Agreed. I haven't a clue who I would contact though to discuss such a
change.
Patrick Moore wrote:
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
