5 AP style rules PR pros should follow
Craft better press releases with these writing tips.

These five tips can clear up common AP style mistakes:
1. Avoid unnecessary capitalization.
Proper nouns that indicate a specific person, place or thing should be capitalized. This includes any common nouns that are within a company’s name.
Correct: Quaker Oats brand managers announced a new product line Wednesday.
Correct: Justin Bieber was spotted without a shirt on River Street on Saturday.
In headlines, only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns should be capitalized.
Correct: How marketers can easily create infographics
Incorrect: How I Learned To Incorrectly Write A Headline
2. Don’t make alphabet soup.
Only use abbreviations and acronyms readers will quickly recognize; don’t use them just to save a few words. Acronyms and abbreviations for well-known entities can be used in headlines as well as within the body of a press release.
Correct: The FBI arrested a suspect Tuesday night in connection with three recent armed robberies.
Incorrect: Members of TWOLSTEFW defended the organization’s ridiculously long name.
Don’t follow an organization’s formal name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or dashes.
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