Is AP style still important/relevant for public relations practitioners?

[Jason Kintzler]

This question was posted on LinkedIn last week and the majority of people said, "absolutely without question."

I shared with the author that the key to staying relevant was more in the pitch than the style. "A concise pitch will win over the best formatted AP style release every time."

What do you think?
• Is AP still relevant?
• Will it stay relevant?

Related link: LinkedIn Q&A

[Deldog]

I'm a longtime newspaper editor, so I pretty much owe my career to AP style.

Here's my two cents: If you're trying to sell newspaper or magazine editors on your product, then you should speak their language -- AP, Chicago, whatever. The easier you make it for those editors, the more likely your product will get ink.

[Jason Kintzler]

Great point. It seems to be a common request among media, although I still wonder if sending an entire AP press release the initially is the most effective way to get your pitch read. It seems like something very concise and with a bit of a "wow" would hook you first, then you could click a link or maybe turn the page for more, etc.

Do you ever get inundated with too many lengthy press releases? Would it be nice to get something brief, then have the option to click and get the full on release?

[Dan Nelson]

Short, concise, and to the point works for me. Providing a "more info" link is great, though I'm interested in the details of the basic release, I'll likely call/email for more specific details anyway. That said, keeping the basics clean and in compliance with AP styles is important.

[Slaton White]

AP remains relevant. But the big problem I see these days are press releases that take too long to get to the point. Editors don't have time to wade through a long release, trying to figure out the salient points. Better to hit 'em right away with the main news, followed by specs--and--a big point--suggested retail price. When you make an editor track you down for the price, you risk losing a spot in the publication.
I understand some companies require releases to carry quotes from various corporate functionaries, but most of the time they add nothing...and take up valuable space--especially if the release starts with these quotes. I'd tuck these quotes in later in the release.
One other point--product photos. I received an electronic release with several photos of different products. The images weren't named by product (just file names), so I really had no idea which was which. The lesson? Don't assume the person receiving the release is intimately familiar with your product line. In this case, the p.r. person proved too hard to track down, so the release was discarded.

[Jessica Downing]

AP style is important especially for grammar. I'm always amazed when i see a company referred to as 'they' rather than 'it.' I keep my AP style manual from J-school at my desk at all times and reference it regularly. Our writing style is probably more relaxed, but getting to the point with relevant information in a press release is our goal.

[Jennifer]

Despite what others might think, AP style is a great foundation for good writing and yes, still very much employed in daily materials developed for clients. Does that mean that every pitch email follows AP style? No, but it's still a very respected and required set of standards for any PR specialist - online or offline.

[Elizabeth Twork]

I think right now, A.P. is still relevant because it's easy to understand by many people. Once you start writing in web-speak or whatever, it's harder to folks of all walks to understand you. That's why A.P. is A.P - so everyone can get it.

[Rodger D. Johnson]

Using AP keeps writing consistent. What's more, it makes the journalist's work easier. (That's good for media relations.) The less they correct, the more they can write. As a former reporter, I liked working with news releases written in AP. And now that I manage communication for a financial company, I try to make ALL of our material conform to AP convention.

I go as far to say ANY communication that media professionals may read should follow AP convention -- blog posts, wiki sites -- everything.

[Mike Keliher]

I agree. Simply put, following AP style makes for good writing and, for anyone dealing with major media, is a (the?) standard.

[kwokheng]

I think it depends on who you are trying to reach.

Different forms of media have their differing formats.

Even as I hold the AP style to be important, it is not particularly important in comparison to say, the tone of your writing in relation to the medium you're trying to place your information in.

I'm supposing that you have to excite the editor first before you can excite your audience. And the editor's supposed to know the audience fairly well.

That however, also begs the question of whether writing something is putting out "plain" information (which may be better off in bullet-points) or it should contain a fair amount of zest.