New AP 'Stylebook' Includes Taliban, MP3s

By: Joe Strupp What do the Taliban, brick-and-mortar, and MP3 have in common? All three are among the new entries in the Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law (Perseus Publishing, 383 pages), which goes on sale in August.

The guide, considered the bible for word usage and spelling for thousands of journalists, is updated annually by an ad hoc committee of AP editors who consider suggested changes, deletions, and additions from writers, editors, and readers. "We make up a list of ideas, pass it around us, and discuss it," said Stylebook Editor Norm Goldstein.

AP editors also have created the first online Stylebook, which is being updated constantly and is available for a separate $20 per year charge. The site (www.apstylebook.com) went up last month and already has 152 subscribers. "We added it to expand the market to include users who prefer the electronic version to the book," said Goldstein. "We can update it as we need to, whenever news dictates." Readers also can download a PDF version of the Stylebook from the same Web site.

This year's new entries include many resulting from changes in the news, particularly international news. In addition to Taliban, the Stylebook now includes definitions and use guidelines for mujahedeen, mullah, and jihad. Other new listings straight from recent headlines are the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Drug Enforcement Administration. New Internet-related listings include brick-and-mortar, double-click, firewall, LAN, MP3, offline, virus, and worm. "We needed to add what we thought were some major ones that are being used more," Goldstein said.

Other areas of change included:

* using "mom" and "dad" lower case except when the noun substitutes for a name.

* instructions to use a child's first name on second reference when referring to someone 15 years of age or younger.

* dropping hyphens for "teenager" and "hole in one."

The few deletions from the book include listings for director, host, and housing unit. Goldstein said those were removed because people either ignored the suggested use or did not need any more help in using them.