How to Write a Press Release Dateline AP Style: Tips & Tricks
What is AP Style? For anyone unfamiliar, AP Style stands for Associated Press Style and refers to the standardization of content that allows media around the world to have consistent and uniform structure for news writing, grammar, abbreviations and titles.
AP style is the gold standard with which all news writing is measured. And, just as the format of a press release is important, so too is the content.
In fact, according to a USC Annenberg study, 88% of public relations professionals and 80% of marketers believe digital storytelling is the future of communications.
As the focus on crafting compelling press releases intensifies, business professionals need to hone their skills and leverage AP Style to their advantage.
The AP Press Release Advantage
If your content is written in AP Style, there’s a better chance the media will gravitate to your story. That’s because adhering to the wording and format they’re most familiar with will demonstrate your professionalism and understanding of the information they need to develop stories of their own.
Now, you landed on this blog because you want to know more about how to format a press release dateline with AP Style.
And, that’s exactly what we’re going to help you with.
What is a Dateline?
The dateline is the section of a news story or press release that indicates where and when the news being reported took place.
Why is the Dateline Important?
A proper dateline is important because it’s the first thing a reader and any journalist considering picking up your story will see. They want real, current news, and not something weeks out of date.
Where Are Datelines Located in a Press Release?
The dateline is found at the beginning of the press release. The highlighted portion in the image below is the dateline.
How to Write a Professional AP Style Dateline
When writing a professional AP Style dateline, the AP Stylebook says it should contain “a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name of the state, county, or territory where the city is located.”
AP Style Press Release Rules
Below are AP Style press release rules to consider when creating your dateline.
Some large metropolitan areas do not require the state. These include:
- ATLANTA
- BOSTON
- CHICAGO
- SAN FRANCISCO
- SAN DIEGO
- WASHINGTON
If they do require a state, it’s important to use the correct AP style state abbreviation:
- KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Missouri)
- PORTLAND, Ore. (Oregon)
- PORTLAND, Maine
The AP Style abbreviations are not the same as postal ones and are not always consistent.
Here is a quick list you can refer to.
Important abbreviations to remember include:
- Calif. (usually CA)
- Colo. (CO)
- Conn. (CT)
- Fla. (FL)
Despite having a US Postal Service abbreviation, there are eight state names that are never abbreviated in AP Style, even if they’re accompanied by a city name.
They are:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Maine
- Ohio
- Texas
- Utah
AP Style Dates
The dates should always use Arabic numerals, without the st, nd, rd or th. (Ex: 2, 3, 25, not 2nd, 3rd, 25th).
The names of months should always be capitalized and spelled out when being used alone, or with the year alone. For example, January and January 2022.
When a month is used with a specific date, use only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. should be abbreviated, for example, Jan. 31.
When a phrase lists only a month and year, they don’t need to be separated by commas. However, when you list a month, date, and year. The year should be separated by a comma.
- Jan. 31, 2022 (BOSTON)
- Jan. 7, 2022– BOSTON
- Jan. 7, BOSTON
Because content tends to stay visible on the Internet long after it’s published, it’s best to include the year so there is no possible confusion about when the press release or news story was published.
Learn How to Create the Perfect AP Dateline
If you’d like to learn more about AP Style and how to properly apply it when drafting a press release, contact us today about our press release distribution services.
