style guide. AP style is taught in every college journalism class in the USA and is considered gospel. The style guide is in every newsroom. Any writer or copyeditor who tries to introduce or advance SI in his or her newspaper may find AP style cited, and no further argument will avail. The committee that inserted that provision in the guide was simply expressing what was standard practice, but now it needs to be changed.
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:02:56 -0700 To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:41145] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is working against us. Yes, of course Bill is correct. I meant to say "journalistic publishing" as distinct from book and non-journalistic magazine publishing. I was merely trying to point out just how much influence the AP style guides have. Thanks Bill for the clarification. Brian > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [USMA:41144] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is working > against us. > From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, June 16, 2008 10:55 pm > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Not quite true, Brian. > > AP style is followed by AP correspondents and some (or most, perhaps) > newspapers and magazines (by default, especially where AP is the source of the > story). However, most books adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style. > > Of course, AP style can be superimposed on Chicago Style, with AP Style taking > precedence where there is a conflict. Not many book publishers (almost none, > in fact, as far as I know) indulge in such superimposition. When I edit a > manuscript, I use Chicago Style. > > The AP Stylebook is not solely about style. Its full title is The Associated > Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. > > There are other styles for other purposes, and they include APA (American > Psychological Association) Style and MLA (Modern Language Association) Style. > Their use is mainly in the academic environment (term papers, theses, > dissertations, etc.). Some publishers (e.g., McGraw-Hill) have their own style > books. > > The AP Style appears to be the only one to have anything restrictive to say > about the use of SI units. > > Bill > > Bill Potts > Roseville, CA > http://metric1.org/ <http://metric1.org/> <http://metric1.org/> [SI > Navigator] > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 21:27 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Cc: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:41141] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is working against us. > > Everyone has. Well, anyone who does publishing for a living. Certainly, > it's time for the AP to change their guides. > >> -------- Original Message -------- >> Subject: [USMA:41140] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is working >> against us. >> From: "Carleton MacDonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Date: Mon, June 16, 2008 9:20 pm >> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> >> Who made the AP the dictator of writing style? >> >> Carleton >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> <http://email.secureserver.net/pcompose.php#Compose> >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> <http://email.secureserver.net/pcompose.php#Compose> ] On Behalf >> Of Michael Palumbo >> Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 18:20 >> To: U.S. Metric Association >> Subject: [USMA:41135] Associated Press Style Guide is working against us. >> >> I met a nice young lady over the weekend who is a reporter for the >> Burlington County Times in southern New Jersey. She informed me, during >> the course of our discussion, that she must write in English/Customary >> units, as metric is not allowed by the AP style guides. >> >> I asked if she could send me some text of it, here's what I just >> received from her. >> >> "Hey Mike, >> >> This is from the 2007 AP stylebook, you have to be a member to search >> the online version: >> >> For U.S. members, use metric terms only in situations where they are >> universally accepted forms of measurement (16 mm film) or where the >> metric distance is an important number in itself: "He vowed to walk 100 >> kilometers (62 miles) in a week." >> >> >> >> Seems even if reporters wanted to write in metric, they couldn't, or >> their editors would have to change it to get it run by the AP. >> >> Ideas? >> >> -Mike >>
