AP Stylebook tips for Election Day

PR pros should know the basics of writing about the 2016 campaign. To ensure you don’t flub a political post on your company’s blog today, follow these tips.

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All writers, regardless of their audience, can benefit from knowing AP style.

For the writers who’ve spent the past year—or longer—covering the 2016 presidential election, these tidbits might now be second nature. For PR pros who aim to do a bit of Election Day newsjacking or delve into the realm of political writing, there can be a tough learning curve when it comes to correctly conveying official titles, party affiliations and legal terms.

Lucky for all of us, editors from The Associated Press dedicated a recent Twitter chat to giving tips on political style.

No matter who becomes the 45th president of the United States, both major-party nominees—Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump—are expected to deliver speeches tonight. One will (hopefully) concede defeat, and the other will speak about a vision for the nation.

To help you prepare, here are a few notable items regarding political terminology, per the editors of the AP Stylebook:

Setting the scene

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