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themaneater
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the maneater Stylebook
Tenth edition
Revised fall 2008
Inside
the book
History:
The Maneater stylebook was first
printed in February 1998,
revised by Editor in Chief
Jennifer Dlouhy and Managing
Editor Kelly Wiese.
For this, the tenth edition,
revisions were made Fall
Semester 2008 by Editor-inChief Elliot Njus, Managing
Editor Michael Sewall, Copy
Chiefs Lee Logan and James
Patrick Schmidt, MOVE Copy
Chief Abby Holekamp, Student
Organizations Editor Anna
Koeppel and Projects Editor
Roseann Moring.
Inside:
The first portion of the stylebook
is dedicated to general policies
and administrative guidelines
for the newspaper.
The second portion is dedicated
to entries much like one would
find in the AP Stylebook. These
are guidelines for copy-editing
decisions at The Maneater
for the newspaper, MOVE
magazine and themaneater.com.
Editors, writers, designers,
photographers and online staff
should be familiar with these.
The third section is geared to
accommodate the specific
styles of cutlines, crime and
sports copy.
The fourth section is devoted to
style for arts and entertainment
copy and content for MOVE
magazine.
This is followed by the National
Lesbian and Gay Journalists
Association supplement of
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Terminology.
Past Stylebook Revisions:
First Edititon: Winter 1998 by Editor in Chief Jennifer Dlouhy
and Managing Editor Kelly Wiese.
Second Edition: Summer Session 1998 by Editor in Chief John
Roby
Third Edition: Fall Semester 1999 by Managing Editor Julie
Bykowicz.
Fourth Edition: Winter Semester 2001 by Managing Editor Chris
Heisel and Copy Chief Kristen Cox.
Fifth Edition: Summer 2002 by Managing Editor Stephanie
Grasmick
Sixth Edition: Summer 2004 by Copy Chief Amy Rainey
Questions:
This stylebook should be the first
source for determining style for
any non-advertising copy for
The Maneater, MOVE Magazine
and themaneater.com. The AP
Stylebook should be consulted
next, followed by Working With
Words and the AP-authorized
dictionary.
Cases in which a style question is
not answered by any of these
resources, the Editor-in-Chief
will make a style decision that
will be entered in the master
copy of this stylebook.
Seventh Edition: Winter 2006 by Copy Chiefs Aaron Richter and
Sarah Larimer, Managing Editor Coulter Jones and Editor in Chief
Jenna Youngs
Eighth Edition: Fall 2006: Copy Chiefs Jenn Amur and Courtney
French, Managing Editor Maggie Creamer and Editor in
Chief Lee Logan.
Ninth Edition: Fall 2007 by Copy Chiefs Jamie Scott and Erin
Boeck, Projects Editor Jedd Rosche Managing Editor Rae
Nudson and Editor in Chief Steve Oslica.
General Policies
According to Article II, Section A of The Maneater
Constitution, it is the duty of the Editor in Chief to
“structure, appoint, and administer the editorial staff,” and
to “set all editorial policies,” consistent with guidelines
set by the constitution of the organization, the mission
statement of the newspaper and the Board of Curators, as
the publishers of the newspaper.
The following are official policies of The Maneater, set
as of August 2007 by Editor-in-Chief Steve Oslica and
Managing Editor Rae Nudson.
MOVE Magazine, the production managers of The Maneater and
MOVE Magazine and the online editor.
Resignation:
Personnel Policies:
• A formal resignation from staff in the form of a letter, e-mail or
other applicable communication to the Editor in Chief, Managing
Editor, section editor or other member of the editorial staff is assumed
to relinquish the employee’s staff titles, payroll status and is also
assumed not to leave open the possibility for the former staff member
to return in the future.
• Should a former staffer who has formally resigned in the past
return to work for the newspaper, they will start out as a reporter,
photographer and/or designer and work their way onto staff in the
same manner as any other new staffer.
Membership Requirements:
Disciplinary Action:
• According to Article II, Section A of the constitution, “Membership
in The Maneater is open to all MU students enrolled in a minimum
of six (6) course hours. Maneater staff members must maintain a 2.0
grade point average.”
• According to Article IV, Section B of the constitution, “staff members
serve at the request of the editor-in-chief or the business manager.”
• Most times, disciplinary action will consist of a meeting with
the Editor in Chief and Managing Editor to discuss the problem,
suspension from the operation of the paper for a set period of time or
a dock in pay, as the situation merits. However, should the situation
warrant, the constitution lays out a procedure for a formal removal
from staff. The constitution states:
“Any staff member who is not performing the job for which he or she
was hired, in the opinion of his or her immediate superior, can be
dismissed after the following procedure:
1. A letter must be sent to the staff member outlining why the
supervisor feels the job is not being adequately performed. A two-week
period must be given for the staff member to improve performance.
2. After the two-week period, the editor-in-chief or business manager
and the staff member’s immediate supervisor will meet, and a final
decision will be made. The editor-in-chief or the business manager
must keep a written record of all transactions between the staff
member and him or herself.
3. The staff members may appeal the decision to the Student
Publications Board, but the final decision lies with the editor-in-chief
or the business manager.”
• However, in certain cases it is the prerogative of the Editor in Chief
and Managing Editor to fire a staff member without two-week notice.
This happens in the following circumstances:
- Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA while enrolled in at least six hours
of classes.
- An employee has become a legal liability and/or put the
integrity of the paper in jeopardy.
- Violation of city, state or federal law or the MU Student Code
of Conduct.
- Abuse or theft of office resources or equipment.
- An editor is unreachable for more than 48 hours without prior
notice.
The application of this policy is at the discretion of the Editor in
Chief and Managing Editor after appropriate investigation and
communication with the staffer in question.
Staff Structure and Composition:
• According to Article II, Section A of the constitution, “[The] Maneater
staff is defined as current placement on The Maneater payroll.”
• When a student joins The Maneater, they start out as a reporter (if
writing), photographer and/or designer.
• Designers are able to join payroll immediately, but they do not
immediately become a staff writer or photographer. They do, however,
immediately become a staff member when they join payroll.
• Reporters and photographers become staff writers and staff
photographers after their fifth story or photo that runs in the print
edition or on themaneater.com. This is denoted in bylines and the staff
writer or photographer can then join payroll. Because of the process
to join payroll, it is recommended that reporters and photographers
begin the process after their third story or photo in order to be on
payroll once they are eligiable to be paid.
• Staff writers and photographers retain their titles for two semesters.
In the second semester, they receive the pay of a senior staff writer
or photographer without the title. A writer or photographer becomes
senior staff in their third semester of writing or taking photos, and
this change is denoted in bylines.
• Staff members who leave The Maneater for internships, work at The
Missourian or in any way leaving open the possibility of returning to
the newspaper at a later time retain their staff status and get it back
when they return.
The editorial board:
• In the broadest sense of the term, the editorial board consists of the
Editor in Chief and Managing Editor, the news editors, the forum,
projects, sports, arts and entertainment, features and photo editors,
as well as the editor of MOVE Magazine, the production managers of
The Maneater and MOVE Magazine and the online editor.
•At the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor,
assistants to the production managers and online editors can be
included in the editorial board as well.
• In the context of these policies, the term “section editors” includes
the news editors, the forum, projects, sports, arts and entertainment,
features and photo editors, as well as the copy chief(s), the editor of
Content Policies:
Editing and Style:
• All stories must be edited by a section editor, a copy editor, the copy
chief on duty, the managing editor and the editor-in-chief. The story
is then sent to production, and is read on the page by the managing
editor and editor-in-chief before sending the page to the printer.
• Writers must sit with the section editor and copy editor while their
story is read. In certain circumstances, the section editor can exercise
discretion in allowing a writer not to sit for editing, but the editor
must then sit for copy editing in the writer’s place.
• All section editors must stay in the office until all their stories have
gone through reading by the copy chief. An editor can be dispensed
from this requirement on certain occasions by the copy chief and the
editor-in-chief or managing editor.
• Stories are to be edited to comply with local style according to this
stylebook and, where there is no local style that applies, according
to AP Style, as layed out in the most recent edition of the Associated
Press Stylebook.
• According to The Maneater Stylebook, style questions should be
answered in the following manner:
“This stylebook should act as the first source for determining style
for any non-advertising Maneater copy. The AP Stylebook should
be consulted next, followed by Working With Words and the APauthorized dictionary. In cases where a style question is not answered
by any of these resources, the Editor-in-Chief will make a style
decision, to be entered in the master copy of this stylebook.”
• Section editors and copy editors should be administered a copy test
at the beginning and middle of each semester as a way to see what
style points an editor needs to work on and to let the copy desk and
copy chief know what to look for when editing.
Stories:
• Every full story should be approximately 450-600 words and contain
information and quotes from at least three authoritative human
sources. In some cases, at the discretion of the section editor, a
paper source of appropriate weight can be substituted for one of the
required human sources.
• Every brief story should be 250-400 words and contain one or two
human sources. The same rules about paper sources apply to briefs,
but stories containing no human sources should be avoided at all
costs. In all cases, human sources should be contacted for comment.
• Unnamed sources may only be used with the explicit permission
of the Editor-in-Chief. Anonymity is an agreement between The
Maneater and the source, and as such, the reporter, their section
editor and the Editor-in-Chief must all know the identity of the
source. All information provided by an anonymous source should be
verifed by at least three other sources, and every effort should be made
to find a source who will consent to be named.
• All news and sports stories should include direct quotes, not just
paraphrases.
• All subjective (qualitative statements) must be attributed to a
source. All empirical, quantitative facts should also be attributed to a
source unless the reporter can find the same fact corroborated by at
least three non-affiliated sources.
• All sources, whether in copy or photos, should be identified by
first and last name (no middle initial or courtesy titles, unless for an
obituary) with at least one descriptor.
• This descriptor should be a title most relevant to the story.
Persons providing general quotes with no special affiliation should be
described as the following:
• Students: by year of undergraduate study (freshman, sophomore,
etc.) or status as a graduate student
• Faculty/staff: area of study if faculty, area of work if staff
• Non-MU sources: Columbia resident (or wherever the source is from)
or other title applicable to the story
• More information on titles is available in the relevant stylebook
sections.
Use of Social Networking Sites:
• Social networking Web sites such as Facebook.com and Myspace.
com should be used solely as a directory to get find sources or gather
contact information for them.
• Names can be cq’d using Facebook.com, but no other information
about sources should be used from or verified by social networking
Web sites.
• Pictures from social networking sites cannot be used without the
permission of the source involved, and preferably should be provided
by the source via some other means of delivery.
Copyrights:
• Once a story, photo, comic, column, or page design is submitted to
The Maneater — whether it is published or not — the copyright to
that work becomes property of The Maneater.
• In order for you to reproduce — or more importantly, reuse in another
publication — the work again you must obtain the permission of the
editor-in-chief of The Maneater.
• A Copyright Agreement must be completed at the time a student
joins The Maneater’s payroll.
Quote Checks:
• All sources must be offered the chance to have their quotes read back
to them, an offer they may decline.
• Quotes cannot be changed at the time of the quote check. Facts can
be clarified and new quotes taken down, but a quote check is not a
chance for a source to revise what they said, it is a chance for the
source to tell the reporter if something in the quote or the quote in
context is inaccurate. If a source says a quote is inaccurate, the quote
should be removed and replaced with a new quote from the source
that is accurate.
• Give the source the quote in context, but do not read back any part
of the story that doesn’t include the source.
• When a phone message is left or e-mail is sent with a quote check,
the reporter should set a reasonable time for the source to get back to
them by before assuming the quotes are accurate. The source should
be notified of this time and the reporter should make all efforts to
contact the source before that time.
• At the discretion of a section editor, a reporter that is otherwise done
with a story can leave the office and wait for a response to a quote
check provided they keep the editor posted on the status of the quote
check.
• Use this as a time to double-check the source’s title and name
spelling.
• Quotes can be edited for grammar in certain circumstances, but not
for content.
• If a reporter’s quote checks come into question, the editor-in-chief,
managing editor or section editor can request that quote checks by
phone be done in their presence or that copies of quote checks by email be presented when the editor is reading the story.
Accuracy checks (CQ’s):
• The section editor must independently verify all proper nouns in a
story. The nouns should be copied out of the story’s body text and
placed at the top of the story for verification.
• The editor-in-chief and managing editor can set some disciplinary
action for missing verification of CQ’s.
Editorials:
• Ideas for editorials will be discussed at the first budget meeting on
Monday and Thursday. Since attendance is required of all editors at
that meeting everyone should have an idea for editorials based on
their section’s content.
• All news editors, the photo editor and any other editor who has a
story to be editorialized about are required to be at second budget. All
other section editors are welcome to attend if they so choose.
• The editorials will represent the majority of the editorial board
members present at the second budget meeting. The members
present at the meeting will vote on which issues to editorialize about
as well as what the editorial will say.
• As in all other matters before the editorial board, the editor-in-chief
will not cast a vote in the editorial except in the case of a tie.
• Once the forum editor has written the editorials, it is preferable
that all editors present at the second budget meeting that are still
available should read the editorial to ensure accuracy of content and
style. However, if the editors are not available or time does not permit
all editors to read, at bare minimum the editorials should be section
edited by the section editor who’s section encompasses the issue in
the editorial before sending the editorial to the copy desk.
Columns and Cartoons:
• The views represented on the columnist and comics pages do not
necessarily represent the views of The Maneater editorial board,
however, the editor-in-chief reserves the right to prevent any content
from running in the paper as a matter of editorial policy.
• Columns will be edited for content, style and grammar. Substantial
changes to the content of a column will be check with the columnist.
• The editor-in-chief, managing editor and forum editor reserve the
right to determine what it so patently offensive that it warrants a
re-write of the column or a review of a columnist’s employment and
further disciplinary action.
Conflicts of Interest:
• Any reporter who is assigned a story and later finds that writing the
story could lead to allegations of a conflict of interest should contact
their editor as soon as possible so the story can be reassigned.
• There are many types of conflicts of interest that can pose problems,
including but not limited to:
- Political ties, including membership in political organizations,
active campaigning for candidates, active showing of political
memorabilia (bumper stickers on cars used for reporting, stickers
on clothing or materials used during reporting, buttons, etc.)
- Organizational ties, including membership in organizations
being covered, involvement in events being covered and being
the contact person for an organization or event being covered.
- Commercial ties, if the reporter would profit in any way from
coverage of an event or organization.
• Another type of conflict of interest lies in your relationship with
sources. Reporters should never use their friends, roommates, floormates, fraternity brothers/sorority sisters, family members or any
other close relation as a source. A good rule to keep in mind is
that you and your sources should be friendly but not friends. Good
relationships with sources bring better stories but close relationships
can cause big problems.
• The final determination of what does or does not constitute a
conflict of interest lies with the editor-in-chief.
• In the event of a conflict of interest involving the editor-in-chief or
managing editor, the executive editor involved should forego reading
the story on the computer. However, because changes are more easily
traceable on page proofs, the executive editor involved should read
the story on the page.
Other Administrative Policies:
Reimbursement of costs:
• All expenses for which staff members wish to be reimbursed must
receive approval from the editor-in-chief or managing editor prior to
the expenditure.
• Exceptions will be made when prior approval is not feasible.
• An original receipt is required for reimbursement.
• The business adviser handles reimbursement matters.
Press Passes:
• At the request of a section editor, a reporter can receive a Maneater
press pass on an as-needed basis.
• The business adviser must approve press passes and request them
from the ID card office in the University Bookstore.
Professionalism:
• As reporters and photographers for The Maneater, you are a
professional journalist working for a professional media outlet.
• As such, you represent the organization on campus, in public
and when you are not reporting but showing the insignia of the
organization in some way.
• Professional conduct (and, in some cases, dress) are vital to being
taken seriously when covering events and issues, whether you are on
the phone or out in the field.
• Conduct that is unprofessional, affects your ability to do the job
you have been hired to do, affects your relationship with sources or
tarnishes the image of the organization or your fellow staff members
will be handled in a manner deemed necessary by the editor-in-chief
and managing editor.
General Style
A
A022 Brady Commons
Located in the basement of Brady Commons. Note the numeral 0.
Should never be referred to as just A022. See “Center for Student
Involvement”
abortion
Do not use “pro-choice” or “pro-life” because there is no “antichoice” or “pro-death.”
Instead, use “abortion-rights opponent” or “abortion-rights
advocate.” Again, no one is for “life” any more than they are for
“death.” One is either for or against the rights to an abortion.
The appropriate adjectives are “anti-abortion-rights” and “proabortion-rights.”
Acceptable usage includes "reproductive rights," which are not the
same as "abortion rights." Included in "reproductive rights" are
other forms of birth control.
This is an exception to AP style.
abbreviations
Use sparingly. In addresses, “street,” “avenue” and “boulevard” are
abbreviated only when a street number is given. Example: Bob
lives at 123 Maple St., but Amy lives on Pine Street.
In general, abbreviations of one or two letters take periods.
Examples: 600 B.C., U.N., a.m., p.m. Exceptions to this rule
include AM, FM, 35mm camera, AP Stylebook, IQ and TV.
Abbreviations of three or more letters do not take periods
unless they would otherwise spell out an unrelated word.
Examples: FBI and YMCA, but c.o.d.
Don’t use acronyms at all unless they’re obvious from the first
reference to the organization or object. If an acronym is
easily discernible from the name of the organization, refer
to the organization without any additional acronym or other
information in parentheses. Example: The Residence Halls
Association is responsible for dividing funds between the 18
residence halls on campus. Every year, RHA is responsible...
Avoid alphabet soup. Use terms like “the group,” “the organization”
or “the association” whenever possible.
academic degrees
Always use the word “degree” after the appropriate designation.
Example: She received a bachelor’s degree in history. Not: She
received a bachelor’s in history.
Use “doctoral degree,” not “doctorate."
Do not use abbreviated terms such as B.J., B.S., M.A. and Ph.D.
unless it is part of a series of names in which spelling out the
full titles would be awkward.
Academic Exploration and Advising Services
A fancy name for the seven academic advisers who work in the
Student Success Center. Do not use except in quotes.
according to
“According to” should be used when referencing or quoting any
information that was not said aloud by a person. That includes
material from a letter, memo, statistics, report, press release,
document, etc.
The words following “according to” should always be as specific
as possible.
Vague terms such as “a document” make the reader suspicious. Try
“a government document detailing FBI protocol,” for example.
Letters, memos and the like can “state” information. People always
“said” something; they never “stated” it.
When using quotes from e-mails it's always "said in an e-mail."
Note: E-mails are not an official source.
acronyms
Spell out the full name of the group whenever possible on first
reference. Common groups such as MSA and ASUM may be
abbreviated in headlines and leads for conciseness, but they
must be fully spelled out on second reference.
Never follow a group’s full name with its abbreviation set off by
dashes or parentheses. If the acronym needs such explanation,
it should not be used. Right: The Missouri Students Association
will give them $10. MSA will ... Wrong: The Missouri Students
Association (MSA) will ...
Exceptions: In direct quotes do not spell out an acronym if the
speaker did not say it. Also, STRIPES should never be spelled
out.
See the “STRIPES” entry.
Activity and Recreation Center
The city’s recreation center, located at the corner of Ash Street and
Clinkscales Road. ARC is acceptable in headlines and leads and
is preferable to Recreation Center.
Add Sheet
The yellow, weekly coupon/advertisement magazine handed out
on campus and distributed throughout the city.
addresses
Identify places by their addresses, with the following exceptions:
1. In obituaries, only use the city to identify the deceased. Thieves
often read obits to find out what houses will be left unguarded
and when.
2. Use a building’s address only if it adds something to the story.
Addresses should be used if the story discusses an upcoming
event being held there, construction being done there, it is a
place of business or if the story concerns the particular location
of the building.
3. The adress of a home where a crime was committed should not
be included, only an approximate area. Example: A residence
near the intersection of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue.
Abbreviate “street,” “avenue,” “boulevard” and “turnpike” in
complete addresses.
African American (noun), African-American (adjective)
Never use “Afro-American.” Both the noun and adjective are
acceptable for an American black person of African descent.
Some people prefer the term “black.” If possible, ask which term
the person prefers. Do not use “black” as a noun.
This term is not acceptable for a black person who lives in, say,
England. Also, people from Caribbean nations, for example,
would refer to themselves as Caribbean-American.
AIDS
attribution
See HIV/AIDS.
Always use the past-tense “said” with quotes or paraphrases —
never “giggled,” “laughed,” “moaned” or “sighed.” People don’t
giggle statements, no matter how hard they try.
Use "said in an e-mail" for all information quoted in e-mails. Emails should not be used as a source when it can be avoided.
Use the present-tense “says” in Move stories.
The order of attribution is: “Quote,” title person said. For titles
of more than four words, use this order: “Quote,” said person,
title.
Examples: “Quote,” Chancellor Richard Wallace said. “Quote, too,”
said Cathy Scroggs, vice chancellor for Student Affairs.
When quoting an MU student, use this formula: “Quote,” junior
Brian Anthony said. Omit “MU” before the person’s year in
school, unless the article is in the Outlook or Sports sections.
If a vital source cannot be reached for comment, simply say that.
Example: Joe Smith could not be reached for comment.
In some pieces, we want to emphasize that we tried desperately to
get “the other side of the story” or hear from a vital source. In
those very rare cases, it may be appropriate to write, “Joe Smith
did not return several phone calls regarding ...”
See “titles” for more information
alumna, alumnae, alumnus, alumni
“MU graduate” is preferred. Never use “alum.”
alumna = one female graduate
alumnae = several female (ALL MUST BE FEMALE) graduates
alumnus = one male graduate
alumni = several male graduates OR a group of graduates containing
males and females
There are two alumni centers in Columbia. The one across from
Jesse Hall is properly called the “Donald W. Reynolds Visitor
and Alumni Center,” but use “Reynolds Alumni Center” on first
reference. “Alumni Center” is suitable on second reference.
The other center, located on Carrie Francke Drive off Stadium
Boulevard, is the “Old Alumni Center.”
The Alumni Center is named after a graduate of the MU School of
Journalism and founder of the Donrey Media Group.
See “Reynolds Alumni Center” for more information.
allegedly
Never use, not even as an adjective. It's not a defense against libel;
an alleged rapist is still a type of rapist. Always use “Police said”
and “arrested on suspicion of.”
a.m.
Always use lowercase form; use a space to separate the numerals
from “a.m.”
Avoid redundancies such as “7 a.m. Tuesday morning.”
auditoriums
Can be used as a location. Capitalize names of auditoriums.
Example: The speech in Allen Auditorium.
avenue
Abbreviate “avenue” when used in a specific address, such as “She
lives at 111 Smith Ave.” But “She lives on Park Avenue.”
Amphitheater at Mizzou
Use on first reference to the structure south of Memorial Stadium.
On subsequent references, use the amphitheater.
anonymity
See the policy section on use of anonomous sources in all cases.
An anonymous source must be identified as such in the following
way: “(a source), who asked to remain anonymous, ...” (A source)
can be replaced with a suitable title, such as “A member of Delta
Tau Delta, who asked that his name be withheld...”
For clarity’s sake, an anonymous source or person used repeatedly
throughout an article may be identified using a pseudonym.
Again, check with the editors first.
Arts and Science Building
Use the uppercase form of “Building,” because it is part of the
formal title. Note the singular “Science.”
Asian American (noun) Asian-American (adjective)
Not “Oriental.” Generally, use “Asian” as a modifier. Be specific.
If someone is Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc., specify that in
the story.
Associated Students of the University of Missouri
Student lobbying group. ASUM is acceptable on second reference
or in a headline. The Columbia, Rolla and Kansas City campuses
have ASUM chapters, St. Louis was previously not a member
but has since joined.
Unless he or she is the legislative director or assistant director,
a student working with ASUM is a lobbyist, not a legislative
assistant.
athletic department
Like academic departments, this department is lowercase.
B
Big 12
Not “Big Twelve.” Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M joined
the Big Eight in 1995. Colorado, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas,
Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Nebraska were
the original eight members.
black
Acceptable as an adjective for a person of the black race. Do not
use “black” or “blacks” as a noun. This is an exception to AP
style. “African-American” (adjective) and “African American”
(noun) are both fine. If possible, ask which term the person
prefers.
Black Culture Center
See “Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.”
black studies program
blog, blogger
Blue Book
Familiar term for the Official Manual for the state of Missouri,
which has appeared in green and mauve hardbound editions in
addition to the familiar blue. Also available online at www.sos.
mo.gov/bluebook/.
The Blue Fugue
Note the uppercase T. Called The Music Cafe until 2005. Located
at 120 S. Ninth St. Telephone number is 573-815-9995. Scott
Meiner is the manager.
blue lights
A common name for the emergency phones found on campus.
Use “blue light emergency phone.” “Blue lights” or "emergency
phones" are both acceptable for second reference. "Blue lights"
is acceptable in headlines.
The Blue Note
Note the uppercase T. Located at 17 N. Ninth St. Telephone
number is 573-874-1944. Richard King is the owner.
Board of Elections Commissioners
The appointed board in charge of MSA elections. BEC is acceptable
on second reference.
boards
When referring to a board, use the pronoun “it” and not “they.”
Boone County Circuit Court
Also Circuit Court, the court. Boone and Callaway counties make
up the 13th Judicial Circuit.
The Circuit Court has three judicial classifications: circuit judges,
associate circuit judges and municipal judges. The first two
hear all civil, criminal, juvenile and probate cases. The latter
hears cases involving city ordinances.
Boone County Commission
Also County Commission, the commission. This is the legislative
and executive body for Boone County. The southern district
is District I and the northern is District II, but always use the
directional designations in print. Columbia is in the northern
district.
The presiding commissioner holds a four-year term; the other two
serve for two years each.
Commissioner Keith Schnarre, but “the commissioner.”
Boone County Courthouse
Note the difference from County-City Building and Daniel Boone
City Building. Located at 705 E. Walnut St., the building has
columns in front of it.
Boone County Fairground
Not fairgrounds because there’s only one. Located just north of
Columbia on U.S. 63.
Boone County towns
Incorporated cities and towns in Boone County are Ashland,
Centralia, Columbia, Hallsville, Harrisburg, Hartsburg, McBaine,
Rocheport and Sturgeon. Unincorporated areas in Boone County
are Brown’s Station, Claysville, Easley, Englewood, Hinton,
Huntsdale, Lupus, Midway, Murry, Pierpoint, Prathersville,
Ruggs, Rucker, Wilton and Woodlandville.
Boone County Fire Protection District
Refer to the county’s volunteer fire services by this term only, not
by “fire department.” On second reference, use “the district.”
Boone County Sheriff’s Department
Note the apostrophe.
Boone Hospital Center
Located at 1600 E. Broadway. The hospital, formerly Boone County
Hospital, is governed by a five-member board of trustees. It
was leased to Christian Health Services, a private group from
St. Louis, for 10 years. Christian Health Services, now Barnes
Jewish Christian, is in charge of the hospital’s day-to-day
operations while the county retains ownership.
Boonville
Not “Booneville.” Located in Cooper County.
Brady Commons
One of the two student unions at MU. It houses Brady Food Court,
Mizzou Market, Tiger Tech and the University Bookstore, the
Women’s Center, the Brady Art Gallery and the offices of most
student organizations. Never use “Brady” or “the Commons.”
Brady Commons expansion
Used for all references to the construction and expansion of Brady
Commons. Do not use the "New Student Center Project" in any
reference.
Brady Food Court
Not Brady Commons Food Court or any other derivation. Run by
Campus Dining Services, it includes Grill 39, Chick-fil-A, Pizza
Hut, Caffé Fresco and Sunshine Sushi.
Broadway
Always referred to as “Broadway.” Where applicable, use west and
east designations: 100 W. Broadway, 1600 E. Broadway.
Business, College of Business
Was known as the College of Business and Public Administration
until Fall Semester 1999.
President George Bush
The 43rd president of the United States. No "W." is needed.
Business Loop 70
Always spell out. When referring to direction, use “Business Loop
70 E.” or “Business Loop 70 W.”
Specific addresses are the same style.
bylines
Follow this order: writer’s name, return, writer’s designation.
Writer’s designations: Reporter, Staff Writer (after five stories
have been written a reporter becomes a staff writer on the
sixth byline), Senior Staff Writer (after two semesters as a staff
writer), Associate Editor (if writing for a different section from
the one he or she edits), News Editor (if the University News,
Student Organizations, City/State/Nation or Crime Editor
writes a story for any of those sections), Arts and Entertainment
Editor, Features Editor, Managing Editor or Editor-in-Chief. All
significant words in designations should be capitalized.
If a Reporter writes his/her fifth and sixth story for the same issue
Staff Writer is used for both bylines for consistency.
If the production manager, graphics editor, online editor or photo
editor writes a story, he or she is designated “Associate Editor,”
unless it involves those respective areas.
If someone who is not a current MU student writes a story, Special
to The Maneater is the appropriate designation.
If two writers worked on a story together to a fairly equal degree,
use this order: writers’ names, return, “Of The Maneater Staff.”
Always put the names in alphabetical order.
Avoid bylines of more than two people, but three people is the
cap.
If one reporter contributed to a story but not sufficiently enough
to call for a double byline, the phrase, “Joe Schmoe contributed
to this report,” should end the article.
If several reporters contributed to a story, the phrase, “The
following staff writers contributed to this article:” followed by
the names of those reporters, should end the article.
When writing the byline for a brief or ticker, place the reporter’s
name at the end of the article. Make an em dash (shift + option
+ dash), space, writer’s name.
C
capitalization
Capitalize organizational titles when the full name is given. Retain
capitalization when referring to a specific body if the context
makes the name of the nation, state, city, etc. unnecessary.
For example, Missouri Department of Natural Resources,
Department of Natural Resources, the department.
Capitalize official titles before a person’s name, but not when the
title follows a name and never when the title stands alone.
Never capitalize coach or spokesman/spokeswoman before a
name.
Do not capitalize a student’s year in school, even before that
person’s name. Do not capitalize a person’s title, if it’s more of
a job decision than a title. Examples: janitor, manager, cook,
professor.
Carnahan Quadrangle
This grassy area between Conley Avenue and Cornell Hall was named
after former Gov. Mel Carnahan in 2003. The area, formerly
the South Quadrangle, is now named “The Mel Carnahan
Quadrangle: Honoring Leadership in Public Service.” Refer to it
as the “Carnahan Quadrangle." Never "South Quadrangle."
Center for Student Involvement
Located in A022 Brady Commons. All MSA offices, with the
exception of the MSA/GPC Box Office, are located there, as well
as the offices of most student organizations. Formerly known
as the GOAL Office.
Central Missouri Humane Society
On second reference, the Humane Society or the society.
Appropriately located at 616 Big Bear Blvd.
Central Missouri State University
Located in Warrensburg. CMSU is acceptable on second
reference.
Chancellor
Capitalize only before the name.
Christmas
Never abbreviate “Christmas” as “Xmas,” even in a headline.
Never liken a culture’s holiday celebration to Christmas when
referring to it, as in Hanukkah as the “Jewish Christmas” or
Kwanzaa as the “African Christmas.”
Use “winter break” or “intersession,” not “Christmas break.”
Circuit Court
See “Columbia City Council.”
class titles
Always include a student's year in school (the online directory
should be used to confirm, not determine, a student's year in
school.)
Always lowercase a student’s year in school (including graduate),
except at the beginning of a sentence.
When quoting a student, always use the following format: “I like
beer,” senior Alva Nother said.
A graduate student is just that, not a “law student” or “med
student.” The person is a “graduate student in the School of
Law.”
coach
Do not capitalize, even before names. Do not use “head coach”
— ever.
COIN
Columbia Online Information Network. Use COIN on second
reference. It’s online at www.coin.org.
colleges
Within the University of Missouri, use “College of Whatever.” On
second reference, use “the college” or “the whatever college.”
At MU, we have the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural
Resources; the College of Arts and Science (note singular); the
College of Business; the College of Education; the College of
Engineering; the College of Human Environmental Sciences
(note plural); and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Do not
confuse with schools within MU.
See “schools” for more information.
colon
Capitalize the first word after a colon if everything following the
colon is a complete sentence. If it is merely a fragment, do not
capitalize the first word following the colon.
In most cases, a colon will replace an em dash and suffice just
as well. Although em dashes may look more emphatic or
compelling, they take up more room. If in doubt, consult with
an editor.
Columbia/Boone County Board of Health
On second reference, use “the Board of Health” or “the board.”
Of the nine members who sit on the board, the Columbia City
Council appoints seven and the Boone County Commission
appoints two.
Columbia City Council
On second reference, use the council or the City Council. Capitalize
City Council when referring to a specific council. Council
used alone is not capitalized. Refer to people on the council
as councilmen and councilwomen individually and council
members as a collective group. Six wards are represented by
City Council members.
Columbia College
Formerly Christian College. Located at Tenth and Rogers streets.
Columbia Daily Tribune
Note the “Daily.” On second reference, use “the Tribune.” Located
at 101 N. Fourth St.
See “Boone County Circuit Court.”
City Council
Columbia Fire Department
“Fire Department” or “the department” is acceptable on second
reference, but “Fire Department” must be capitalized when
used.
If referring to commencement ceremonies at another university,
check to see if they use graduation instead.
Columbia Housing Authority
committees
On second reference, use “Housing Authority” or “the authority.”
It operates and sets rental rates for city housing projects for
low-income, elderly and disabled people.
Capitalize names of standing committees.
In government stories, capitalize if it is part of a formal name, such as
Senate Judiciary Committee or House Banking Subcommittee.
Columbia Human Rights Commission
community adviser
On second reference, use “Human Rights Commission” or “the
commission.” There are nine members.
Columbia Mall
Located at West Worley Street and Stadium Boulevard, the mall
opened in 1985 and was renovated in 1997.
Columbia Missourian
Use instead of “resident assistant” (note the -er ending in adviser).
Community advisers work with students living in the residence
halls. There is one CA assigned to each residence hall floor or
house to be a friend, counselor and supporter for the floor’s
residents (the “community”). Also see "peer adviser."
The abbreviation is “CA” and the plural form is “CAs.” Avoid this
abbreviation, and never abbreviate on the first reference, except
in headlines.
Do not capitalize “the.” The laboratory paper for the School of
Journalism, owned by the Missouri Press Association. On second
reference, use “the Missourian.” Located in Lee Hills Hall at 221
S. Eighth St. The executive editor is Tom Warhover, and the
general manager is Daniel Potter. The paper is published six
days a week; the Weekend Missourian is distributed free across
Columbia.
congressional districts
Columbia Planning and Zoning Commission
Coordinating Board for Higher Education
On second reference, use “the commission.” Nine members sit on
this panel, which approves and denies zoning requests for land
inside the city boundary. P&Z is acceptable in headlines but not
in the story.
counties
Columbia Police Department
On second reference, use “Police Department,” “police” (plural) or
“the department,” but “Police Department” must be capitalized
when used. CPD is also acceptable. Columbia police refers to
the officers and should be lowercase.
Be sure to distinguish between MU and Columbia police when
confusion is likely.
See “MU Police Department” or “police” for more information.
Use “police officers” instead of “policeman,” “policewoman,”
“policemen” or “policewomen.”
Columbia Public Library
Many meetings are held in the library, located at 100 W. Broadway.
Although the building houses the headquarters of the Daniel
Boone Regional Library, it should be referred to only as “the
Columbia Public Library.”
There are nine in Missouri. Always use numeral form when
referring to specific districts, as in the 8th District. Capitalize
“district.”
U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Columbia, represents the 9th District,
which includes Boone County.
The state board that governs the Missouri Department of Higher
Education.
There are 114 in Missouri, in addition to the city of St. Louis, which
is a separate entity under state law.
Always capitalize “county” when used with the full name. For
example, I live in Boone County, but my permanent residence is
in another county.
courtesy titles
As a rule, do not use courtesy titles, even when referring to a
medical doctor. This is an exception to AP style.
In stories where more than one person of the same last name is
quoted or referred to, use first and last names, not courtesy
titles, to avoid confusion.
Exception: In obituaries, use courtesy titles on second and
subsequent references to the dead.
Exception: In obituaries, use “the Rev. Godis Good” to denote a
reverend.
courts
Columbia Regional Hospital
See “Boone County Circuit Court.”
Purchased July 23, 1999, by the UM system. Located at 404 Keene
St., the hospital formerly was privately owned by Tenet.
Crime Stoppers
the Columns
A private organization that awards money to tipsters. Use “Crime
Stoppers” on first reference.
Capitalize when referring to those located on Francis Quadrangle.
Note the lowercase “the.”
There are six.
In Winter Semester 2000, vandals spray painted !BOÑO¡, a hippie
word meaning peace and love, on the Columns.
commencement
Always use lowercase form.
MU has commencement at the end of the Winter and Fall
semesters. It no longer holds a commencement ceremony in
August.
D
datelines
Used when a story takes place in another city. Only use a dateline
if a Maneater reporter was in that city.
Datelines should contain a city name in all capitals, followed by the
state, country or territory where the city is located, followed by
an em-dash (shift+option+dash).
Example: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The story starts here.
Check AP for national cities that do not require a specific state
after them, (Houston, Atlanta, San Diego and many more).
Baghdad is a dateline city in The Maneater.
Never use “Mo.” after a city or county in Missouri, unless the name
of the city or county is a common one, such as Springfield, or
could be confused with other states and provinces, such as
Mexico, Mo., or Nevada, Mo.
When referring to Kansas City, Mo., only write “Kansas City.”
When referring to Kansas City, Kan., add the state.
dates
Never abbreviate days of the week. Don’t abbreviate a month
unless it has a date with it, as in “November 1994” and “Nov.
1, 1994.”
The five months spelled with five or fewer letters are never
abbreviated.
Always use a comma after the year in a sentence. Never separate a
month and a year with a comma; however, if there is a monthday-year construction, use a comma to separate the day and
year.
Fourth of July is written out.
Always use the time-date-place sequence: At 4 p.m. on Nov. 1, 1998,
at the Hearnes Center, the Tigers will have their first public
practice.
Examples: December 1994; Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1996; July 1887; July
4, 1777;
See “Christmas” and “months” for more information.
dean’s list
departments
Academic departments are not capitalized.
“athletic department” — not capitalized
University administrative departments are capitalized.
MSA departments are capitalized.
Examples: physics department, Department of Student Life, MSA
Department of Student Services.
The District
Only use in quotes. As part of a PR campaign, this name was given
to Columbia’s downtown area. Refer to the area as downtown.
The campaign is composed of two organizations, the Columbia
Special Business District and the Central Columbia
Association.
Division of Information Technology
Use full title on first reference. Headlines may refer to DoIT, but it
should be avoided in the story. Use "the division" in subsequent
references whenever possible.
The Division of Information Technology is MU’s computing
services body.
When dealing with stories that discuss the division at any
length, avoid jargon when possible. Do not use “UC” for a user
consultant; Refer to them only as consultants unless other types
of consultants are mentioned in the story.
See “Webmail.”
dorm, dormitory
Once a plan to eliminate all alcohol from fraternity houses by Fall
Semester 2000, it was diluted to permit alcohol consumption by
21-year-old residents and visiting alumni. However, in August
2003 the Interfraternity Council added a bylaw that prohibits
any fraternity member from having alcohol in a fraternity
house, except when holding a sanctioned alumni event. Sorority
houses are already dry.
Dry 2K is acceptable in headlines, not in the story.
Damp2K is never acceptable.
E
editor-in-chief
When refering to The Maneater's executive editor, the title is
hyphenated. For other organizations, defer to their style.
Ellis Fischel Cancer Center
Located at 115 Business Loop 70 W. On second reference, use
“the center,” to recognize this center for cancer research and
therapy. If the story references Boone Hospital Center or other
health care locations use “Ellis Fischel.”
“Fischel” is acceptable in headlines.
The center will move following construction of a new facility in
University Hospital.
Ellis Library
MU’s main library.
Engineers’ Week
Note the possessive. This week coincides with St. Patrick’s Day
each year.
em dash
Use em dashes ( — ) to separate out clauses and phrases in
sentences. To create an em dash, hold down shift and option,
then press the dash key.
Use them sparingly. Often, a comma or colon will work just as
well.
e-mail
Electronic mail or message.
Evans Scholars
A golf fraternity located at 923 Maryland Ave.
exits
When referring to an exit off an interstate, do not capitalize.
Example: The sign is located off Interstate 70 at exit 124.
See “interstate.”
F
Facebook
Do not use unless in columns. Instead, use residence halls — every
time.
Information gathered from Facebook is not considered a credible
source. Neither screen shots from Facebook nor photos
pulled from the Web site are acceptable for publication.
Dry 2000
Faculty Council
On second reference, use “the council.” Faculty Council is the
governing body of MU faculty.
Members meet every other Thursday. Council information is
available online at facultycouncil.missouri.edu/.
Located on Forum Boulevard.
fractions
FarmHouse
Use words when the number is less than one, numbers when it is
more than one.
Example: Two-thirds of the votes, but 3 1/4 grams.
A fraternity located at 802 Richmond Ave. Does not take the article
“the.” Notice the lack of space betweeen "Farm" and "House."
Francis Quadrangle
Faurot Field
Grassy area north of Jesse Hall upon which the Columns stand. On
second reference and in headlines use the Quad.
The Missouri Tigers’ football field. The surrounding stadium is
Memorial Stadium, but Tiger debacles take place on Saturdays
in the fall on Faurot Field. Named after former Missouri
football coach Don Faurot.
fraternities
fewer than
Use “fewer than” with specific numbers. Use “less” in reference to
less specific amounts.
Example: There were fewer minutes on the clock than he thought.
There was less time than he thought.
Finger Lakes State Park
Located north of Columbia off U.S. 63.
firefighter
Always one word, unless it’s a title, such as Fire Fighters Local No.
8055. Never use “fireman” or “firewoman.”
first names
On first reference for an adult, use the first and last name. On
second reference, use only the last name.
Use first names in all references to people under 18, except those
close to the age of 18 who are convicted of criminal offenses.
When referring to more than one person with the same last name,
use both first and last names.
Fling
The singing, dancing main event of Greek Week. The similar event
during Homecoming is not called Fling. Always capitalized,
never “the Fling.”
Floyd, Elson
President of the UM system from Jan. 6, 2003 to April 2007.
For All We Call Mizzou
Always put this $1 billion fundraising drive in quotes. It entered
its public phase in 2003 with a gala on Francis Quadrangle. No
previous fundraising drive has matched or exceeded “For All
We Call Mizzou,” which includes donations to all academic
departments and the athletic department.
Two of the three largest donations in MU’s history — $30 million
to the School of Journalism and $10 million to the athletic
department — were part of this drive.
former
Use in referring to people who no longer hold certain positions.
Lowercase even before the rest of the title and a name, as in
“former President George Russell.”
See “interim” or “titles” for more information.
Forsee, Gary
UM system President Gary Forsee. He started in the position on
Feb. 18, 2008.
Forum 8 Cinemas
On first reference, include "fraternity" after chapter name. Refer to
all Greek organizations as chapters, not houses.
MU’s IFC fraternities include: Acacia, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha
Gamma Rho, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Alpha Kappa Lambda,
Alpha Tau Omega, Beta Sigma Psi, Beta Theta Pi, Delta Chi,
Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, Evans Scholars,
FarmHouse, Kappa Alpha Order, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi
Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Theta, Pi
Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Nu,
Sigma Phi Epsilon, Sigma Pi, Sigma Tau Gamma, Tau Kappa
Epsilon.
MU’s Pan-Hellenic fraternities include: Alpha Phi Alpha, Omega
Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Kappa Alpha Psi.
These change frequently, please check with the Office of Greek Life
for new listings each semester.
See also “sororities.”
See also “Interfraternity Council.”
See also “National Pan-Hellenic Council.”
Frederick Douglass High School
Columbia’s non-traditional high school. Located at 310 N.
Providence Road. Mascot is the Bulldogs.
freshman
Use as in “the freshman class” or in reference to a specific
individual. Use “freshmen” as a plural, collective noun.
Freshman Interest Group
Note the singular form of “freshman.” A Freshman Interest Group
consists of first-year students who live in the same residence hall
and take many of the same classes. The group is led by a peer
adviser, which can be shortened to PA on second reference.
“FIG” or “FIGs” acceptable on second reference. FIGlet is a
derogatory term and should never be used. Ever.
Never use the redundant terms “FIG group” or “freshman FIG.”
G
Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center
Officially called the Lloyd L. Gaines-Marian O’Fallon Oldham Black
Culture Center. On second reference it is the center. BCC is
acceptable but undesirable in headlines.
gay, lesbian, bisexual
When referring to homosexuals of both genders, always use gay
and lesbian — gay is not a catch-all term.
Never use “sexual preference” because it assumes that homosexuality
is a choice. Always use “sexual orientation.”
See “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center.”
See “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Terminology
Supplement.”
gender terms
The general rule of thumb is to use specific terms and avoid
the -person suffix: spokesman, spokeswoman; chairman,
chairwoman. Never use the term "chair," which is an inanimate
object, not a person.
In some cases, however, gender-neutral terms are appropriate or
accepted, as in council member, firefighter or postal worker.
When speaking in a general sense (without referring to a specific
person), avoid common terms that end in -man.
Examples: That duty belongs to salespeople (not salesmen); He is a
salesman; She is a saleswoman.
Exception: “Layman’s terms” is acceptable, but not appreciated,
because it is a cliché.
General Assembly
See Missouri General Assembly.
General Classroom Building
Do not use. Use Strickland Hall.
Renamed Avarh E. Strickland Hall in October 2007. This met one
item on the Legion of Black Collegians List of Demands, which
asked Chancellor Brady Deaton to name a building on campus
after a prominent black figure. The only other building on
campus named after a black person is the Gaines/Oldham Black
Culture Center, which is named after two.
It is made up of five justices from the Panhellenic Council, five
from the Interfraternity Council and two from the National
Pan-Hellenic Council.
Greek Life
Use "Office of Greek Life" on first reference. Capitalize when
referring to MU’s Office of Greek Life. Lowercase “life” when
using in a general sense.
Example: The Rolling Stone article degraded Greek life.
Greektown
One word. Capitalized. Remember, not all Greek houses are
located in Greektown.
Greek Week
Annual festivities and competition between teams of sororities
and fraternities. Held during the spring semester.
See “Fling.”
H
halls
GPA
Capitalize the names of halls and university structures when used
with a formal title or name, as in Neff Hall. Do not capitalize
informal names such as beef cattle barn. Do not use first names
or middle initials in these titles.
The exception is Jesse Wrench Auditorium in Memorial Union,
not to be confused with Jesse Auditorium and not to be called
Wrench Auditorium.
Remember, it’s “Hatch Hall” but “Hatch residence hall.”
GPA is acceptable on all references, as well as in headlines and
leads.
Hearnes Center
Graduate Professional Council
Not Warren E. Hearnes Multipurpose Building or any other
derivation. Not The Hearnes Center.
General Education
Capitalize in all references to the specific program of General
Education.
The student government association for graduate and professional
students. “GPC” is acceptable in the lead, as long as the
organization’s name is spelled out on second reference.
GPC works closely with the Missouri Students Association and
meets every other week.
Graduate School
Use in all references to the Graduate School at MU. All students
seeking master’s and doctoral degrees here are enrolled in the
Graduate School; therefore, it is a graduate student in journalism,
not a student in the Graduate School of Journalism.
graduate student
Always use this term, never “grad student,” “med student,” “law
student” or the like. Instead use “graduate student in the
medical program,” etc.
Greek
Always capitalize. Do not, however, refer to a Greek student as a
Greek.
Greek Judicial Board
Always use on first reference. Greek board is acceptable in
headlines; J-board is never acceptable. It is a board of 12 Greek
students who hear cases involving violations made by entire
Greek chapters against chapter laws and M-Book regulations.
heights
Use figures and spell out words that indicate dimension, such as
“feet,” “yards” and “inches.”
Never use apostrophes for feet and inches (ie. 5'7").
Hyphenate adjective forms before nouns.
Example: It was an 8-inch clock, but the road was 12 1/2 feet wide.
He is 6-foot-4, but she is 5 feet 7 inches tall.
See the “dimensions” entry in the AP stylebook for more
information.
Hickman High School
Located at 1104 N. Providence Road.
Kewpies.
Sports teams are the
highways
Federal highways other than interstates should be referred to as
“U.S. 63,” “U.S. 54,” etc.
State highways are Missouri 163, Missouri 740, etc. Within
Columbia city limits, use the city street designations for these
highways.
County-maintained roads usually have letter designations but
should be referred to by their city street names when within
Columbia. For example, Route B is Paris Road.
HIV/AIDS
Use unless specifically referencing one of the components.
Never use the term "full-blown AIDS."
People don’t die of AIDS. They die of “AIDS-related illnesses.”
Better yet, put the actual disease, and then write later “Mr.
Smith had AIDS,” if necessary.
See “HIV-positive, HIV-negative” for more information.
HIV-positive, HIV-negative
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that causes AIDS.
Although there is a test that measures the presence of HIV in
a person’s blood, the terms “HIV-positive” and “HIV-negative”
refer to the results of tests that measures antibodies in the
blood. A person can be HIV-positive and not have AIDS.
Avoid redundancy like “HIV virus.”
No one dies from HIV. They die from AIDS-related illnesses.
See “HIV/AIDS” for more information.
I
innocent
Do not use when referring to verdicts in criminal cases. The
reason is simple: No one is purely innocent, whether they have
committed a felony or other crime. Just because someone was
declared not guilty by a jury does not necessarily make them
innocent.
Use “acquitted” when applicable.
See “not guilty.”
Intercampus Faculty Council
Hollywood Stadium 14 Theaters
The Intercampus Faculty Council is made up of representatives
from the UM system’s four campuses’ faculty councils.
Use “IFC” or “the council” on second reference, as long as the
reference will not be confused with the Interfraternity Council.
Columbia’s biggest, and most garish, movie theater is located off
Stadium Boulevard near U.S. 63.
Interfraternity Council
Homecoming
Use as one word and always capitalize when referring to any MU
Homecoming event. However, use the lowercase form when
referring to other schools’ homecomings and in reference to the
general idea of homecoming, as in “the first homecoming in the
Midwest was held at MU.”
homosexual, homosexuality
For a general reference, the preferred term is “gay and lesbian” or
“gays and lesbians.” Avoid the term “homosexual” as a noun,
but “homosexuality” is preferred over “lesbianism and gaiety”
or some other such nonsense.
Never use gay as a noun.
See “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Terminology
Supplement.”
Honors College
Use in all references to the MU Honors College, located in Lowry
Hall. Stuart Palonsky is the director of the Honors College. Use
“college” on second reference only if it is the only university
college referred to in the story.
The governing body of the MU fraternity system. “IFC” or “council”
is acceptable on second reference if it will not be confused with
the Intercampus Faculty Council.
See also “fraternities.”
interim
Part of the title for people in temporary positions. Lowercase even
before the rest of the title and a name, as in “interim President
Mel George.”
See “former” or “titles” for more information.
Internet (noun); internet (adjective)
See “World Wide Web” and “online” for more information.
Interstate 70
Always write out on first reference; on second reference, use “I-70.”
This rule applies to all interstate highways but does not apply to
I-70 Drive. “Business Loop 70” should be spelled out.
Isle of Capri Casino
Note that the second ‘C’ is up. This casino opened in December
2001 in Boonville and is part of the Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.
chain.
House of Representatives (Missouri)
Boone County is represented by six districts: the 20th, 21st,
22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th. Check the Blue Book or Missouri
government Web site, house.state.mo.us, for an updated list of
these representatives. Most of the campus falls into the 25th
District.
J
Hy-Vee
Use only in headlines; always capitalize the J. In copy, use “School
of Journalism” on first reference and “the school” or the
“journalism school” on second reference.
Located at 3100 W. Broadway.
Columbia store in 2001.
This grocery chain opened its
J school
hyphens
Jefferson City
Use hyphens in compound modifiers, as in day-care center. Use em
dashes to separate some clauses and phrases in sentences.
Refer to the AP Stylebook punctuation section for detailed rules.
Although absurd amounts of hyphens can be grammatically
correct, do not over-hyphenate. Hyphenated phrases like “Dr.Jekyll-and-Mr.-Hyde quality” will be killed on sight, along with
the hyphenator. Reword phrases to avoid over-hyphenating.
Jesse Auditorium
Missouri’s state capital, Jefferson City, is 27 miles south of
Columbia.
Always refer to it as Jefferson City, never Jeff City.
It has a pretty capitol building and is home to the only ice rink in
mid-Missouri.
Never called “University Auditorium.”
Located in Jesse Hall,
Jesse Auditorium is not to be confused with Jesse Wrench
Auditorium, which is located in Memorial Union.
Jesse Hall
Where most MU administrative offices are located. The big dome
turns green during Engineers’ Week but is normally illuminated
with whitish light. Watch for strange nighttime activity there
the week before Tap Day.
Johnson Auditorium
See Middlebush Hall, Johnson Auditorium.
Jr., Sr.
Abbreviate only with full names, as in Joe Doaks Jr. Do not put a
comma between a last name and the Jr. or Sr. designation.
KWWC/90.5 FM
A Stephens College radio station.
L
Lady Tigers
Never use; instead refer to the team members by their positions,
names or the general “Tigers.” Never use in front of any team
unless absolutely neccesary and part of the team's official
name.
Example: "The Tennessee Lady Volunteers do not play ... "
Lake of the Ozarks
K
Kappa Alpha Order
Always use "Order." Members exploded the fraternity's Civil Warera cannon in 2004, sending metal shards across College Avenue
into the roof of University Place.
Located approximately 70 miles south of Columbia, it is a popular
resort area often referred to as “the lake.”
“The lake” is acceptable on second reference.
Lake of the Woods Recreation Area
On St. Charles Road, northeast of Columbia. It is a 148-acre park.
Legion of Black Collegians
Kansas City
The organization is the official black student government of MU
and was founded by the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1968. LBC
is acceptable in headlines and on second reference.
Stands alone in datelines and in stories unless the reference is to
Kansas City, Kan.
LBC List of Demands
A biking/hiking trail that stretches from St. Charles to Clinton,
formed from the old Kansas-Arkansas-Texas railroad trail.
Do not confuse the Katy Trail with the MKT Nature/Fitness
Trail, which extends from Providence Road to the Katy Trail in
McBaine.
The official list of demands that LBC has for MU. Some demands have
been fulfilled, including granting an honorary undergraduate
degree to Lloyd Gaines and naming a campus building (formerly
the General Classroom Building) after Arvarh E. Strickland,
an influential black academic leader. Other demands include
creating a fully accredited black studies major and increasing
minority enrollment at the university.
KCOU/88.1 FM
legislature
Student-run alternative radio station owned by Missouri Students
Association, after years in the possession of the Residence Hall
Association. The station has had some trouble with the Federal
Communications Commission in the past, and RHA occasionally
has pulled the plug. In spring 2004, the general manager briefly
pulled the DJs off the air in order to re-familiarize them with
FCC regulations. The station is located in Pershing Commons.
See “radio stations” for more information.
See “Missouri General Assembly.”
Katy Trail
Kemper Fellowships
These monetary awards are given by the chancellor to five
outstanding MU professors each year.
You may call them the Kemper Fellowships or the Kemper
awards, but never the Kemper Fellowship awards or any other
derivation.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource
Center
The resource center is located on the second floor of Brady
Commons. Coordinator is John Faughn.
See “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Terminology
Supplement.”
library
See Columbia Public Library and Ellis Library entries.
Life Sciences Center
The NBC affiliate owned by the UM system Board of Curators and
operated by the School of Journalism.
Located off U.S. 63 toward Jefferson City, where, Rolling Stone once
reported, you can smell cow manure in the air.
Use on first reference to the large building at the northwest corner
of College Avenue and Rollins Street. “The center” is acceptable
on second reference, as long as it is not confused with another
center. LSC is grudgingly accepted in headlines, but should be
avoided at all costs. The center is named after Sen. Kit Bond,
and its official name is the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences
Center. Bond secured $30 million in federal funds for the center
in 2000.
Kuhlman Court
Lincoln University
The grassy area north of Brady Commons. Portions are closed
temporarily for the Brady Commons renovation.
A state-supported university in Jefferson City.
“universities.”
KOMU/Channel 8
See also
Lowry Hall
Missouri River
Do not confuse with Lowry Mall. Lowry Hall is the building that
houses Arts and Science advising and the Honors College.
Lowry Hall is located on Lowry Mall.
On second reference, use “the river.” Always capitalize “river”
when used with “Missouri,” unless “river” or “rivers” refers to
more than one.
Examples: The Missouri River is muddy. Both the Missouri and
Colorado rivers are rising.
Big Muddy is capitalized.
Lowry Mall
Do not confuse with Lowry Hall. Lowry Mall is the pedestrian
thoroughfare west of Memorial Union that has been blighted by
the Tiger Spot mosaic.
Missouri Southern State University
Located in Joplin.
M
Missouri State Highway Patrol
Use for all references to this MU student policy handbook put out
by the Department of Student Life.
Missouri State University
M-Book
Macklanburg Playhouse
On the Stephens College campus, the playhouse is used by the
department of performing arts. It is located next to the
Warehouse Theater.
The Maneater
The official student newspaper at the University of MissouriColumbia since 1955. Note the uppercase “T,” to be used in all
references to the newspaper, except when used as an adjective.
Memorial Stadium
The stadium surrounding MU’s Faurot Field.
See “Faurot Field” for more information.
Memorial Union
One of the two student unions at MU. Often referred to in
conjunction with Brady Commons as the “Missouri Unions.”
When referring to a location, such as for an upcoming meeting,
always say whether it is Memorial Union North or Memorial
Union South.
Middlebush Hall, Johnson Auditorium
"Johnson Auditorium" is acceptable in all references to the
"Walter Johnson Auditorium." Johnson Auditorium was called
Middlebush Auditorium until 2005.
Located on the MU campus near Ninth Street and University
Avenue. It was home to the College of Business until Fall
Semester 2002. It is now home to the graduate school of public
affairs, some parts of the sociology department and general
classroom use.
mid-Missouri
Note the lowercase “m.”
the Midwest, Midwesterners, etc.
Missouri Department of Higher Education
On second reference, use “Department of Higher Education” or “the
department.” Oversees state institutions of higher education,
including all state-supported colleges and universities. Governing
body is the Coordinating Board for Higher Education.
Missouri General Assembly
Not “Missouri Highway Patrol.” On second reference, use “Highway
Patrol” or “the patrol.”
“Patrol officers” not “patrolmen.”
Located in Springfield, Mo., this four-year state university can be
referred to as “MSU” on second reference.
The university was formerly known as Southwest Missouri State
University until a name-change bill passed in the General
Assembly during the 2005 session.
Missouri Student Federal Credit Union
Provides banking and financial services for MU, Stephens College
and Columbia College students.
Located in A023 Brady Commons.
Missouri Students Association
Governing body for undergraduate students at MU. Note the
plural form of “students.” Consists of three branches: the
Senate, which elects a speaker each February; an executive
branch, which includes a president and vice president (elected
by a student vote each November), the Department of Student
Activities, the Department of Student Services (which oversees
STRIPES) and the Department of Student Communications;
and a judicial branch, which includes the Student Court.
MSA is acceptable in headlines and ledes as long as the full name is
spelled out somewhere in the first few grafs of the story.
Offices are located in the Center for Student Involvement.
See “Missouri Students Association Senate.”
Missouri Students Association Senate
A branch of the MU student government. Use “MSA Senate” or
“the Senate” on second reference. Its members are senators.
Capitalize senator before a name.
Missouri Supreme Court
The state’s highest court is located in Jefferson City. It is directed
by a chief justice and six judges (not justices).
Missouri Theatre
Located at 203 S. Ninth St., it is owned and operated by the Missouri
Symphony Society. Note the British spelling of "theatre."
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Located in Rolla. Was formerly known as UM-Rolla until January
2008. It's still part of the UM system. Use "Missouri S&T" on
second reference.
Missouri Western State College
Located in St. Joseph.
Mizzou
MU
Never use in a story or headline except in references to proper
nouns, such as Mizzou Connection or the Amphitheater at
Mizzou.
Another exception: If it is used in a column to express sarcasm
about one's patriotic loyalty to an infallible university, "Mizzou"
is acceptable.
It, along with many other words, may be used in a quote.
No periods. Acceptable for all references to the University of
Missouri-Columbia.
There is often no need to identify students, professors, colleges,
schools or departments as “MU.”
Correct: junior Sally Smith, College of Business, School of
Journalism, department of natural resources. Incorrect: MU
junior Sally Smith, MU College of Business, MU School of
Journalism, MU department of natural resources.
If it is clear the student, department, etc is from MU, skip the
“MU.”
Exceptions: In the Outlook section, MU students, professors,
colleges schools and departments must be identified as such if
the failure to do so would cause confusion with other schools
mentioned in the story. But there is no need to identify a
professor, etc. as being from MU if there are no other schools
mentioned in the story.
Mizzou Arena
The home court of the men's and women's basketball teams.
The building briefly was named Paige Arena, after Paige Laurie the
daughter of the building's primary donors, the Laurie family.
After it was revealed that Paige had paid other students to do
her work at the Univerity of Southern California, MU officials
removed Paige's name from the building.
Mizzou Telecom
Acceptable in all references to MU Telecommunications, the office
responsible for phone and cable service on campus.
Mizzou Weekly
Newspaper published by the MU News Bureau.
MKT Trail
On second reference, use “the trail.” The MKT Trail runs from
Providence Road to McBaine, where it connects with the Katy
Trail.
“MKT” stands for “Missouri-Kansas-Texas.”
See “Katy Trail” for more information.
mobile home
Use this term when referring to portable homes. Avoid using the
term “trailer.”
Mojo's
Note the apostrophe. Located at 1013 Park Ave., Mojo's is owned
by Richard King, who also owns The Blue Note. The telephone
number is 875-5088.
months
The five months spelled with five or fewer letters are never
abbreviated.
Always use a comma after the year in a sentence. Never separate
a month and a year with a comma. If there is a month-day-year
construction, use a comma to separate the day and year.
See “dates” for more information.
more than
Use “more than” rather than “over” in references to figures.
Examples: Incorrect: He owed me over $45. Correct: He owed me
more than $45.
MO-X
A popular shuttle service that runs from mid-Missouri to the St.
Louis and Kansas City airports.
MSA
Acceptable in headlines and ledes when referring to the Missouri
Students Association, as long as the organization’s full name is
spelled out somewhere in the first few grafs of the story.
See “Missouri Students Association.”
MU News Bureau
MU's press buffer, it creates news releases and often acts as a
liaison between newspapers and high-ranking officials, such
as the chancellor. Reporters should quote or make reference
to this organization sparingly as a source; The Maneater's
reporters should always try to obtain direct quotes about an
issue whenever possible.
Use “MU spokesman” or “MU spokeswoman” to refer to anyone
who works for the MU News Bureau.
MU Police Department
Refer to the campus police as the “MU Police Department” on first
reference. Second, subsequent and headline references should
use “MUPD.”
The department moved its headquarters to the Virginia Avenue
Parking Garage during Winter Semester 2002.
When referring to the police officers, use “MU police” or “police.”
Note the lowercase police.
Remember: The MUPD is the organization whereas the MU police
are officers. MUPD is singular and MU police are plural.
MUPD is an accredited police department.
MU Student News
MU's now-defunct alternative student newspaper, it is published
online only with varying success. Marc Thompson is the
publisher. The Web site is www.mustudentnews.com.
Multicultural Greek Council
The governing body of MU's ethnically based or diversity-oriented
sororities. Members include Sigma Lambda Gamma (MU's
Latina sorority), Alpha Phi Gamma (MU's Asian-American
sorority) and Gamma Rho Lambda (MU's progressive sorority).
Use "MGC" on second reference.
Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
Courtesy titles such as these are used only in reference to the
dead in obituaries. See “courtesy titles” and “names” for more
information.
N
names
Do not use courtesy titles. Exception: Use them in obituaries, but
only for second and subsequent references to the dead.
When more than one source has the same last name in a single
article, use first and last names to avoid confusion.
People under the age of 18 may be identified by only their first
names on second reference.
NAACP
Acceptable on all references to the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People. Distinguish between chapters
of the NAACP, when applicable.
MU has an NAACP chapter.
See “fractions” for more information.
O
obituaries
Abbreviate and capitalize the word “number” when followed by
a numeral.
Use the complete date, including the day of the week and the
year, when referring to the date of death. If the dead person is
younger than 70, the cause of death must be reported. If the
person is older, list the cause if it was not natural.
On second and subsequent references, use courtesy titles for the
deceased (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Dr. and the Rev.)
Say “died;” do not use euphemisms such as “passed away.”
For survivors and the dead, include city and state where
applicable.
Accuracy is an important aspect of writing an obituary. It’s hard
to do, but you must call a family member to verify information
and personalize the article. There is no second chance.
Try to humanize the story whenever possible with information
about his or her work and hobbies. Talk to family members,
friends and co-workers. Search our online morgue.
No Child Left Behind Act
OK
National Pan-Hellenic Council
“NPHC” is acceptable in headlines and leads and on second
reference.
This association of nine historically black fraternities and
sororities at MU is a member of the nationwide National PanHellenic Council Inc. Membership is not restricted to black
students.
No. 1, No. 2, etc.
Note the word “Act.”
non-discrimination policy
The UM system has a non-discrimination policy (note the hyphen).
Within that policy are clauses for gender, religion, veteran
status, sexual orientation, etc.
Never use the phrase “non-discrimination clause.”
See “statements of non-discrimination” and “sexual orientation
clause.”
non-discrimination statements
See “statements of non-discrimination."
non-profit
Northwest Missouri State University
NMSU on second reference. The school’s leader is President
Dean Hubbard, and its governing body is the NMSU Board of
Regents.
not guilty
Do not use "innocent."
Example: “She pleaded not guilty."
nuclear reactor
Formerly called the Research Reactor Center. Located in Research
Park on South Providence Road.
numbers
Write out one through nine and use numerals for 10 or more.
(Exception: Tenth Street)
All street addresses are numerals, as are all dimensions, when
used with “inch,” “foot” or other measurements. Always write
out a number if it is starting a sentence, but try to rework the
sentence so that the number does not lead it.
Use numerals if years begin a sentence, but try to reword the
sentence in this case.
Spell out casual numeric uses, as in “I've heard that excuse a
million times.”
Use No. 1 and No. 2 in all such references.
Always use two capital letters. Do not use “okay.”
Old 63
The name of the highway formerly called “Business 63.” Do not use
the term “Old Highway 63.” Addresses should read 10 S. Old 63,
not 10 Old 63 S.
online
Never “on-line.” Use “online” in all references to communication
on the Internet.
over
Avoid using this and other directional prepositions such as under,
around, etc. in non-directional references.
Examples: Incorrect: He owed me over $45. Correct: He owed me
more than $45.
P
Panhellenic Association
This is the governing body of MU’s sorority system. When
discussing the executives, say "Panhellenic Association
executive council." On second reference PHA is acceptable;
never say Panhel.
Paquin Tower
Not “Paquin Towers,” ’cause there’s only one. Located at 1201
Paquin St.
Parking and Transportation Review Panel
Part of the Missouri Students Association’s judicial branch.
“Parking panel” is acceptable in headlines. Use the full name
on first reference and "the panel" thereafter. Never use the
ridiculous PTRP.
peer adviser
Note the -er ending in adviser. Peer advisers are student staff
members who live in a residence hall with a FIG. They provide
informaion about the university in general and about the FIGs
in particular.
The abbreviation is "PA" and the plural form "PAs." Don't
abbreviate on first reference, OK in headlines.
place
Use the time-date-place sequence in sentences, as in, “John
campaigned for political reform in the Libertarian Party when
he spoke to the College Republicans at 3 p.m. Thursday in Jesse
Auditorium.”
See “datelines” for more information.
p.m.
Always use lowercase form; use a space to separate the numerals
from “p.m.”
Avoid redundancy such as 7 p.m. Sunday night.
police
Use lowercase form when referring to “the police” or “police said.”
“Police” should also be lowercase when used as an adjective, as
in “police Sgt. Chuck Willis said...”
“Police” should be capitalized when it is part of the complete
name, as in “Columbia Police Department,” or used as “Police
Department.” Lowercase “police” in “Columbia police” or “MU
police” (both refer to officers), but capitalize it as part of “MU
Police Department.”
See “Columbia Police Department” or “MU Police Department” for
more information.
professor
Leave “professor” uncapitalized, even when it precedes a name.
Correct: I like professor Ranly.
Do not refer to a faculty member as a professor unless she or he
has been awarded that academic rank. Be specific in referring
to people as associate or assistant professors.
public affairs
manner: KCOU/88.1 FM. On second reference, simply use the
call letters.
Area AM stations:
KFAL, Fulton 900 AM
KLIK, Jefferson City 950 AM
KWIX, Moberly 1230 AM
KXEO, Mexico, Mo. 1340 AM
KWRT, Boonville 1370 AM
KFRU, Columbia 1400 AM
KTGR, Columbia 1580 AM
Area FM stations:
KCOU, Columbia 88.1 FM
KJLU, Jefferson City 88.9 FM
KOPN, Columbia 89.5 FM
KWWC, Columbia 90.5 FM
KBIA, Columbia 91.3 FM
KMFC, Centralia 92.1 FM
KLSC, Missouri 93.9 FM
KLSC, Missouri 93.9 FM
KWWR, Mexico, Mo. 95.7 FM
KCMQ, Columbia 96.7 FM
KFMZ, Columbia 98.3 FM
KCLR, Boonville 99.3 FM
KBBM, Columbia 100.1 FM
KKCA, Fulton 100.5 FM
KPLA, Columbia 101.5 FM
KOQL, Columbia 106.1 FM
KRES, Moberly 104.7 FM
KZZT, Moberly 105.5 FM
KBXR, Ashland 102.3 FM
KTXY, Jefferson City 106.7 FM
Ragtag Cinema
Located at 23 N. Tenth St. In early 2008, the movie theater moved
to a new location along with Uprise Bakery and 9th St. Video.
representatives
The representative's political affiliation and home district should
be set off by commas. The political and home designations can
be used on second reference for less clunkiness.
Example: Rep. Tiny Tim, R-Columbia, is ... ; The manager contacted
Rep. Gringo Jones, D-Mexico.
Always specify if a representative a member of Congress with the
construction "U.S. Rep."
See also “House of Representatives” and “Senate”
Use spokesman or spokeswoman whenever possible.
There are countless variations of "public affairs" titles, and they
usually mean simply that the person is authorized to speak for
the source.
Research Reactor
punctuation
No abbreviation, except for "Res. Life" in headlines. Frankie Minor
is the director.
Refer to the guides in the back of The Maneater and AP stylebooks
for detailed guidelines.
Q
quotes
See “Nuclear Reactor.”
Residential Life
residence hall
Use on all references. Do not use "dorm" or "dormitory" — ever.
MU residence halls include: Center, College Avenue, Cramer,
Defoe, Discovery, Excellence, Gillett, Graham, Hatch, Hudson,
Johnston, Jones, Lathrop, Laws, Mark Twain, McDavid, North,
Respect, Responsibility, Schurz, South, Stafford and Wolpers.
It's not Hatch Hall, but Hatch residence hall. Hatch Hall can only
be used in the Blotter.
Stories should have three quoted sources. Before anything goes
into quotes, it must be accurate, and the reporter must
accuracy check with sources. Indirect quotes must also be
checked for accuracy.
Residence Halls Association
R
Reynolds Alumni Center
radio stations
On first reference, list the call letters and station frequency in this
Governing body for students in residence halls at MU. “RHA”
is acceptable on second reference and in headlines. RHA is
the second-largest student organization on campus (behind
MSA).
There are two alumni centers in Columbia. The one across from
Jesse Hall is properly called the "Donald W. Reynolds Visitor
and Alumni Center," but use "Reynolds Alumni Center" on
first reference. "The alumni center" is suitable on second
reference.
The other center, located on Carrie Francke Drive off Stadium
Boulevard, is the "Old Alumni Center."
The Alumni Center is named after Donald W. Reynolds, a graduate
of the School of Journalism and founder of Donrey Media
Group.
See "Alumni Center" for more information.
Reynolds Journalism Institute
In the largest private donation in MU’s history, the Donalds
W. Reynolds Foundation awarded $31 million to the School
of Journalism for the creation of the Donald W. Reynolds
Journalism Institute. Use “Reynolds Journalism Institute.” Use
"RJI" sparingly, probably only in headlines. Use "the institute"
or other generic terms on second reference.
See separate entries and “colleges” for more information.
seasons
Lowercase “spring,” “summer,” “fall” and “winter” and other
derivations, unless they are part of a formal title, such as Fall
Semester 2000.
semesters
Names of specific semesters are capitalized. Examples: Fall
Semester 2000, but fall 2000. At MU we have fall and spring
semesters, a summer session and intersession (winter break).
Senate (U.S.)
“Rock Bridge” is two words. Located at 4303 S. Providence Road.
Sports teams are the Bruins.
Missouri is represented by Republican Sen. Christopher “Kit”
Bond (re-elected in 2002) and Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill
(elected in 2006).
When referring to two senators, use “Sens.” with political party
and state offset by commas.
Example: Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Christopher Bond,
R-Mo., disagreed on the issue.
Verify U.S. Senate members with the state Blue Book or at the
following Web site: www.senate.gov.
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Senate (Missouri)
This large park, home to Devil’s Icebox and karst topography, is
located south of Columbia.
There are 34 state senators. Boone County is part of the 19th
District.
The state senator from Boone County is Chuck Graham, a
Democrat.
See the state Blue Book for the current senators or verify that
information at: www.senate.mo.gov.
Rhynsburger Theatre
Rock Bridge High School
Rockin' Against Multiple Sclerosis
The largest campus-wide philanthropy. Use the acronym RAMS to
abbreviate on second reference.
S
said
Refers to all forms of verbal information. Inanimate objects
cannot say anything, however. When quoting from a printed
source, use “according to.”
In the rare case of lifting a quote from a news release the
attribution should be like this: Tim Smith, a bad reporter,
stated in a news release, "I want to never again use quotes from
news releases.”
Use “says” in Move stories.
See “attribution” for more information.
Sapphire Lounge
Do not capitalize the "t" in "the Sapphire Lounge." Located at 1201B
E. Broadway, telephone number 815-7550.
Savitar
The MU yearbook, which folded in 1992 because of debt and was
resurrected the same year as a magazine published three times
annually. Savitar then returned to book form. In fall 2004, the
Savitar changed to a soft-cover edition geared toward seniors.
In 2006, its funding was cut, leaving it to be posted online only.
It is updated only occasionally.
schools
Capitalize those of MU and other universities. MU schools are:
School of Accountancy, School of Natural Resources, School
of Health Related Professions, School of Journalism, School of
Law, School of Library and Informational Science, School of
Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Social Work.
sexual-orientation clause
The sexual-orientation clause is just that — a clause. It can be
included in a statement or policy.
Following the UM system Board of Curator’s previous decision not
to include the clause in the system’s non-discrimination policy,
1998-1999 MSA President Todd Kennedy asked each school,
college and department at MU to pass its own “statement of
non-discrimination” including sexual orientation.
In October 2003, the UM system Board of Curators included sexual
orientation in the system’s non-discrimination policy.
sheriff
Note the two fs in “sheriff.”
See “Boone County Sheriff’s Department” for more information.
Sigma Chi
Became an official MU fraternity again as of August 2007. The
fraternity was put on probation in 2002 after it was discovered
the fraternity was hazing new members.
63 Diner
Note there is no apostrophe before the “63.” Use numerals for
this elusive diner north of Columbia. The diner closed after
defaulting on a loan, and its future is still up in the air.
SOGA
The Committee on Student Organizations, Governments and
Activities. Proper second reference is the committee, unless
it’s a story talking about multiple committees, or headlines. In
that case, use SOGA.
sororities
On first reference, include "sorority" after the name of the chapter.
Refer to all Greek organizations as chapters, not houses.
MU’s Panhellenic Association sororities include Alpha Chi Omega,
Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Phi Sigma, Chi Omega, Delta
Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta,
Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, Phi Mu, Sigma
Kappa, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Sigma Sigma Sigma and Zeta Tau
Alpha.
MU’s National Pan-Hellenic Council sororities include Alpha Kappa
Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho and Zeta Phi Beta.
MU’s Multicultural Greek Council sororities include Alpha Phi
Gamma, Sigma Lambda Gamma and Gamma Rho Lambda.
These change frequently, please check with Greek Life for new
listings each semester.
See also “fraternities.”
See also “Panhellenic Association.”
See also “National Pan-Hellenic Council.”
See also "Multicultural Greek Council."
Southeast Missouri State University
inconsistencies.
STRIPES
Use on all references for Supportive Tigers Riding in Pursuit of
Ensuring Safety. Run by the MSA Department of Student Services,
this program provides free rides home to students from 10 p.m. to
3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. It is sponsored in-part by The
Maneater. The phone number is 442-9672, or 44-BY-MSA.
Student Affairs
Capitalize when “Student Affairs” refers to the Department of
Student Affairs.
Student Organization Allocation Committee
“SOAC” is acceptable in headlines. "The committee" is preferable on
second references.
Student Recreation Complex
Does not exist. See Missouri State University.
Always use on first reference, except in headlines and leads. It may be
referred to as the "recreation complex" or "recreation center" on
subsequent references, so long as it will not be confused with the
city’s Activity and Recreation Center.
Use “Rec Center” only in quotations and headlines.
Speaker’s Circle
Student Success Center
Located in Cape Girardeau, this four-year state university can be
referred to as “SEMO” on second reference.
Southwest Missouri State University
spokesperson
Do not use. Instead, use spokesman or spokeswoman.
Use spokesman or spokeswoman rather than "pubic affairs director,
public information officer, director of information specialties,
etc.” for all public relations people.
Springfield, Mo.
Third-largest city in Missouri. Springfield is located in Greene
County in the southwestern part of the state. Always refer to it as
“Springfield, Mo.” on first reference and in datelines because of
the abundance of U.S. cities named “Springfield.”
Sr., Jr.
Abbreviate only with full names, as in Joe Doaks Jr. Do not put a
comma between a last name and the Jr. or Sr. designation.
State Historical Society of Missouri
Located in Ellis Library. “State Historical Society” may be used when
it will not be confused with the Missouri Historical Society in St.
Louis.
statements of non-discrimination
In October 2003, the UM system Board of Curators included sexual
orientation in the system’s non-discrimination policy.
Stephens College
A private school governed by the Stephens College Board of
Trustees.
Wendy Libby is the president of the college. Formerly an all-female
college, Stephens now enrolls a handful of male students.
streets
Write out Tenth Street. Capitalize when referring to one street.
When referring to two streets, as in located at Eighth and Cherry
streets, use the lowercase form.
Check the phone book or the Web for style when street names
are used in proper names of other things, and watch out for
Always use the full name, even in headlines and leads. On second
reference it is "the center," not the SSC — ever. It opened in
June 2001 and houses the Learning Center, the Career Center,
Academic Retention Services and seven academic advisers.
Supreme Court
See “Missouri Supreme Court.”
symbols
% Always write out in a story; the symbol may be used in a headline.
Always use numerals with the word “percent.”
& Always write out “and” unless the ampersand is an actual part of a
company’s formal name. Exception: R&B.
$ Always use the symbol rather than the word with any actual
figure; put the symbol before the figure. Write out “dollar” when
appropriate.
Examples: She said 7 percent of the students were ill. The internship
paid $42 million per month, but she only had a dollar bill in her
pocket.
T
taglines
See “bylines.”
Tap Day
An annual event in which selective honors organizations on
campus initiate new members. They parade in front of the
Columns and officially “tap” the new members. The six societies
are LSV, Mortar Board, Mystical Seven, Omicron Delta Kappa,
QEBH and the Rollins Society.
teaching assistant
Use “TA” on second reference only. Plural is “TAs.”
teenager
newspaper’s publication. Never use “yesterday” or “tomorrow.”
Use the day of the week to reference any day within a week of
the publication day.
Not teen-ager. AP finally changed to this style in 2002.
television stations
On first reference, list the call letters and station channel as in
“KOMU/Channel 8.”
Area television stations:
KOMU/Channel 8 NBC Columbia/Jefferson City
KRCG/Channel 13 CBS Jefferson City/Columbia
KMIZ/Channel 17 ABC Columbia
Fox 11/Channel 11 Fox Columbia
MUTV/Channel 22 Columbia
Tenth Street
toward
Never use “towards.”
Truman State University
Formerly Northeast Missouri State University, it is a four-year
state university located in Kirksville.
TV
When referring to this street in Columbia, spell out the name of
the street (do not use “10th Street”). This is an exception to AP
style because Columbia has only 10 numbered streets: Tenth
Street would be the odd man out if it were a numeral.
U
theater department
Use only as an adjective. See "University of Missouri system" for
more information.
Tiger's Lair
UMC
The official student cheering section for MU football.
Tiger Spot
This mosaic of a tiger head is just north of Ellis Library on Lowry
Mall. It was designed by local artist Paul Jackson and has been
“unveiled” several times since summer 2001.
Chancellor Brady Deaton ordered the spot to be removed from
Lowry Mall in July 2006. As of September 2008, the piece of shit
was still in front of the library, albiet covered with a tarp.
time
When times are both in the same half of the day, use “a.m.” or
“p.m.” only once, as in “The event was from 2 to 4 p.m. but was
planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the day before.”
time, date, place
UM
Do not use. It’s “MU” with no periods.
universities
When referring to those other than MU, spell out the name of
the university on first reference and then use abbreviations
or nicknames on subsequent references. See “Schools and
Nicknames” in the sports section of this book for more
information.
university
Do not capitalize when used alone, as in “She teaches at the
university.”
Do not use university if you mean MU.
University Bookstore
Use this order at all times.
Example: I studied at 3 p.m. Thursdays at Osama’s, a fine eatery
that has now been replaced by Lion’s Choice.
Located in Brady Commons, this bookstore is owned by MU. The
Web site is www.mubookstore.com. Mizzou Connection, the
bookstore’s St. Louis satellite, opened in Creve Coeur in July
2001.
titles
University Hall
Capitalize official titles before a person’s name.
If the title is a short one (usually four words or fewer), place it
before the name and capitalize all relevant parts. Examples:
"I love Mizzou," MSA President Stu Dent said. But, "I hate
Mizzou," said Jane Mansfield, vice president of the Missouri
Students Association.
Do not capitalize titles that follow a person’s name. Professor is
never capitalized.
“Interim” and “former” should always be lowercase, even before
the rest of the title and a name, as in “interim President Mel
George” or “former President George Russell.”
In the Outlook section, MU students, professors, colleges, schools
and departments must be identified as “MU” when it might be
confused with other colleges. Examples: MU junior Sally Smith,
MU School of Journalism.
See, "gender terms," "attribution" and "former" or "interim" for
more information.
today
Use “today” only when referring to events that occur the day of the
Located off Carrie Francke Drive in Columbia, this building
houses most UM system administrative offices.
The curators often meet here.
University Hospital and Clinics
To be used when referring to the university hospital system.
However, use “University Hospital” when first referring only to the
hospital. Do not use “the” in constructions with “University
Hospital,” as in “Michael’s head was fixed by doctors at
University Hospital.”
University of Missouri system
Note the lowercase s in “system.”
Use “UM system” on all references. Never use "UM" on its own as
a noun.
The system consists of four campuses: Columbia (MU), St. Louis
(UMSL), Rolla (Missouri S&T) and Kansas City (UMKC). Always
shorten MU to its acronym form; for the other campuses, use
the form UM-St. Louis (using a hyphen, not an em dash) on first
reference, and use the acronym (UMSL) on second reference.
For the Rolla campus, use Missouri University of Science and
Technology on first reference.
MU, the flagship school, should never be referred to as “Mizzou.”
On second reference, “university system” and “four-campus system”
are acceptable references, but do not use “university-wide
system.”
The president of the University of Missouri system is the chief
administrative officer of the four-campus system. Each of the
four campuses is directed by a chancellor.
See “colleges” and “schools” for more information.
UM system presidents:
Pacheco, Manuel Appointed president in August 1997. He
resigned in December 2002.
Floyd, Elson Appointed president in November 2002. He held the
position through April 2007.
Forsee, Gary Started as president in February 2008.
MU chancellors:
Kiesler, Charles Served from November 1992 to July 1996.
Wallace, Richard Served from Fall Semester 1997 to Sept. 1,
2004
On Oct. 1, 2004, then-UM system President Elson Floyd appointed
Brady Deaton chancellor. Deaton had been serving as interim
chancellor.
UM system Board of Curators
Governing body of the UM system. Capitalize when it stands alone.
Always use the full name on first reference, though Curators is
OK in headlines.
On second and later refernces, use "the board" or "the curators."
Before a name, capitalize "curator" but not "board member."
Remember, the Board of Curators and "the board" is an it, but the
"the curators" are they.
The student representative to the Board of Curators is just that: a
representative. This person does not vote and is not a curator.
"Student curator" is OK in headlines and ledes, but the full title
should appear somewhere in the article.
University Place
Apartment building located at 1205 University Ave. Not to
be confused with University Hall. Formerly owned by the
Department of Residential Life, it is now an independent
apartment complex.
UWire
A wire service to which a number of collegiate student newspapers
subscribe (including The Maneater). In bylines, use this format:
author’s name, comma, publication, slash, UWire. Letters to the
editor that are pulled from U-Wire should simply contain the
publication name followed by “UWire” in parentheses.
University YMCA
The University YMCA and YWCA are combined and referred to in
this manner.
V
VERIP
Never use except in headlines. Instead, use "the program" or "the
retirement program."
The full name, to be used on first reference, is the "Voluntary Early
Retirement Incentive Program."
vice chancellor
Capitalize before a name. Note that “vice chancellor” is not
hyphenated.
At MU, the vice chancellors are “for.” Example: Cathy Scroggs, vice
chancellor for Student Affairs.
W
Wal-Mart
Note both the hyphen and the capital “M.” The big ones are WalMart Supercenters, not Super Wal-Marts.
wards
Capitalize and spell out the number when referring to the Columbia
City Council. This is an exception to AP style. There are six
wards in Columbia, with one representative from each.
Examples: First Ward, Fifth Ward.
See also "Columbia City Council."
Web
Always capitalize Web when referring to the World Wide Web.
Examples: Web page, Web site.
See “World Wide Web.”
Webmail
Use when referring to the student e-mail service.
West Boulevard
Do not abbreviate the “West” in “West Boulevard,” as it is part of
the street name and not a directional designation.
Westminster College
Previously an all-men’s school, this four-year college has admitted
women since 1979. Located in Fulton, it is also the site of the
Churchill Memorial and the Berlin Wall Monument.
William Woods University
Previously an all-women’s four-year private university in Fulton, it
now enrolls men, too.
Winston Churchill Memorial and Library
Located at Westminster College in Fulton.
women's and gender studies department
Note the lowercase letters, like all other university departments.
Not Women’s Studies, which would imply studies for women, rather
than the study of women, their lives and their experiences.
An academic department in the College of Arts and Science, at MU,
always refer to it as a "women studies course" or the "women
studies department."
World Wide Web
Avoid. Use "the Web" or "the Internet. Always check the URL
(address) in stories.
URLs should be written in the format of yahoo.com, unless "www" is
required for the site to work. Do not include http://.
Wrench Auditorium
An auditorium located in Memorial Union, formerly called "Jesse
Wrench Auditorium."
Y
YouTube
No ".com" necessary, because everyone knows what it is.
Z
Zou Crew
The official student cheering section for men's basketball games. Zou
Crew is a univeristy-organized group on campus. Membership is
assigned by an application process.
Cutlines
Cutlines should be more than one sentence.
The first sentence should be written in present tense. Example: MU
junior Bob Brown passes (not passed) the ball down the court.
The second sentence is usually written in past tense and should add
information not in the photo.
Example: MU junior Bob Brown passes the ball during Friday’s game
against Nebraska. The Tigers won the game 89-87.
Cutlines should add to the picture, not state the obvious. Wrong:
President Clinton speaks to students at a meeting. Right:
President Clinton addresses the perils of jaywalking at Friday’s
lecture. Clinton addressed more than 100 students in Jesse Hall.
Cutlines should be accurate. Cutline proofs are printed with the
picture for a reason: Look at the picture and make sure the
action is accurately reflected in the cutline. In sports pictures,
passes can look like receptions and swings can look like misses.
Be careful.
Check all names, titles and ages. As in any article, all information
should be accuracy checked. If there is an article running with
the picture, pull up the latest version and check to make sure the
information matches up.
Warning: If there is a discrepancy between the article and the
picture, do not assume the reporter is correct. Try to verify the
information yourself first, then call both the photographer and
reporter to have them check their notes.
Don’t be afraid to call. If you are unsure of a name or fact, call
the photographer or the assigning editor. If you want to verify
something about a business or person and it is relatively early,
call the business or person.
If information is wrong, a source would rather be called late than
not at all.
Above all, remember that photographs can libel just as easily as
articles, if not more so. A picture of Lisa smoking a cigarette with
a cutline that reads, “MU junior Lisa Libel smokes a cigarette.
Chain smokers have few friends and usually smoke marijuana, a
new study suggests,” could be libelous if Lisa only smokes three
cigarettes a day. Look closely, be accurate and be fair.
Don’t be afraid to raise questions. And always edit cutlines just as
carefully as articles.
Crime
addresses
Use exact addresses for suspects who have been arrested. Those
addresses (as well as name spellings) MUST be verified.
Use only the block number for the scene of a crime. Example:
The robbery took place in the 400 block of Ninth Street.
Exception: Using block numbers when a specific location is used
is unnecessary, as it affords the location little anonymity: WalMart Supercenter is a good example.
arrested on suspicion of
Never use "arrested for" — it implies the suspect committed the
crime. Use “arrested on suspicion of” or “arrested and charged
with.”
attribution
Use excessively. Any statement gathered from police that cannot
be independently verified should be attributed to the source.
Remember, police say, but reports state.
If you are going to state what police believe or said about a suspect,
put the attribution first.
Wrong: Smith robbed the store with a spear gun, police say.
Right: Police said Smith used a flame thrower to ...
blotter
The following is proper style for a blotter entry:
Blotter should begin with this statement:
The following investigations are in progress, and the following people
were arrested or issued summons, according to police reports.
The police department:
MU police
Day of the week and date:
Friday, Oct. 17
Report investigations:
Police are investigating ...
Report arrests in this style:
Name, age, address, on suspicion of charge (note the lack of a period)
Jerome Slums, 22, of 402 S. Ninth St., on suspicion of driving while
intoxicated
To add more information to the entry, use this style:
Jerome Slums, 22, of 402 S. Ninth St., on suspicion of driving while
intoxicated: Police said...
Blotter should end with this statement:
If you have information on these crimes, you may contact Crime
Stoppers at 875-TIPS. All calls are confidential. If a court authority
later clears a charge listed in the blotter, contact The Maneater to
request an updated entry.
Crime Stoppers
Two words. When referring to Crime Stoppers, never write, “Anyone
with information should call ...” We can’t tell people what they
should do. Instead, say they “can” call.
robbery
People are robbed; houses are burglarized.
suicide
Do not report suicide as the cause of death, even in obituaries,
unless it is a public official or if the suicide occurs in a public
place or anywhere on campus.
Sports
Consult the AP's sports section. The section is exhaustive
and complete for virtually every MU sport.
1-for-2
Punctuation
Consult the AP's punctuation section for more entries.
colon
Capitalize the first word after a colon if everything else following the
colon is a complete sentence. If it is merely a fragment, do not
capitalize the first word following the colon.
In most cases, a colon will replace an em dash and suffice just as well.
Although em dashes might look more emphatic or compelling, they
take up more room. If in doubt, consult with an editor.
em dash
Use em dashes ( — ) to seperate out clauses and phrases in sentences.
To create an em dash, hold down shift and option, then press the
dash key.
Use them sparingly. Often, a comma or a colon will work just as well.
hyphen
Note that it is singular.
Use hyphens in compound modifiers, as in day-care center. Use em
dashes to seperate some clauses and phrases in sentences.
Refer to the AP Stylebook punctuation guide for detailed rules.
Although absurd amounts of hyphens can be grammatically correct,
do not over hyphenate. Hyphenated phrases like "Dr.-Jekyll-andMr.-Hyde quality" will be killed on sight, along with the hyphenator.
Reword sentences to avoid overhyphenating.
Big 12
quotation marks
Not "Big Twelve." Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M joined
the Big Eight in 1995.
Quotation marks always go outside commas and almost always go
outside periods. Check AP and Working With Words for more
information. Use single quotes only in headlines, cutlines and
within other quoted material.
All-American
But all-Big 12
athletic department
coach
Do not capitalize, even before names. Do not use "head coach"
— ever.
midfielder, in soccer
But left fielder in baseball
schools
Use the name of the school in stories, never use the school’s
abbreviation except for MU. Team nicknames are acceptable
on second reference if used on first reference. Nicknames are
acceptable in headlines and leads if they’re well-known and
unique to their particular school. The full name should be used
on second reference.
Examples: The Kansas State Wildcats played MU for the
championship. Kansas State played well in the first half, but by
the fourth quarter the Wildcats had lost their growl.
sports teams
Sports teams take plural verbs — Check AP’s sports section for
more details.
Correct: The Tigers play the Bucks on Saturday.
tailback, quarterback, etc.
Anything ending in “back” is not hyphenated.
yards
Yardage is expressed in numerals.
Example: 8-yard, 7 yards
But: fourth and two
Style Guide for
MOVE
Magazine
and Arts and Entertainment Copy
9th Street Video
9th Street Video
Note the use of the numeral “9.”
9th Street Video is no longer located on Ninth St., but at 10 Hitt St.
It is in the same building complex as Ragtag Cinema and Uprise
Bakery.
abbreviations
Use sparingly. In addresses, “street,” “avenue” and “boulevard” are
abbreviated only when a street number is given. Example: Bob lives
at 123 Maple St., but Amy lives on Pine Street.
In general, abbreviations of one or two letters take periods. Examples:
600 B.C., U.N., a.m., p.m. Exceptions to this rule include AM, FM,
35mm camera, AP Stylebook, IQ and TV. Abbreviations of three or
more letters do not take periods unless they would otherwise spell
out an unrelated word.
Examples: FBI and YMCA, but c.o.d.
Don’t use acronyms at all unless they’re obvious from the first reference
to the organization or object. If an acronym is easily discernible from
the name of the organization, refer to the organization without any
additional acronym or other information in parentheses. Example:
The Residence Halls Association is responsible for dividing funds
between the 22 residence halls on campus. Every year, RHA is
responsible...
Avoid alphabet soup. Use terms such as “the group,” “the organization”
or “the association” whenever possible.
Exceptions: In direct quotes do not spell out an acronym if the speaker
did not say it. Also, AIESEC and STRIPES should never be spelled
out.
Attribution
Use the present tense “says” in MOVE stories. This is different from the
use of “said” in Maneater stories.
Always use the “says” with quotes or paraphrases — never “giggles,”
“laughs,” “moans” or “sighs.” People don’t giggle statements, no
matter how hard they try. However, the use of “asks” etc., used
sparingly, is appropriate.
Use “says in an e-mail” for all information quoted in e-mails. E-mails
should not be used as a source when it can be avoided.
The order of attribution is: “Quote,” title person said. For titles of more
than five words, use this order: “Quote,” said person, title.
Examples: “Quote,” Chancellor Richard Wallace said. “Quote, too,” said
Cathy Scroggs, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “Quote, too,” said
John Robert, front man for Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.
MU students can be confused with Stephens College or Columbia
College students, so make sure writers differentiate between them.
If a vital source cannot be reached for comment, simply say that.
Example: Joe Smith could not be reached for comment.
In some pieces, we want to emphasize that we tried desperately to get
“the other side of the story” or hear from a vital source. In those very
rare cases, it may be appropriate to write, “Joe Smith did not return
several phone calls regarding ...”
See “titles” for more information
album titles
Albums should be italicized. Always capitalize according to proper title
rules, even when the title is lowercase. It helps to avoid confusing
the reader. Always reference the album cover for correct spellings.
If the album cover is not available, check the artist’s Web site. If the
artist does not have one, check allmusic.com and/or comomusic.
com
Alpaca Radio
artist/band names
Always check to see whether a band capitalizes the “The” in its name.
If so, be sure to capitalize the “T” in “The”.
Band names should always be accuracy checked by the
reporter. To confirm the band’s name, check its Web site. If the artist
does not have one, check allmusic.com and/or comomusic.com.
Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime
bands
The band is, but Barenaked Ladies are. Use common sense. You
wouldn’t say “The Tigers is going to win” any more than you would
say “The Pogues stinks.”
Bald Eagle
Black$mith
This is the R&B project of former Das Karnival producer Chase
Thompson.
The Blue Note
Note the uppercase T. Located at 17 N. Ninth St. Telephone number is
573-874-1944. Richard King is the owner.
The Blue Fugue
Note the uppercase T. Formerly The Music Cafe until 2005. Located at
120 S. Ninth St. Telephone number is 573-815-9995. Scott Meiner is
the manager.
Bockman (formerly Bockman’s Euphio)
Note the spelling of bassist/singer Wil Reeves. The members of
Bockman are also in Joe Stickley’s Blue Print with singer Joe Stickley
and the accompanying band for local rap act Thieves Guild.
bylines
When writing the byline for MOVE, place the reporter’s name at the
end of the article. MOVE uses a slash (the character is: | which is
made by holding the Shift key while pressing the key for a regular
slash, it’s right under the Delete key) in between the name and
designation, all on one line. All of the letters should be lowercase.
This is another important difference between MOVE style and
Maneater style.
Writer’s designations: reporter, staff writer (after five stories have been
published a reporter becomes a staff writer on the sixth published
byline), senior staff writer (after two semesters as a staff writer),
associate editor (if writing for a different section from the one he or
she edits), (won’t be used for MOVE) arts and entertainment editor,
features editor, move editor, assistant arts editor.
significant words in designations should be capitalized. If a reporter
writes his/her fifth and sixth story for the same issue staff writer is
used for both bylines for consistency.
If the production manager, graphics editor, online editor or photo
editor writes a story, he or she is designated “associate editor,”
unless it involves those respective areas.
If someone who is not a current MU student writes a story, special to
MOVE is the appropriate designation. If two writers worked on a
story together to a fairly equal degree, use this order: writers’ names,
slash, “of the MOVE staff.” Always put the names in alphabetical
order. Avoid bylines of more than two people, but three people is
the cap. If one reporter contributed to a story but not sufficiently
enough to call for a double byline, the phrase, “Joe Schmoe
contributed to this report,” should end the article.
If several reporters contributed to a story, the phrase, “The following
staff writers contributed to this article:” followed by the names of
those reporters, should end the article.
junior Bob Brown passes (not passed) the ball down the court.
The second sentence is usually written in past tense and should add
information not in the photo.
Album covers do not include a cutline.
For photo spreads, only one caption of two to three sentences is
necessary.
Cutlines should add to the picture, not state the obvious.
Wrong: On Saturday. Big City Rock was one of two bands that opened
for Everclear.
Right: Big City Rock’s Frank Staniszewski and Nate Bott open for
Everclear at The Blue Note Saturday. Their performance resulted in
a standing ovation.
This is of particular importance in MOVE.
Cutlines should be accurate. Cutline proofs are printed with the
picture for a reason: Look at the picture and make sure the action
is accurately reflected in the cutline. In sports pictures, passes can
look like receptions and swings can look like misses. Be careful.
Check all names, titles and ages. As in any article, all information
should be accuracy checked. If there is an article running with
the picture, pull up the latest version and check to make sure the
information matches up.
Warning: If there is a discrepancy between the article and the picture,
do not assume the reporter is correct. Try to verify the information
yourself first, then call both the photographer and reporter to have
them check his/her notes.
Don’t be afraid to call. If you are unsure of a name or fact, call
the photographer or the assigning editor. If you want to verify
something about a business or person and it is relatively early, call
the business or person.
If information is wrong, a source would rather be called late than not
at all.
Above all, remember that photographs can libel just as easily as
articles, if not more so. A picture of Lisa smoking a cigarette with a
cutline that reads, “MU junior Lisa Libel smokes a cigarette. Chain
smokers have few friends and usually smoke marijuana, a new study
suggests,” could be libelous if Lisa only smokes three cigarettes a
day. Look closely, be accurate and be fair.
Don’t be afraid to raise questions or send cutlines back to the photo
editor. And always edit cutlines just as carefully as articles.
dates
Use instead of “compact disc.”
Never abbreviate days of the week. Don’t abbreviate a month unless it
has a date with it, as in “November 1994” and “Nov. 1, 1994.”
The five months spelled with five or fewer letters are never
abbreviated.
Always use a comma after the year in a sentence. Never separate a
month and a year with a comma; however, if there is a month-dayyear construction, use a comma to separate the day and year.
Fourth of July is written out.
Always use the time-date-place sequence: At 4 p.m. on Nov. 1, 1998,
at the Hearnes Center, the Tigers will have their first public practice.
Examples: December 1994; Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1996; July 1887; July
4, 1777;
See “Christmas” and “months” for more information.
Cherry Street Artisan
decades
Café Berlin
Located at 21 N. Providence on the corner of Providence & Walnut.
The phone number is 573- 441-0400. The owner is Eli Gay and the
manager is Marlene Stevens.
http://www.myspace.com/cafeberlin
Caulfield and the Magic
CD
111 S. 9th Street, Ste 10
1960s. ’60s.
Chump Change
DJ
Inside Columbia Magazine’s Best Local Band of 2007
Cutlines
Cutlines should be more than one sentence.
The first sentence should be written in present tense. Example: MU
Contrary to AP style, DJ is acceptable on first reference. The verb form
is “to deejay.”
However, when referring to someone who broadcasts on the radio, use
“announcer” instead, if applicable.
The Doxies
The singer and bassist of this band are brothers Brent and Brian
Maness. Their current drummer, John Gilbreth (or JG), is one of the
lyricists for the 40 Thieves, among his projects.
Eastside Tavern
Located at 1016 E. Broadway, phone number 573- 256-1500.
http://www.eastsidetavern.com
Big Pants is famous at Eastside. He is the bouncer. Pants also books
the music and tends bar on Tuesdays.
Sal Nuccio is the owner.
Ellie Come Home
This band is the now-defunct project of Columbia music sage Seth
Ashley. String players from Ellie Come Home play occasionally play
live sets with The Foundry Field Recordings.
Emcee
Be sure to use “emcee” when using this word as a verb. When using the
word as a stage name for an artist always use MC.
Emergency Umbrella Records
Local collective record label. Bands on Emergency Umbrella include
Bald Eagle, The Foundry Field Recordings and Witch’s Hat.
emergencyumbrella.com
Forum 8 Cinemas
Located on Forum Boulevard.
The Foundry Field Recordings
Note: Formerly Billy Schuh and The Foundry
Hip-hop
Note the hyphen.
Hollywood Stadium 14
Note: John Henry also performs as a solo act. Be sure to confirm who
is performing.
KCOU/88.1 FM
Student-run alternative radio station under the Missouri Students
Association after years in the possession of the Residence Halls
Association. The station has had some trouble with the Federal
Communications Commission in the past, and RHA occasionally
has pulled the plug. In spring 2004, the general manager briefly
pulled the DJs off the air in order to re-familiarize them with FCC
regulations. The station is located in Pershing Commons. See “radio
stations” for more information.
Kingdom Flying Club
The now-defunct Columbia band with lasting relevance was made
up of Jarrett Crader, Seth Ashley (also of Ellie Come Home), Nate
Kesterson and Matt O’Neill.
KWWC/90.5 FM
Stephens College radio station
Macklanburg Playhouse
On the Stephens College campus, the playhouse is used by the
department of performing arts. It is located next to the Warehouse
Theater.
magazine titles
Should be in italics in MOVE. The same goes for newspaper titles.
Mahjongg
This seminal Columbia band is no longer Chicago-based.
MegaZilla
This former Columbia metal act is now based in Austin, Texas.
Its members are Corey Cottrell and Joey Hook. Hook’s brother
Benjamin is a member of The Foundry Field Recordings.
Stadium & Hwy 63
Mojo’s
Indie rock
Note the apostrophe. Located at 1013 Park Ave., Mojo’s is owned by
Richard King, who also owns The Blue Note. The telephone number
is 573-875-5088.
Note the lack of a hyphen when this word is used as a noun. Other
common genres do not need a hyphen. If the genre is uncommon
(or created by the writer or editor) be sure to use a hyphen.
Be sure to hyphenate this when it is modifying a noun.
IndyGround Entertainment
This is a local hip-hop record label. Its artists are:
Steddy P., Andy Price, Eddy English, Phizix, Sergio Slayer, John Spartan,
THESIS, P.R.E. and Bustrip (He sometimes goes by Grayhound
Bustrip and is a member of rap duo Rhyme University.)
movie titles
Place movie titles in quotation marks.
Ninth Street
Not 9th Street
No Coast
Jerusalem and the Starbaskets
An infoshop and venue that was located at 806 Bus. Loop 70. It closed
in 2007.
www.myspace.com/thenocoast
Jesse Auditorium
Paradise Vending
Never called “University Auditorium.” Located in Jesse Hall, Jesse
Auditorium is not to be confused with Jesse Wrench Auditorium,
which is located in Memorial Union.
John Henry & The Engine
This is the former band of producer Barry Hibdon. Hibdon has gone on
to become one of the foremost local music producers.
Penny Marvel
This group is the solo project of Bockman bassist/singer Wil Reeves.
R&B
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Use on all references to rhythm and blues. Never use R.-and-B. It is an
abomination.
SSLYBY is acceptable after the first reference.
song titles
radio stations
On first reference, list the call letters and station frequency in this
manner: KCOU/88.1 FM. On second reference, simply use the call
letters.
Area AM stations: Area FM stations:
KFAL, Fulton 900 AM KCOU, Columbia 88.1 FM
KLIK, Jefferson City 950 AM KJLU, Jefferson City 88.9 FM
KWIX, Moberly 1230 AM KOPN, Columbia 89.5 FM
KXEO, Mexico, Mo. 1340 AM KWWC, Columbia 90.5 FM
KWRT, Boonville 1370 AM KBIA, Columbia 91.3 FM
KFRU, Columbia 1400 AM KMFC, Centralia 92.1 FM
KTGR, Columbia 1580 AM KLSC, Missouri 93.9 FM
KWWR, Mexico, Mo. 95.7 FM
KCMQ, Columbia 96.7 FM
KFMZ, Columbia 98.3 FM
KCLR, Boonville 99.3 FM
KBBM, Columbia 100.1 FM
KKCA, Fulton 100.5 FM
KPLA, Columbia 101.5 FM
KOQL, Columbia 106.1 FM
KRES, Moberly 104.7 FM
KZZT, Moberly 105.5 FM
KBXR, Ashland 102.3 FM
KTXY, Jefferson City 106.7 FM
Ragtag Cinema
Formerly located on Tenth St., Ragtag recently combined with 9th
Street Video and Uprise Bakery into one location at 10 Hitt St.
ragtagfilm.com
Rhynsburger Theatre
129 Fine Arts Building, Columbia - 573- 882-2021
rock ’n’ roll
Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ Festival
A free, yearly downtown festival that began in 2007. It features, as one
might guess, roots and blues music (including many nationally
known acts), and barbecue. The abbreviated Roots ‘N Blues is
acceptable on second reference.
says
Use says, not said, when attributing sources in MOVE stories.
Sapphire Lounge
Do not capitalize the “t” in “the Sapphire Lounge.” Located at 1201B E.
Broadway, the telephone number is 573-815-7550
Shattered
A bar and club formerly located at 514 E. Broadway, it closed last
year.
Shirrelle C. Limes and the Lemons
This is the performing name for Shannon Diaz. Although she is
sometimes joined by other musicians, the name typically refers to
only her.
Always place song titles in quotation marks, unless they are in a cutline
or headline, in which case, they should be in single quotes.
Tenth Street
Not 10th Street. This is an exception to AP style.
True/False Film Festival
Five-year-old documentary film festival that takes place in several
venues downtown every February and attracts filmmakers from all
over the world. The shortened True/False is acceptable on second
reference. MOVE typically devotes an entire issue to True/False
coverage.
truefalse.org
Warhammer 48K
Note drummer Cooper Crain, not Cooper Crane.
Witch’s Hat
Note the apostrophe.
National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Stylebook Supplement:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Terminology
For more information, visit www.nlgja.org
ACT UP
The acronym for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, an activist organization with independent chapters in various cities. ACT UP
acceptable in first reference. See AIDS.
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a medical condition that
compromises the human immune system, leaving the body
defenseless against opportunistic infections. Some medical treatments can slow the rate at which the immune system is weakened.
Do not use the term “full-blown AIDS.” Individuals may be HIVpositive but not have AIDS. Avoid “AIDS sufferer” and “AIDS victim.” Use “people with AIDS” or, if the context is medical, “AIDS
patients.” See HIV.
bisexual
in connection with legal and insurance matters. See gay/lesbian
relationships.
don’t ask, don’t tell
Shorthand for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue,” the military
policy on gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. Under the policy, instituted in 1993, the military is not to ask service members about
their sexual orientation, service members are not to tell others
about their orientation, and the military is not to pursue rumors
about members’ sexual orientation. The shorthand is acceptable
in headlines, but in text the full phrase adds important balance.
down low
Term used by some bisexual men of color to refer to men who have
sex with other men without the knowledge of their female partners. Sometimes abbreviated as DL. See MSM.
As a noun, an individual who may be attracted to either sex. As an
adjective, of or relating to sexual and affectional attraction to
either sex. Does not presume nonmonogamy.
drag
civil union
drag performers
The state of Vermont began this formal recognition of lesbian and
gay relationships in July 2000. A civil union provides same-sex
couples some rights available to married couples in areas such as
state taxes, medical decisions and estate planning.
Entertainers who dress and act in styles typically associated with
the opposite sex (drag queen for men, drag king for women). Not
synonymous with transgender or cross-dressing.
closeted, in the closet
Attire of the opposite sex.
dyke
Refers to a person who wishes to keep secret his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.
Originally a pejorative term for a lesbian, it is now being reclaimed
by some lesbians. Caution: still extremely offensive when used as
an epithet.
coming out
“ex-gay” (adj.)
Short for “coming out of the closet.” Accepting and letting others
know of one’s previously hidden sexual orientation or gender
identity. See closeted and outing.
The movement, mostly rooted in conservative religions, that aims
to change the sexual attraction of individuals from same-sex to
opposite-sex.
commitment ceremony
fag, faggot
A formal, marriagelike gathering that recognizes the declaration of
members of the same sex to each other. Same-sex marriages are
not legally recognized in the United States. (In April 2001, The
Netherlands became the first nation to offer legal marriage to
same-sex couples who are citizens or legal residents.)
Originally a pejorative term for a gay male, it is now being reclaimed
by some gay men. Caution: still extremely offensive when used as
an epithet.
FTM
Preferred term for person who wears clothing most often associated
with members of the opposite sex. Not necessarily connected to
sexual orientation.
Acronym for “female to male.” A transgender person who, at birth or
by determination of parents or doctors, has a biological identity of
female but a gender identity of male. Those who have undergone
surgery are sometimes described as “post-op
FTMs” (for post-operative). See gender identity and intersex.
cruising
Gay
Visiting places where opportunities exist to meet potential sex partners. Not exclusively a gay phenomenon.
An adjective that has largely replaced “homosexual” in referring to
men who are sexually and affectionally attracted to other men.
Avoid using as a singular noun. For women, “lesbian” is preferred.
To include both, use “gay men and lesbians.” In headlines where
space is an issue, “gays” is acceptable to describe both.
cross-dresser
domestic partner
Unmarried partners who live together. Domestic partners may be
of opposite sexes or the same sex. They may register in some
counties, municipalities and states and receive some of the same
benefits accorded married couples. The term is typically used
gay/lesbian relationships
Gay, lesbian and bisexual people use various terms to describe their
commitments. Ask the individual what term he or she prefers, if
possible. If not, “partner” is generally acceptable.
gender identity
An individual’s emotional and psychological sense of being male
or female. Not necessarily the same as an individual’s biological
identity.
heterosexism
Presumption that heterosexuality is universal and/or superior to
homosexuality. Also: prejudice, bias or discrimination based on
such presumptions.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus. The virus that causes AIDS. “HIV
virus” is redundant. “HIV-positive” means being infected with
HIV but not necessarily having AIDS. AIDS doctors and researchers are using the term “HIV disease” more because there are other
types of acquired immune deficiencies caused by toxins and rare
but deadly diseases that are unrelated to what we now call AIDS.
See AIDS.
marriage
Advocates for the right to marry seek the legal rights and obligations
of marriage, not a variation of it. Often, the most neutral approach
is to avoid any adjective modifying the word “marriage.” For the
times in which a distinction is necessary, “marriage for same-sex
couples” is preferable in stories. When there is a need for shorthand description (such as in headline writing), “same-sex marriage” is preferred because it is more inclusive and more accurate
than “gay.”
MTF
Acronym for “male to female.” A transgender person who, at birth or
by determination of parents or doctors, has a biological identity of
male but a gender identity of female. Those who have undergone
surgery are sometimes described as “post-op MTFs” (for postoperative). See gender identity and intersex.
obituaries
When reporting survivors, list partners of gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender deceased in an order equivalent to spouses of heterosexual deceased.
homo
openly gay/lesbian
Pejorative term for homosexual. Avoid.
As a modifier, “openly” is usually not relevant; its use should be
restricted to instances in which the public awareness of an
individual’s sexual orientation is germane. Examples: Harvey
Milk was the first openly gay San Francisco supervisor. “Ellen”
was the first sitcom to feature an openly lesbian lead character.
“Openly” is preferred over “avowed,” “admitted,” “confessed” or
“practicing.”
homophobia
Fear, hatred or dislike of homosexuality, gay men and lesbians.
homosexual
As a noun, a person who is attracted to members of the same sex. As
an adjective, of or relating to sexual and affectional attraction to a
member of the same sex. Use only if “heterosexual” would be used
in parallel constructions, such as in medical contexts. For other
usages, see gay and lesbian.
intersex (adj.)
People born with sex chromosomes, external genitalia or an internal
reproductive system that is not considered standard for either
male or female. Parents and physicians usually will determine the
sex of the child, resulting in surgery or hormone treatment. Many
intersex adults seek an end to this practice.
lesbian
outing (from “out of the closet”)
Publicly revealing the sexual orientation or gender identity of an
individual who has chosen to keep that information private. Also
a verb: The magazine outed the senator in a front-page story. See
coming out and closeted.
pink triangle
Now a gay pride symbol, it was the symbol gay men were required to
wear in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Lesbians
sometimes also use a black triangle.
Pride (Day and/or march)
Preferred term, both as a noun and as an adjective, for women who
are sexually and affectionally attracted to other women. Some
women prefer to be called “gay” rather than “lesbian”; when possible, ask the subject what term she prefers.
Short for gay/lesbian pride, this term is commonly used to indicate
the celebrations commemorating the Stonewall Inn riots June 28,
1969. Pride events typically take place in June. See Stonewall.
LGBT
Acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.”
Originally a pejorative term for an effeminate gay man. Still considered offensive when used as an epithet.
lifestyle
queer
An inaccurate term sometimes used to describe the lives of gays,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. Avoid.
lover
A gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual person’s sexual partner.
“Partner” is generally acceptable. See gay/lesbian relationships.
MSM
Acronym for “men who have sex with men.” Term used usually in
communities of color to describe men who secretly have sex with
other men while maintaining relationships with women. Not synonymous with “bisexual.” See down low.
queen
Originally a pejorative term for gay, now being reclaimed by some
gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as a selfaffirming umbrella term. Still extremely offensive when used as
an epithet.
rainbow flag
A flag of six equal horizontal stripes (red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
and violet) signifying the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender communities.
seroconversion
Scientifically observable alteration of blood or other bodily fluids
from HIV-negative to HIV-positive. The verb is “seroconvert.”
See HIV.
seronegative
Synonymous with HIV-negative. See HIV.
the opposite sex. Individual can be of any sexual orientation. To
determine accurate use of names or personal pronouns, use the
name and sex of the individual at the time of the action.
transvestite
Avoid. See cross-dresser.
seropositive
synonymous with HIV-positive. See HIV.
safe sex, safer sex
Sexual practices that minimize the possible transmission of HIV and
other infectious agents.
sexual orientation
Innate sexual attraction. Use this term instead of “sexual preference.”
See lifestyle.
sexual preference
Avoid. See sexual orientation.
sodomy
Collective term for various sexual acts that some states have deemed
illegal. Not synonymous with homosexuality or gay sex. The legal
definition of sodomy is different from state to state; in some
states, sodomy laws have applied to sexual acts practiced by
heterosexuals. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in June 2003 that
state sodomy laws targeting private, consensual sex between adult
same-sex or opposite-sex partners violate the U.S. Constitution’s
Due Process Clause.
special rights
Politically charged term used by opponents of civil rights for gay
people. Avoid. “Gay civil rights,” “equal rights” or “gay rights” are
alternatives.
Stonewall
The Stonewall Inn tavern in New York City’s Greenwich Village was
the site of several nights of raucous protests after a police raid on
June 28, 1969. Although not the nation’s first gay civil rights demonstration, Stonewall is now regarded as the birth of the modern
gay civil rights movement.
straight (adj.)
Heterosexual; a person whose sexual and affectional attraction is to
someone of the opposite sex.
transgender (adj)
An umbrella term that refers to people whose biological and gender
identity or expression may not be the same. This can include
preoperative, postoperative or nonoperative transsexuals, female
and male cross-dressers, drag queens or kings, female or male
impersonators and intersex individuals. If an individual prefers to
be called transsexual, drag queen or king, intersex, etc., use that
term. When writing about a transgender person, use the name
and personal pronouns that are consistent with the way the individual lives publicly.
transition
The process by which one alters one’s sex. This may include surgery,
hormone therapy and changes of legal identity.
transsexual (n)
An individual who identifies himself or herself as a member of the
opposite sex and who acquires the physical characteristics of