AP Style datelines are used to specify the location and date at the beginning of a news article. The city is capitalized, followed by the state or country, with specific rules for abbreviations and cities that stand alone without state names.
What AP Style Datelines Suggests?
Dateline is a line at the beginning of a news article that depicts when and where the article has been written.
According to AP Style, datelines that include the name of the city should be written in capital letters. Mostly, the city is followed by the state in which that particular city is located.
For example,
1. BOGOTA, Colombia, June 29
However, the AP Style mentions some cities, after which you don’t have to write out the name of its state. Those cities are,
• ATLANTA
• BALTIMORE
• BOSTON
• CHICAGO
• CINCINNATI
• CLEVELAND
• DALLAS
• DENVER
• DETROIT
• HONOLULU
• HOUSTON
• INDIANAPOLIS
• LAS VEGAS
• LOS ANGELES
• MIAMI
• MILWAUKEE
• MINNEAPOLIS
• NEW ORLEANS
• NEW YORK
• OKLAHOMA CITY
• PHILADELPHIA
• PHOENIX
• PITTSBURGH
• ST. LOUIS
• SALT LAKE CITY
• SAN ANTONIO
• SAN DIEGO
• SAN FRANCISCO
• SEATTLE
• WASHINGTON
International Locations
AP Style suggests that the international locations such as AMSTERDAM, BAGHDAD, BANGKOK, BEIJING, BEIRUT, BERLIN, BRUSSELS, CAIRO, DJIBOUTI, DUBLIN, GENEVA, GIBRALTAR, GUATEMALA CITY, HAVANA, HELSINKI, HONG KONG, ISLAMABAD, MEXICO CITY, MILAN, MONACO, MONTREAL, MOSCOW, MUNICH, NEW DELHI, PANAMA CITY, PARIS, PRAGUE, QUEBEC CITY, RIO DE JANEIRO, ROME, SAN MARINO, SAO PAULO, SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, ISTANBUL, JERUSALEM, JOHANNESBURG, KUWAIT CITY, LONDON, LUXEMBOURG, MACAU, MADRID, STOCKHOLM, SYDNEY, TOKYO, TORONTO, VATICAN CITY, VIENNA, and ZURICH always stand alone in datelines.
Use of Abbreviations
You should abbreviate the following state names in datelines.
• Alabama: Ala.
• Arizona: Ariz.
• Arkansas: Ark.
• California: Calif.
• Colorado: Colo.
• Connecticut: Conn.
• Delaware: Del.
• Florida: Fla.
• Georgia: Ga.
• Illinois: Ill.
• Indiana: Ind.
• Kansas: Kan.
• Kentucky: Ky.
• Louisiana: La.
• Maryland: Md.
• Massachusetts: Mass.
• Michigan: Mich.
• Minnesota: Minn.
• Mississippi: Miss
• Missouri: Mo.
• Montana: Mont.
• Nebraska: Neb.
• Nevada: Nev.
• New Hampshire: N.H.
• New Jersey: N.J.
• New Mexico: N.M.
• New York: N.Y.
• North Carolina: N.C.
• North Dakota: N.D.
• Oklahoma: Okla.
• Oregon: Ore.
• Pennsylvania: Pa.
• Rhode Island: R.I.
• South Carolina: S.C.
• South Dakota: S.D.
• Tennessee: Tenn.
• Vermont: Vt.
• Virginia: Va.
• Washington: Wash.
• West Virginia: W.Va.
• Wisconsin: Wis.
• Wyoming: Wyo.
When to Use Abbreviations in Datelines
In AP Style, abbreviations are commonly used in datelines for U.S. states, but they are not used universally. The main purpose of abbreviations is to make the dateline more concise while maintaining clarity. Here’s how and when to use abbreviations:
1. Abbreviating U.S. States
In a dateline, state names are abbreviated when they appear after a city. These abbreviations should be used only when the city and state are listed together. There are specific abbreviations for U.S. states, and AP Style dictates which states should be abbreviated.
For example:
- MESA, Ariz. (Arizona is abbreviated as “Ariz.”)
- BOSTON, Mass. (Massachusetts is abbreviated as “Mass.”)
- LOS ANGELES, Calif. (California is abbreviated as “Calif.”)
- TAMPA, Fla. (Florida is abbreviated as “Fla.”)
Check Out: How To Write United States in AP Style?
2. States That Should Never Be Abbreviated
Eight U.S. states are exceptions to this rule and should never be abbreviated in a dateline, whether they appear alone or with a city. These are: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.
For example:
- DALLAS, Texas (Texas is never abbreviated)
- DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa is never abbreviated)
3. Abbreviating Cities and States in Datelines
Remember, abbreviations should only be used in datelines when the city and state are together. If a state name appears by itself or with a year, it should always be written out in full.
For example:
- WASHINGTON (state) – Washington is not abbreviated in the body text of a news article.
- DENVER, Colo. (Colorado is abbreviated as “Colo.”)
4. The Use of Country Names
For international cities, no abbreviations are used in datelines. Cities like Paris, Tokyo, or Beijing do not require state or country abbreviations in the dateline.
Check Out: How To Write State Names In AP Style.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with AP Style Datelines
Datelines are one of the most crucial parts of journalistic writing, as they establish the location and time context of the article. However, several mistakes can undermine the clarity and professionalism of the dateline. Here are some common errors and how to avoid them:
1. Using the Wrong State Abbreviations
One of the most common mistakes is using incorrect or outdated state abbreviations. AP Style has specific abbreviations for states, and using the wrong abbreviation can confuse the reader. For example:
- Incorrect: BOSTON, MA (MA is for Massachusetts, but it’s not in AP Style)
- Correct: BOSTON, Mass.
2. Forgetting to Capitalize the City Name
The name of the city in a dateline should always be capitalized. A common mistake is to write the city name in lowercase or improper case.
- Incorrect: miami, Fla.
- Correct: MIAMI, Fla.
3. Omitting Commas in the Dateline
Another frequent mistake is failing to place the proper commas. In AP Style, there are specific rules for punctuation in datelines. A comma should always be placed between the city and the state abbreviation, as well as after the state.
- Incorrect: MIAMI Fla. June 29
- Correct: MIAMI, Fla., June 29
4. Using Full State Names When Not Required
While full state names should be used when they appear alone or with a year, the dateline format requires abbreviations for most U.S. states. A mistake is to use the full name of a state when it should be abbreviated.
- Incorrect: TAMPA, Florida, June 29
- Correct: TAMPA, Fla., June 29
5. Abbreviating States That Shouldn’t Be Abbreviated
The eight U.S. states that should never be abbreviated—Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah—should be spelled out in a dateline. A common mistake is to abbreviate them.
- Incorrect: ANCHORAGE, AK, June 29 (should be “Alaska”)
- Correct: ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 29
6. Incorrect Punctuation in International Datelines
In AP Style, international cities are listed with no state abbreviation, but writers may mistakenly add unnecessary commas or abbreviations after the city name. Always remember that international cities stand alone without a state name or abbreviation.
- Incorrect: LONDON, U.K. (Don’t abbreviate the country in this case)
- Correct: LONDON, June 29
What Did You Learn?
Key points to remember include capitalizing city names, using state abbreviations when appropriate, and recognizing the exceptions for certain U.S. states and international locations.