Style Guide
Updated April 2012
the University are interchangeable but have different connotations; use Brown especially
when dealing with Brown students, Brown culture, etc., and use the University when
dealing with internal dynamics, the administration, faculty governance, etc. It is
acceptable to use University Hall in place of the University the way the Obama
administration is sometimes referred to as the White House. Always use University
officials instead of Brown officials unless context dictates otherwise (e.g., an article
involving multiple universities). When citing multiple universities together, downcap
universities. For example, Harvard and Yale universities have larger endowments than
Brown’s.
•
Special capitalization rule in lists: Do not capitalize the common noun element in the
plural sense, as in lists of proper names: Thayer and Waterman streets, the Democratic
and Republican parties, lakes Erie and Ontario
•
Simmons said that…: The that is unnecessary when introducing a quotation or preferred.
Cut it.
•
Days of the week: Use unabbreviated days of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) when
referring to the next or previous seven days (President Ruth Simmons will resign, the
University announced Wednesday). Because many people read The Herald online, avoid
using today unless necessary. Also, avoid yesterday, last night, etc. except when in
quotations.
•
Towns and cities in Rhode Island: Do not need to be followed by the initials R.I. unless
necessary to avoid ambiguity. For example, Brown students like to visit Newport on long
weekends. But: The class of 2015 hails from far and wide; students come from as close as
Warwick, R.I. and as far as Warwick, England.
•
Ivy League schools: The locations of other Ivy League schools should not be followed
by state initials: Brown students live in Providence, but Yale students live in New Haven.
In addition, Ivy League schools may be referred to by their short names on first reference:
The football game at Harvard was an easy victory for the Bears.
•
Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program: Students are listed with the year of their
graduation from Brown, which can be found in the Student Roster, not the year that they
will finish the dual degree program.
7
Table of Contents
About The Herald Style Guide ...............................................................................................2
Other Resources ...........................................................................................................................2
Basic Herald Style Principles ..................................................................................................2
“Brown-isms” and Herald Style Rules ...............................................................................2
Commonly Cited People with Easily Mistaken Names or Titles ...........................2
Commonly Cited or Prominent Brown Alums ................................................................2
Members of the Corporation ..................................................................................................2
AP Abbreviations for States and Months .........................................................................2
Commonly Cited Rules From the AP Stylebook ............................................................2
AP Sports Style Guidelines ......................................................................................................2
2
About The Herald Style Guide
The Brown Daily Herald Style Guide is the manual of rules and practices that guide Herald
writing. It includes rules governing spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, numbers,
abbreviations and usage. You will notice that Herald editors go to great lengths to ensure that the
style of each article is consistent with Herald and AP standards. The Herald Style Guide contains
resources to help make sure that all references inside The Herald’s pages — such as alum grad
years and titles — are accurate. Making sure that names, titles, alum grad years, grammar and
style are correct and consistent is extremely important in building trust and credibility with our
readers. Newspapers look amateur and unprofessional when they are inconsistent and inaccurate,
so The Herald puts a considerable effort into ensuring consistency and accuracy.
The Herald uses the Associated Press Stylebook as its default style guide. The AP Stylebook,
which was first produced in 1953, is the primary style and usage guide for most newspapers and
news magazines in the United States. It includes rules and usage instructions on everything from
series commas (exclude the final comma in a series of three or more items) to Bubble Wrap (it’s
a trademark, so avoid using the term). The Herald newsroom has several copies of the AP
Stylebook for reporters’ reference. No one is expected to know all its rules. During first reads,
even the most experienced editors often have to look up uncommon rules or usage practices in
the AP Stylebook. When in doubt, look things up in the AP Stylebook! Though editors might
double check style and usage rules during first reads, writers are responsible for getting it right
the first time by looking up the rules themselves before turning stories in.
In addition, The Herald has its own style and usage rules. Some of these are adapted from the
AP Stylebook, while others are simply our own practices. Most of The Herald’s own style rules
deal with issues related to Brown that are not covered in the AP Stylebook. The first section of
this style guide includes the Herald-specific style and usage rules, most of which deal with
“Brown-isms,” and the second section of this guide is a collection of the most commonly
referenced rules in the AP Stylebook. But while reporting for The Herald, you will probably
come across the need for rules that aren’t in this guide — so use the AP Stylebook! In addition,
you will find other useful information in this guide, including a list of graduation years for
commonly cited Brown alums and the names of all Corporation members.
Having consistent style and accuracy is everyone’s responsibility! Each story is read eight
times before it is published — seven times by an editor, section editor or senior staff writer and
once by a copy editor, all of whom pay close attention to style and accuracy. The writer,
however, bears primary responsibility for ensuring that the style is consistent with Herald and
AP standards and that all references are accurate before turning in a story.
Found something new? The Herald Style Guide is always a work in progress. An electronic
version of this document is continuously updated by the editorial board, so be sure to let an
editor know if you come across any additions and we’ll add it to the electronic edition, ensuring
that Herald style remains consistent in the future.
3
Other Resources
In addition to this style guide and the AP Stylebook, there are a number of other resources you
should use to ensure that The Herald is accurate and consistent.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Brown Electronic Address Book: The “people search” at brown.edu is The Herald’s
authority for names and titles of all Brown students, faculty, staff and administrators.
When in doubt, we use the EAB as the authority for the spelling of names. The EAB is
also the best source for titles of administrators or faculty members, though it has some
inaccurate titles and department chairs are not noted in the EAB but are cited in The
Herald.
The Directory of Research and Researchers at Brown:
(http://research.brown.edu/research/search.php) Produced by the Office of the Vice
President for Research, this electronic database has curricula vitae for almost all Brown
professors. These can be a great resource for investigating the background of professors,
finding out about alternate titles or appointments (such as whether they are a department
chair) and double-checking alum grad years if they received a degree from Brown.
Departmental websites: Each academic department maintains its own website with
profiles of all faculty. These profiles can be used to double check alternate titles or
appointments and alum grad years if the professor received a degree from Brown.
Brown.edu search: You’ll find a wealth of information within the Brown website. In
addition to uncovering background information for your reporting, the Brown.edu search
can be a source for the University’s style and usage rules. This is also the best way to find
the correct spelling of University buildings and names.
Herald archives: Search the Herald website to see how we referred to things in the past.
In general, past practice is a good guide for future style decisions.
Student directory: The Herald maintains a paper list of all enrolled students, provided
by the registrar’s office. Use this to verify grad years of current students.
Alumni Database: Hosted by Alumni Relations (alumni.brown.edu), this electronic
database has contact information and grad years for virtually all Brown alums. It is
password protected and available only to alums, but the editorial board can help you look
alums up if necessary.
Google/Google News: If you can’t find an appropriate style rule in the AP Stylebook or
through other sources, look up the term in other newspapers and pick the most common
usage.
4
Basic Herald Style Principles
These are the most important Herald style rules that are relevant to almost every Herald article.
•
First reference vs. second reference: A first reference is the first time a formal name (a
name, building, club or organization, college or university, etc.) appears in an article, and
a second reference refers to all subsequent times that name appears. In general, use the
full, proper name on first reference and a shorter version on second reference. The first
and second references rules appear throughout this guide.
•
Organization/Group Names: Write out the first reference to all organizations and
groups. Don’t include an acronym in parentheses, but use the acronym or nickname in all
second reference if it is well-known. For example, Undergraduate Council of Students
becomes UCS, and Residential Council becomes ResCouncil. Check style guide entries
for individual organizations or groups if unsure. If an acronym or nickname is not well
known, avoid using it on second reference and instead use a clear casual reference. For
example, the Tenure, Promotions and Appointment Committee should become the
committee and not TPAC on second reference. AP style dictates that same well-known
organizations can use their acronyms on first references, such as NATO; however, refrain
from using acronyms unless they are extremely well-known, especially for organizations
and groups not related to Brown. Check Herald or AP style guides.
•
Graduation years on first reference: Always include the graduation year for Brown
students on first reference.
o For current undergraduates and alums, include the graduation year after the name,
preceded by a backquote (note that you sometimes have to manually adjust the
quotation mark to be a backquote). For example, John Doe ’13.
o Use .5 to denote mid-year (December) graduates. For example, John Doe ’06.5
graduated in December 2006.
o For current graduate students, use GS without a year. Include department and/or
degree program in the text when appropriate. For example, John Doe GS, a
master’s student in political science, led the protest.
o For current medical students, use MD with a backquote and the year. For
example, John Doe MD’12.
o For alumni graduate students, include an abbreviation for their degree program
(MA for master’s of arts, PhD for doctorate, MD for medical students; notice no
periods in the degree abbreviation) followed by the graduation year without a
space in between. Though students in the University’s Program in Liberal
Medical Education receive both their undergraduate graduation year and their
expected medical school graduation year, their identity as a PLME student should
also be mentioned explicitly if it is relevant to the story. For example, John Doe
’90 MA’92 PhD’96 has many degrees from the University. Jane Doe ’12 MD’16,
a PLME student, modeled the hospital visit program after a similar program at
her high school.
5
o For parents of current students or alums, include a P followed by the child’s grad
year with no space in between. For example, Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95
P’98 has longstanding ties to the University.
o Pembroke College alums get no special treatment in the first reference (just a
normal grad year like a Brown alum), though the fact that they graduated from
Pembroke College can be included in the text when appropriate.
o For students at other universities, do not use a class year.
•
Titles: Upcap before a name (Vice President for Research Clyde Briant announced the
initiative) and downcap after a name (Clyde Briant, vice president for research,
announced the initiative.) Often, it’s less cumbersome to include lengthy titles after the
name (Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, senior vice president for Corporation affairs and
governance). Titles for other organizations and universities can be less formal if
appropriate (Harvard spokesperson Joe Wrinn told The Herald, even though that isn’t his
formal title).
•
Quotations: When we include words within quotation marks, it’s absolutely essential
that they are the exact words used by the speaker or writer. The word said is generally
preferable to any other word, but occasionally alternatives for said, such as added, are
acceptable. Use ellipses (…) within quotations to indicate skipped words, but never use
ellipses to alter the meaning or context. If a quotation comes from an email or written
document, we must note that (e.g., Simmons wrote in an email to The Herald on first
reference to the email, and Simmons wrote on second reference). It is acceptable to alter
written quotations for Herald style (eliminating series commas, etc.), but never change
the meaning or context.
•
Professors: Professors can have a variety of specific titles, such as assistant professor,
associate professor, professor, professor emeritus, adjunct professor, lecturer, etc. It’s
absolutely essential that you get these titles correct, so always verify on the EAB or
departmental websites. Mistaken titles nearly always require a correction in the next
day’s paper. Professor titles always include a department, such as or professor of English
or associate professor of history. Never use the University’s named professorships/chairs.
If a professor chairs the department, state that, but always say department chair or chair
of the department, not chairman, chairwoman or chairperson. Alternatively, you could
reword the sentence to avoid chair as a noun -- Professor of History John Doe, who
chairs the department.
•
The Herald: We are always The Herald (capital T, capital H), never the Herald, the
BDH, or the Brown Daily Herald. (The exception is that the is downcapped when the
Herald is used as an adjective, as in the Herald newsroom.) The the in other newspapers
is always downcapped, such as the New York Times. If a Herald staff member is
mentioned in a story, no matter how unrelated to The Herald, always include the person’s
title with the name. For example, Herald staff writer Josiah Carberry loves the food at
Brown. Include titles for former Herald staff members who contributed in the last
semester.
•
the University: Always capitalize this word when referring to Brown, but don’t
capitalize when referring to other universities (unless in a capitalized name). Brown and
6
“Brown-isms” and Herald Style Rules
academic code, the
Do not capitalize.
academic years
Abbreviate the second year: Simmons will remain beyond
the 2010–11 academic year.
Admission Office
Always use Admission Office on first reference. Also
acceptable on second reference, but casual downcapped
references can also be used. Never use admissions unless
referring to a formal title or office name from another
college. For example, need-blind admission was a goal of
the Plan for Academic Enrichment and college admission
causes stress for many high school students. Note that the
Admission Office only handles applicants to the College;
individual departments accept applicants for graduate
programs, and the Alpert Medical School selects medical
students.
ages
The Herald doesn’t use them unless relevant.
Alpert Medical School
Use this on first reference, and Med School on second
reference.
alum, alums
Never alumnus, alumna, alumni, or alumnae as a noun
except in quotations, though alumni can be used as an
adjective (alumni involvement in the campaign exceeded
expectations).
aquatics bubble
Use this on all references to refer to the temporary bubble
put in place while the new Katherine Moran Coleman
Aquatics Center was being built.
Barus and Holley
Use this on all references.
Bear Bucks
Singular as a system, plural as a currency. Bear Bucks is a
more convenient system than the vending stripe. His Bear
Bucks are declining quickly due to daytime visits to the
Blue Room.
Biology and Medicine, Division of Use this on first reference, and BioMed on second reference
where appropriate in context.
Brown University Community
Council
Use this on first reference, and the council on second
reference.
8
Blue Room
Use this on all references for the eatery.
buildings, campus
Unless otherwise specified in this guide, use a building’s
full name on first reference and its shortened name, if one
exists, on later references. Maxcy Hall is the home of the
sociology department. Many professors have their offices
in Maxcy.
Campaign for Academic
Enrichment
Use this on first reference, and an appropriate second
reference, such as the campaign or the capital campaign.
The campaign’s nickname/tagline is Boldly Brown, but this
not acceptable for either first or second reference.
campus
Always lowercase, as in the Pembroke campus and the
main campus.
captain
Always downcap when referring to the captain of a sports
team. Also, co-captain and tri-captain.
CareerLAB
Use this on first reference.
classes
Always downcap, so class of ’94 or class of 1867, not
Class of ’94.
Coalition for Police Accountability Use this on first reference, and Co-PAIT on second
and Institutional Transparency
reference. This student activist group was created in the
wake of the September 2006 incidents of alleged police
brutality.
cognitive, linguistic and
psychological sciences
Use this on first reference. Use CLPS on second reference.
College Hill
Always upcap. The Hill (upcap) can be used occasionally
when appropriate, as in off the Hill, but avoid in newsy
articles.
College, the
Always capitalized; this refers to the portion of the
University in which all undergraduates are enrolled. Make
sure to capitalize the College in other references, as in the
dean of the College’s office.
Commencement
Always capitalized when used alone, as in Commencement
is in May. Commencement Weekend (upcap) is always
Memorial Day weekend, and the University’s
commencement exercises (downcap) are on Sunday of that
weekend.
9
Computing and Information
Services
Use this on first reference, and CIS on second reference.
Never the CIS. The exception to the second reference rule
is for the title vice president for computing and information
services, which is not upcapped (unless before a name) and
never vice president for CIS.
Convocation
Upcap when referring to the event that traditionally opens
the academic year.
Corporation, the
Acceptable on all references. Don’t use Brown Corporation
unless necessary for clarity (e.g., the article talks about
multiple universities). You can include a brief description,
such as the University’s highest governing body, in the text
when appropriate. Meets three times annually, in February,
May and October.
courses
Identify courses like this: CHEM 0350: “Organic
Chemistry.” Use of either the course code or course name
is acceptable on second references (Most students in
CHEM 0350 couldn’t find a place to sit, or Most students
in Organic Chemistry couldn’t find a place to sit.)
degrees, academic
Never use the abbreviations: bachelor of arts, bachelor of
science, master’s degree, doctorate.
departments, academic
Departments at Brown are almost always Department of X
and not X Department. Capitalize all words in a formal
department name (Department of History) but not in a
casual reference (the history department), unless the word
should otherwise be capitalized (the English department;
public policy and American institutions). Most first
references should use the formal, capitalized name, but this
is not essential depending on context.
Departmental Undergraduate
Group
Use this on first reference, and DUG on second reference.
Capitalize only when referring to a specific department’s
DUG (the History Departmental Undergraduate Group is
a popular departmental undergraduate group). Nearly all
concentrations have DUGs, even interdisciplinary
programs without a specific department.
Dining Services, Brown
Use this on first reference for the administrative division
that runs all food service operations on campus. On later
references to the student employment division of the group,
use BuDS. On later references not referring to the student
employment division, use Dining Services.
1
0
dorms
The Herald prefers residence halls, q.v.
double-concentrate (v.)
Engineering, School of
expletives
Avoid unless avoidance would lessen the news of the story.
In this case, obfuscate the expletive with an em dash: “It’s
total s—,” Jones said of the report. If the expletive is
critical to the news being reported, print it only after
careful consideration. “Fuck you all,” Simmons told the
faculty before resigning.
Facilities Management,
Department of
Use Department of Facilities Management on first
reference. Use Facilities Management on second reference.
Never use just Facilities, except in headlines.
Faculty Executive Committee
Use this on first reference, and the FEC on second
reference.
Faunce House
Use this on first reference, and Faunce on second
reference.
first names
Use a student’s common name (Ben instead of Benjamin) if
that’s what the person goes by. Always use the full first
name for faculty and administrators. Exceptions: Executive
Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie
Huidekoper, not Elizabeth Huidekoper; Dean of Admission
Jim Miller ’73, not James Miller.
Fish Company
Use this on first reference to the nightclub, and Fish Co. on
second reference.
Flex Points
fraternities
See Greek organizations.
freshman, first-year
The terms can be used interchangeably.
Friedman Cafe
Use this on first reference, and the cafe on later references.
Friedman Study Center
Use this on first reference, and the center on later
references.
fundraising, fundraiser, fundraise No hyphens. This is an exception to AP style.
1
1
Gate, the
Use this on all references for the eatery.
Graduate Center
Use this on first references for the residence hall complex,
and Grad Center on later references.
Graduate Center Bar, the
Use this on first reference, and the GCB on later reference.
Graduate School
Use this on first reference, and Grad School on second
reference. Always upcapped when referring to Brown’s
school. The exception to the second reference rule is for the
title of dean of the Graduate School, which always gets the
complete Graduate School reference even if it has already
been first referenced.
Greek organizations
Use an organization’s full name on first reference, and the
fraternity or the sorority on later references when
appropriate in context. Never use frat or frats when
discussing fraternities in the abstract. Though many
complain that fraternities are loud on weekdays, members
of Sigma Chi told The Herald that the fraternity never has
parties during the week. Also note that Brown’s chapter of
Alpha Delta Phi is a co-ed society, while St. Anthony’s
Hall and Zeta Delta Xi are co-ed fraternities.
Group Independent Study Project Use this on first reference, and GISP on second reference.
Hillel, Brown/RISD
Use Brown/RISD Hillel on first reference. Use Hillel on
second reference.
John Carter Brown Library
Use the on first reference, and the JCB on second
reference.
John Hay Library
Use this on first reference, and the Hay on second
reference.
Jonathan Nelson ’77 Fitness
Center
Use this on first reference, and the fitness center on second
reference.
Josiah’s
Use this on first reference for the eatery, and Jo’s on later
references.
Joukowsky Institute for
Archaeology and the Ancient
World
Use this on first reference, and the Joukowsky Institute on
second reference.
Katherine Moran Coleman
Aquatics Center
Use this on first reference, and the Aquatics Center on
second reference.
1
2
Keeney Quadrangle
Use this on first reference, and Keeney Quad or the quad
on later references.
knowledge district
Do not capitalize.
LGBTQ Center
Use this on first reference and the center on later
references. Do not spell out LGBTQ in the center’s name.
(First reference was previously LGBTQ Resource Center.)
Library
Use University Library on first reference. On later
references, it should be the Library, whenever referring to
the library system as a whole. For example, “The Library
has seen its budget slashed in recent year." But whenever
referring to a specific library, "library" should still be
downcapped, as in, "Copy Chief Dan Towne ‘12 works at
the Sciences Library. While the library is being renovated,
he has to wear a hardhat at work."
matchup
Main Green
Use this on first reference and the Green on second
reference. Note that The Herald doesn’t follow the
University’s convention, which is to call the greensward
bordered by Faunce, Sayles and University Hall the
College Green.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Use this on first reference, and MBTA on second reference.
Authority
Medical Education Building
Use this on first reference to the building in the Jewelry
District. Use the MedEd building on second reference.
medical student
Use this on all references to a student at any medical
school. Never med student.
middle initials
The Herald never uses them for people affiliated with the
University. Only use them for people outside the
University if they are commonly known with their middle
initial. John F. Kennedy and Samuel L. Jackson, but not
Ruth Simmons.
Nationals
Capitalize when referring to national sports championships.
New Curriculum
Use this on all references.
1
3
newspapers
Except for The Herald, never capitalize the t in the. Use
full publication name on first reference and an appropriate
second reference. For example, the New York Times
becomes the Times, and the Providence Journal becomes
the Journal.
Office of the Vice President for
Research
Avoid OVPR on second reference even though the
University uses that acronym.
Olney-Margolies Athletic Center
Use this on first reference, and OMAC or the athletic center
on later references.
open curriculum
Downcapped, e.g. open curriculum.
Perry and Marty Granoff Center Use this on first reference, and the Granoff Center on later
for the Creative Arts
references. Use the center is also acceptable on later
reference, when appropriate in context.
Pizzitola Center, the
Use this on all references.
preregistration
One word, no hyphen.
Program in Liberal Medical
Education
Use this on first reference. PLME is an acceptable
abbreviation on later references.
Providence Journal
Use this on first reference, and the Journal on second
reference. Do not use ProJo.
Providence Police Department
Use this on first reference, and PPD on later references.
Quiet Green
Use this on first reference. When appropriate in context,
use the green on subsequent references. Note that The
Herald doesn’t follow the University’s convention, which
is to call the greensward bordered by Prospect Street,
Brown Street, Waterman Street, and University Hall the
Front Green.
Queer Alliance
Use this on first reference, and QA on second reference.
Not the QA.
residence halls
Use a residence hall’s full name on first reference (Caswell
Hall, Marcy House), and shorten on later references
(Caswell, Marcy). See also: Graduate Center and Vartan
Gregorian Quad.
Residential Council
Use this on first reference, and ResCouncil on second
references.
1
4
Residential Life, Office of
Use this on first reference, and ResLife on second
references.
Residential Peer Leaders
Use this on first reference, and RPLs on second reference,
to refer to the student counselors employed by the Office of
Residential Life. Also: Residential Counselor, Minority
Peer Counselor, Women Peer Counselor, Community
Assistant, and Community Director on first reference. RC,
MPC, WPC, CA, and CD on second reference.
Rhode Island Public Transit
Authority
Use this on first reference, and RIPTA on second reference.
Rhode Island School of Design
Use this on first reference, and RISD on second reference.
Rhode Island State House
Use this on first reference, and the State House on second
reference.
Rockefeller Library
Use this on first reference, and the Rock on later references.
SafeRide
Salomon Center
Use this on first reference, and Salomon on subsequent
references. Omit Center when referring to a specific room,
such as Salomon 101 or Salomon 001. The Herald does not
refer to Salomon 101 as the DeCiccio Family Auditorium
other than in technical instances.
Satisfactory/No Credit
Saunders Inn at Brown
Use this on first reference, and Brown Inn on second
reference.
Sayles Hall
Use this on first reference, and Sayles on second reference.
Sciences Library
Use this on first reference. Use SciLi on later references.
semesters
Downcap the season: fall 2009, spring 2010.
Sex Power God
Use this on all references.
Sharpe Refectory
Use this on first reference, and the Ratty on later
references.
sororities
See Greek organizations.
1
5
Stephen Robert ’62 Campus
Center
The student facility located in Faunce House.
Student Life, Office of
Use this on first reference, and the OSL on second
reference. The student life office can also be used on second
reference for variety. Make sure to properly distinguish
between the OSL and the Division of Campus Life and
Student Services. The former is a subset of the latter. The
OSL is responsible for non-academic student safety and
support, while Campus Life and Student Services is
generally responsible for all non-academic student-based
initiatives, ranging from Dining Services to IPTV.
Sidney Frank Hall for Life
Sciences
Use this on first reference, and LiSci on later references.
state legislators
Include the location of their district, not its number: State
Rep. Joseph Almeida, D-Providence, voted for the bill.
Swearer Center for Public Service Swearer Center is acceptable in context on later references.
Taubman Center for Public Policy Use this on first reference.
and American Institutions
The Walk
Refer to it like this on all references. The Walk links the
Lincoln Field with the Pembroke campus.
Theatre Arts and Performance
Studies, Department of
Formerly the Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance.
time out
tipoff (n.), tip off (v.)
Undergraduate Council of
Students
Use this on first reference, and UCS on subsequent
references. The council can also be used on second
reference for variety when appropriate in context. Avoid
the awkward possessive “UCS’” in favor of “the
council’s”. In articles about UCS, always include officer
titles, such as UCS Vice President.
Undergraduate Finance Board
Use this on first reference, and UFB on later references.
The board can also be used when appropriate in context. In
articles about UFB, always include office titles, such as
UFB President.
1
6
universities, other than Brown
The Herald refers to other Ivy League schools by their
short names: Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Penn. Make sure to
refer to Pennsylvania State University as such. Use the full
name of all other universities: Colgate University, New
York University, Tufts University, the University of
Chicago. To refer to a particular campus of a state
university with multiple campuses, use “at”: the
University of California at Berkeley.
In sports articles, use simply the school’s short name:
Northwestern, Emory. Exceptions: Boston College, Boston
University, the University of Rhode Island, Providence
College, and state universities with multiple campuses,
which follow the above rule.
University Steering Committee on Use this on first reference. Use an appropriate downcapped
Slavery and Justice
second reference, such as the committee or the slavery and
justice committee.
Van Wickle Gates
Use this on first reference, and the gates on subsequent
reference.
Vartan Gregorian Quad
Use this on first reference, and New Dorm on later
references. The quad may also be used when appropriate in
context.
Verney-Woolley Dining Hall
Use this on first reference, and the V-Dub on later
references.
Watson Institute for International Use this on first reference and the Watson Institute on
Studies
second reference.
Waitlist
One word.
Wintersession
Use this on all references to the Rhode Island School of
Design’s January term.
Wriston Quadrangle
Use this on first reference, and Wriston Quad or the quad
on later references.
Writing Center
Use this on first reference. Use the center on second
reference.
Wyclef Jean
Always use Wyclef Jean on first reference. On second
reference, use Jean when referring to him as a professor
and Wyclef when referring to him as a musician.
1
7
Young Orchard #
Use this on first reference, e.g. Young Orchard 4.
1
8
Commonly Cited People with Easily Mistaken Names or Titles
Brown Administrators and Professors
•
Albert E. Dahlberg, professor of medical science
•
Albert A. Dahlberg, director of state and community relations
•
Gordon E. Wood ‘60
•
Professor Emeritus of History Gordon S. Wood P’86
•
Andy van Dam, professor of computer science
Brown Students
•
Daniel Rance Jacobson ‘14
•
Daniel Rowe Jacobson ‘14
•
Matthew Paul Hayes Smith
•
Matthew Paul Smith
•
Matthew Elias Smith
•
Ryan K. Lester ‘11
•
Ryan D. Lester ‘12
Rhode Island Officials
•
State Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed
•
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah Gist
1
9
Commonly Cited or Prominent Brown Alums
This is a partial list of the grad years of alums often cited in The Herald. Always try to find out
whether someone cited in your article went to the University; you never know who might be an
alum. It’s a good idea to quickly check the curricula vitae or faculty profile of professors to see if
they have a Brown degree, since many do. And always feel free to ask sources if they or their
children went to Brown.
Brown Administrators and Professors
•
Todd Andrews ’83, vice president for alumni relations
•
Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio ’95, associate dean of student life
•
Carol Cohen ’83, assistant dean of the College for first-year and sophomore studies
•
Melani Cammett ’91, associate professor of political science
•
Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, senior vice president for Corporation affairs & governance
•
Matthew Gutmann P’14, vice president for international affairs
•
Jim Head PhD’69, professor of geological sciences
•
Susan Howitt ’80, associate vice president for budget and planning
•
David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98, provost
•
Karen McLaurin ’74, former associate dean of the College and director of the Third
World Center
•
Jim Miller ’73, dean of admission
•
Ken Miller ’70 P’02, professor of biology
•
Roger Nozaki MAT’89, director of the Swearer Center for Public Service and associate
dean of the College for community and global engagement
•
Phil O’Hara ’55, former director of the Student Activities Office
•
Stephen Robert ’62 P’91, former chancellor
•
Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar ’87 MA’90 PhD’09, assistant to the president
•
Tricia Rose MA’87 PhD’93, professor of Africana studies and chair of the department
•
William Simmons ’60, professor of anthropology
•
Kathy Spoehr ’69, professor of cognitive and linguistic sciences
•
Chung-I Tan P’95 P’03, professor of physics and FEC chair
•
David Targan ’78, associate dean of the College for science
•
Terri-Lynn Thayer ’81, assistant vice president for computing and information services
•
Vincent Tompkins ’84, deputy provost
•
Ronald Vanden Dorpel MA’71, former senior vice president for University advancement
2
0
•
Rajiv Vohra P’07, dean of the faculty
•
Patrick Vivier ’85 MD’89, associate professor of community health and pediatrics
•
John Edgar Wideman P’91, professor of Africana studies
•
Gordon Wood P’86, professor emeritus of history
Outside Brown
•
Chris Berman ’77 P’08 P’09, ESPN anchor
•
Donald Carcieri ’65, Rhode Island governor
•
Elizabeth Chace ’59, campaign co-chair
•
Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, former United States senator (R-R.I.), former fellow at the
Watson Institute and current independent candidate for Rhode Island governor
•
David Cicilline ’83, Providence mayor
•
Ronald Dwight ’66, College Hill neighborhood activist
•
Jeffrey Eugenides ’83, author
•
Barnaby Evans ’75, WaterFire creator
•
Joseph Fernandez ’85, president of the Brown Alumni Association
•
Tom First ’89, Nantucket Nectars co-founder
•
Sidney Frank ’42, major University donor
•
Richard Friedman ’79 P’08, principal donor of Friedman Study Center
•
Susan Pilch Friedman ’77 P’08, principal donor of Friedman Study Center
•
Ira Glass ’82, host of radio program “This American Life”
•
Theodore Francis Green 1887, former Rhode Island governor and U.S. senator
•
John Hay 1858, Lincoln’s secretary, secretary of state, U.S. ambassador to England
•
Todd Haynes ’85, director
•
John Heisman 1891, famed football coach and namesake of Heisman Trophy
•
Richard Holbrooke ’62, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
•
Anthony Ittleson ’60 P’89 P’90, honorary campaign co-chair
•
Bobby Jindal ’91.5, Louisiana governor and former Corporation trustee
•
•
•
Artemis Joukowsky ’55 P’87, chancellor emeritus, honorary campaign co-chair and
major University donor
Martha Joukowsky ’58 P’87, professor emerita of old world archaeology and major
University donor
Sen. John Kerry P’02, D-Mass.
2
1
•
•
Jim Yong Kim ’82, president of Dartmouth
Peter Kovacs ’77, managing editor of New Orleans Times-Picayune and member of the
Herald board
•
John Krasinski ’01, actor
•
Debra Lee ’76, chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television
•
Laura Linney ’86, actress
•
Lisa Loeb ’90, singer
•
Dan Maffei ’90, D-N.Y., U.S. congressman
•
Ira Magaziner ’69 P’06, P’07, P’10, co-founder of 1969 New Curriculum
•
Matt Mallow ’64 P’02, campaign co-chair
•
Horace Mann 1819
•
Jack Markell ’82, governor of Delaware
•
Chris Matthews P’05, news anchor and political commentator
•
Elliot Maxwell ’68 P’06, co-founder of the 1969 New Curriculum
•
Brian Moynihan ’81, CEO of Bank of America
•
Philip Noel ’54, former Rhode Island governor
•
Joe Paterno ’50, Penn State football coach
•
Rhoda Perry P’91
•
Fritz Pollard ’19, first black NFL quarterback
•
Steven Rattner ’74 P’13 P’15, former “car czar”
•
Cecile Richards ’80, president of Planned Parenthood
•
James Risen ’77, New York Times reporter
•
Elizabeth Roberts ’78, Rhode Island lieutenant governor
•
John D. Rockefeller Jr. 1879, philanthropist
•
David Rohde ’90, New York Times reporter
•
Tom Scott ’90, Nantucket Nectars co-founder
•
Duncan Sheik ’92, singer and composer
•
Kenneth Starr MA’69, former judge and independent counsel whose Starr Report led to
Clinton’s impeachment
•
Ted Turner ’60, television mogul (did not graduate)
•
Jerome Vascellaro ’74 P’07, campaign co-chair
•
Thomas Watson ’37, University donor, IBM chairman of the board, U.S. ambassador to
Russia
2
2
Members of the Corporation
Note: New Corporation members are announced each May.
Officers of the Corporation
•
Ruth Simmons, president
•
Thomas Tisch ’76, chancellor
•
Jerome Vascellaro ’74, vice chancellor
•
Donald Hood MS’68 PhD’70, secretary
•
Alison Ressler ’80 P’09 P’10 P’13, treasurer
Board of Fellows
•
Mark Blumenkranz ’72 MD’75 MMS’76 P’05 P’08
•
Elizabeth Chace ’59
•
Donald Hood MS’68 PhD’70
•
Robin Lenhardt ’89
•
Matthew Mallow ’64 P’02
•
David McKinney P’80 P’82 P’89
•
Samuel Mencoff ’78 P’11
•
Steven Rattner ’74 P’13 P’15
•
Stephen Robert ’62 P’91
•
Ruth Simmons
•
Maria Zuber MS’83 PhD’86 P’11
Board of Trustees
•
Norman Alpert ’80 P’09 P’11 P’13
•
Richard Barker ’57 P’03 P’05
•
Thomas Berry ’69 P’92 P’96
•
James Burke Jr. ’73 P’05 P’06 P’10
•
Katherine Burton ’79 P’10
•
Craig Cogut ’75 P’11 P’13
•
Laurence Cohen ’78 P’08 P’11 P’13 P’13
2
3
•
Steven Cohen P’08
•
Spencer Crew ’71 P’00 P’04
•
Charles Davis ’82 P’13
•
Katherine Farley ’71 P’95
•
Joseph Fernandez ’85
•
Richard Friedman ’79 P’08
•
Charles Giancarlo ’79 P’08 P’11
•
Martin Granoff P’93
•
Cathy Frank Halstead
•
H. Anthony Ittleson ’60 P’89 P’90
•
Dorsey James ’83
•
Peige Katz ’91
•
Lauren Kolodny ’08
•
Debra Lee ’76
•
Karen Levy ’74 P’05
•
Annette Nazareth ’78 P’13
•
Nancy Fuld Neff ’76 P’06
•
Jonathan Nelson ’77 P’07 P’09
•
Theresia Ranzetta ’90
•
Alison Ressler ’80 P’09 P’10 P’13
•
Carmen Rodriguez ’83
•
Ralph Rosenberg ’86
•
Barry Rosenstein P’10
•
Thomas Rothman ’76 P’11 P’13
•
Charles Royce ’61 P’92 P’94 P’08
•
Jonathan Rozoff ’85
•
Joan Sorensen ’72 P’06 P’06
•
Anita Spivey ’74 P’09
•
Marta Tienda P’08
•
Thomas Tisch ’76
•
William Twaddell ’63
•
Jerome Vascellero ’74 P’07
•
Peter Voss ’68 P’98
2
4
•
Elizabeth West ’73
•
William Wood ’78
AP Abbreviations for States and Months
These are provided here for easy reference.
2
5
States
Follow these guidelines:
•
Standing alone: Spell out the names of all 50 U.S. states when they stand alone. The new
professor is from Rhode Island.
•
Eight not abbreviated: The names of eight states that are never abbreviated in datelines or
when following a city in text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and
Utah. Remember: This list comprises the two states that are not part of the contiguous
United States and all states of five letters or fewer.
•
Abbreviations required: For all other states, use the abbreviations below in conjunction
with the name of a city or for members of Congress. Always offset the state abbreviations
with commas on both sides, unless it ends a sentence.
Ala.
Ariz.
Ark.
Calif.
Conn.
Del.
Fla.
Ga.
Ill.
Ind.
Kan.
Ky.
La.
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
Neb.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.
N.C.
N.D.
Okla.
Ore.
Pa.
R.I.
S.C.
S.D.
Tenn.
Vt.
Cities
The following U.S. cities stand alone and don’t require a state:
Atlanta
Houston
Baltimore
Indianapolis
Boston
Las Vegas
Chicago
Los Angeles
Cincinnati
Miami
Cleveland
Milwaukee
Dallas
Minneapolis
Denver
New Orleans
Detroit
New York
Honolulu
Oklahoma City
Va.
Wash.
W.Va.
Wis.
Wyo.
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington
The following foreign cities stand alone and don’t require a country:
Amsterdam
Baghdad
Hong Kong
Islamabad
Ottawa
Panama City
2
6
Bangkok
Beijing
Beirut
Berlin
Bogota
Brussels
Cairo
Copenhagen
Djibouti
Dublin
Frankfurt
Geneva
Gibraltar
Guatemala City
Hamburg
Havana
Helsinki
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Kabul
Kuwait City
London
Luxembourg
Macau
Madrid
Mexico City
Milan
Monaco
Montreal
Moscow
Munich
New Delhi
Oslo
Paris
Prague
Quebec City
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
San Marino
Sao Paulo
Shanghai
Singapore
Stockholm
Sydney
Tokyo
Toronto
Vatican City
Vienna
Zurich
Canadian cites not in the above list are followed by their province, not Canada.
Months
Follow these guidelines
•
•
•
•
When a month stands alone, do not abbreviate it.
When a month is used with a year, do not abbreviate it. The semester starts in January
2007.
When a month is used with a specific date, use the following abbreviations: Jan., Feb.,
Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Spell out all other months. Offset the year with commas on
both sides.
In summary: January 1972 was a cold month. Jan. 2 was the coldest day that month. Feb.
14, 1987, is the coldest date on record.
2
7
Commonly Cited Rules From the AP Stylebook
These are provided for easy reference. Always refer to the complete AP Stylebook for
clarification.
A
a, an: Use the article a before consonant sounds (a historic event, a one-year team, a united
stand), and use the article an before vowel sounds (an energy crisis, an honorable man, an NBA
record)
abbreviations and acronyms: see AP style guide for full entry, but the highlights:
• It is acceptable to use universally recognized abbreviations or acronyms, especially in
second reference, but avoid alphabet soup. Not every organization, committee, or group
needs an abbreviation or acronym. If the abbreviation or acronym isn’t extremely
common, use everyday language like “the committee,” “the group,” etc., on second
reference.
• Abbreviate titles when used before a full name, as in Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., Sen., the Rev.
Titles of Brown officials and professors are never abbreviated.
• Abbreviate words after a full name, as in Jr., Sr., Co., Corp., Inc.
• Use abbreviations A.D., B.C., a.m., p.m., No. only in conjunction with numerals, never
alone.
• In numbered addresses, abbreviate Ave., Blvd., St., but not when used without a number.
All other address words (lane, circle) are not abbreviated.
• In general, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. But
use periods in two-letter abbreviations (U.S., U.N., U.K., B.C.; but exceptions are EU and
GI). Use all caps but no periods in longer abbreviations, such as ABC, CIA, FBI, FDA.
academic degrees: Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no
possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. When used after a full name, an academic
abbreviation is set off by commas.
addresses: In numbered addresses, abbreviate Ave., Blvd., St., but not when used without a
number. All other address words (lane, circle) are not abbreviated. Spell out and capitalize when
part of a full street name (Pennsylvania Avenue) but don’t capitalize when used alone or with
more than one street name (Waterman and Thayer streets).
adopt, approve, enact, pass: amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are adopted or
approved; bills are passed; laws are enacted
adviser: not advisor (Richard Spies is executive vice president for planning and senior adviser to
the president; few sophomores have academic advisers)
African-American: Acceptable for an American black person of African descent. Black is also
acceptable.
Ages: Always use numerals for people and animals but not for inanimates. For example, the girl
2
8
is 15 years old, but the law is eight years old. For inanimates, use numerals for ages over 10. Use
hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun (a 5-year-old
boy, the 3-year-old). No apostrophe in the woman was in her 30s.
AIDS: acceptable in all references for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
al-Qaida
among, between: between introduces two items and among introduces more than two. But
between is correct when expressing the relationship of three or more items considered one pair at
a time, as in Negotiations on new salaries are ongoing between University officials and the
departments of English, history and political science.
ampersand (&): Replace all ampersands with and. This is an exception to AP style!
another: another is not a synonym for additional; it refers to an element that somehow
duplicates a previously stated quantity. Right: Ten people took the test; another 10 refused.
Wrong: Ten people took the rest; another 20 refused.
apposition: A decision on whether to put commas around a word, phrase or clause used in
apposition depends on whether it is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
army: capitalize when referring to U.S. forces (the U.S. Army, the Army, Army regulations) but
use lowercase for the forces of any other nation (the French army, the Israeli army). This
approach has been adopted for consistency, as many foreign nations do not use army as the
proper name.
B
bachelor of arts, bachelor of science: but a bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s is also acceptable
on any reference.
backward: not backwards
bay: capitalize when referring to a proper body of water (Hudson Bay) or the nine-county region
that has San Francisco as its focal point (San Francisco Bay Area, the Bay Area)
biannual, biennial: biannual means twice a year and and is equivalent of semiannual; biennial
means every two years
Bible: Capitalize without quotation marks when referring to the religious book, but downcap
biblical in all uses and bible when referring to non-religious use (the AP style guide is The
Herald’s bible)
Big Brother: capitalize when referring to the watchful eye of big government
bimonthly: this means every other month. Semimonthly means twice a month.
2
9
biweekly: means every other week. Semiweekly means twice a week.
blog: acceptable on any reference without further explanation
C
cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation: no double l’s except in cancellation.
capital: The city where a seat of government is located. When used in a financial sense, the
word describes money, equipment or property used in a business by a person or a corporation.
capitol: Capitalize U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington.
Caucasian: capitalize this word.
cellphone: this is one word.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The first word is plural. Use this on first
reference and the CDC on second reference.
Central Intelligence Agency: CIA is acceptable on all references.
century: downcap unless part of a proper name. The 20th century; 20th Century Fox.
chairman, chairwoman: Capitalize as a former title before a name, as in company Chairman
Henry Ford, committee Chairwoman Margaret Chase Smith. But don’t capitalize if the position
is casual or temporary: meeting chairman John Doe. For department heads and committees at
Brown, chair is acceptable.
chapters: Capitalize the word when used with a figure, and lowercase elsewhere. Chapter 1,
Chapter 20, he read to the end of the chapter.
character, reputation: The former refers to moral qualities; the latter refers to how a person is
regarded by others.
chief justice: Capitalize only as a former title before a name: Chief Justice John Roberts. The
officeholder is chief justice of the United States, not chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Chinese names: The Chinese usually give the family name first (Deng) followed by a given
name (Xiaoping). Second reference should give the family name only (Deng).
D
damage, damages: Damage is destruction (The storm caused considerable damage), and
damages are awarded in a legal decision (She received $10,000 in damages).
dangling modifiers: Avoid modifiers that do not clearly and logically refer to some word in the
sentence. Dangling: Taking our seats, the game started. (Taking does not refer to the subject,
3
0
game, nor to any other word in the sentence.) Correct: Taking our seats, we watched the opening
of the game. (Taking refers to we, the subject of the sentence.)
data: This word is a plural noun and takes plural verbs and pronouns.
dean’s list: Always downcamp.
decades: Use s to indicate plurality The ‘90s were awesome; He was born in the mid-’70s .
dimensions: Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. to indicate depth, height, length
and width. Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns. For example: He is 5 feet 6 inches tall, the
5-foot-6-inch man, the 5-foot man, the basketball team signed a 7-footer. The car is 17 feet long,
6 feet wide and 5 feet high. The rug is 9 feet by 12 feet, the 9-by-12 rug.
directions: Downcap north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when referring to compass
direction, but upcap the words when referring to regions. For example: He drove south on I-95;
The storm came from the west; The blizzard that struck the Midwest will also affect travel on the
East Coast; She had a Southern accent. Downcap directions with names of nations unless they
are part of a proper name or used to designate a politically divided nation (eastern Canada,
Northern Ireland). With states and cities, downcap directions unless part of a proper name or
used to designate widely recognized sections (East Providence, Southern California, western
New York).
diseases: Do not capitalize diseases (leukemia and emphysema) unless a person’s name is
associated with it (Parkinson’s disease).
district attorney: Do not abbreviate unless in a quote and always lower case unless in a title
before a name.
drunk, drunken: Drunk is the adjective that follows the verb to be (On Spring Weekend, he was
drunk). Drunken is an adjective used before nouns (He was arrested for drunken driving).
E
ecology: This word is not synonymous with environment, it refers to the study of the relationship
between organisms and their surroundings.
either: Use this word to mean one or the other, not both.
email, but e-book, e-commerce, e-business
emeritus: Capitalize in official titles (Professor Emeritus of History Gordon Wood), but
downcap in titles following names.
emigrate: A person emigrates from a country and immigrates to a country.
ensure: This word means to guarantee. (We created this style guide to ensure accuracy.)
3
1
equally: Do not use with the word as; use one or the other (They were equally crazy or He was
as crazy as she was).
everyday (adj.), every day (adv.): He has a crappy pair of everyday sweatpants; He drives to
school every day.
ex-: Hyphenate when describing someone’s former position (ex-Rhode Island Senator Chafee;
her ex-husband).
exclamation points: Herald policy is to not use them.
F
faceoff (n.), face off (v.)
farther, further: Farther refers to distance (The Herald’s office is farther away from downtown
than the Rock); Further refers to time or degree (The student was granted an extension so he
could conduct further research).
fewer: Use this word with individual items, and use less with bulk quantities.
Food and Drug Administration: Use this on first reference and FDA on second reference.
Frisbee: A trademark, so this word is upcapped.
fundraising, fundraiser, fundraise: No hyphens. This is an exception to AP style.
G
gay: Acceptable as a popular synonym for homosexual (n. and adj.).
gentile: Generally, any person not a Jew; often, specifically a Christian. To Mormons it is
anyone not a Mormon.
ghetto, ghettos: Connotes that a government decree has forced people to live in a certain area.
Do not use except with that meaning. In most cases, section, district, slum area, or quarter is the
more accurate word.
GI, GIs: Soldier is preferred unless the story contains the term in quoted matter or involves a
subject such as the GI Bill of Rights.
glamour: One of the few our endings still used in American writing. But the adjective is
glamorous.
governor: Capitalize and abbreviate as Gov. or Govs. when used as a formal title before one or
more names in regular text. Lowercase and spell out in all other uses.
grade, grade: Hyphenate both the noun forms (first-grader, 10th-grader, etc.) and the adjectival
3
2
forms (a fourth-grade pupil, a 12th-grade pupil).
gray: Not grey. But: greyhound.
great-: Hyphenate great-grandfather, great-great-grandmother, etc.
Great Britain: It consists of England, Scotland, and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. Britain is
acceptable in all references.
greater: Capitalize when used to define a community and its surrounding region: Greater
Boston.
grisly, grizzly: Grisly is horrifying, repugnant. Grizzly means grayish or is a short form for
grizzly bear.
Groundhog Day Feb. 2
group: Takes singular verbs and pronouns: The group is reviewing its position.
grown-up (n. and adj.)
guerilla: Unorthodox soldiers and their tactics.
H
hang, hanged, hung: One hangs a picture, a criminal or oneself. For past tense or the passive,
use hanged when referring to execution or suicides, hung for other actions.
hangover
Hanukkah
health care: Always two words.
high-tech
Hispanic
historic, historical: A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history.
Any occurrence in the past is a historical event.
his, her: Do not presume maleness in constructing a sentence, but use the pronoun his when an
indefinite antecedent may be male or female: A reporter attempts to protect his sources (not his
or her sources). Frequently, however, the best choice is a slight revision of the sentence:
Reporters attempt to protect their sources.
hit and run (v.) hit-and-run (n. and adj.)
home page: Two words.
3
3
homicide, murder, manslaughter: Homicide is a legal term for slaying or killing. Murder is
malicious, premeditated homicide. Manslaughter is homicide without malice or premeditation.
A person should not described as a murderer until convicted of the charge. .
I
illegal: Use illegal only to mean a violation of the law. Be especially careful in labormanagement disputes, where one side often calls an action by the other side illegal. Usually it is
a charge that a contract or rule, not a law, has been violated.
impostor: Not imposter.
Indians: American Indian is the preferred term for those in the United States. Native American is
acceptable in quotations and names of organizations.
indoor (adj.) indoors (adv.)
infant: Applicable to children through 12 months old.
information technology: IT is acceptable on all references.
injuries: They are suffered, not sustained or received.
in-law
in spite of: Despite means the same thing and is shorter.
intelligence quotient: IQ is acceptable in all references.
Internet: Always capitalized
Iran: The nation formerly called Persia. It is not an Arab country. The people are Iranians, not
Persians or Irani. For the language, use Persian, the word widely accepted outside Iran. Inside
Iran, the language is called Farsi.
irregardless: A double negative. Regardless is correct.
Ivy League: The universities are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, the University
of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale.
J
Jew: Use for men and women. Do not use Jewess.
K
ketchup: Not catchup or catsup.
3
4
keynote address: Also: keynote speech.
kids: Use children unless you are talking about goats.
Korean names: In all cases, the family name comes first.
L
Labor Day: The first Monday in September.
Lake: Capitalize as part of a proper name: Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes. Lowercase in plural
uses: lakes Erie and Ontario.
last: Avoid the use of last as a synonym for latest if it might imply finality. The last time it
rained, I forgot my umbrella, is acceptable. But: The last announcement was made at noon today
may leave the reader wondering whether the announcement was the final announcement or
whether others are to follow. The word last is not necessary to convey the notion of most recent
when the name of a month or day is used. Preferred: It happened Wednesday. It happened in
April.
late: Do not use it to describe someone’s actions while alive. Wrong: Only the late senator
opposed this bill. (The senator was not dead at that time.)
Latin America: The area of the Americas south of the United States where Romance languages
(those derived from Latin) are dominant. It applies to most of the regions south of the United
States except areas with a British heritage: the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, etc.
latitude and longitude: Latitude, the distance north of south of the equator, is designated by
parallels. Longitude, the distance east and west of Greenwich, England, is designated by
meridians.
Laundromat: A trademark for a coin-operated laundry.
laws: Capitalize legislative acts but not bills: the Taft-Hartley Act, the Kennedy bill.
lawsuit: Civil lawsuit is redundant.
lawyer: A generic term for all members of the bar. An attorney is someone legally appointed or
empowered to act for another, usually, but not always, a lawyer. An attorney at law is a lawyer.
Do not use lawyer as a formal title.
layup: Use this form whether it is a noun or a verb.
legislative titles: Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in
regular text. Spell out and capitalize these titles before one or more names in a direct quotation.
Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in other uses. Spell out other legislative titles
in all uses. Capitalize formal titles such as assemblyman, assemblywoman, city councilor, etc.
3
5
Add U.S. before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed does not live
next to state Sen. Rhoda Perry. Do not use legislative titles on second reference unless they are
part of a direct quotation. Rep. and U.S. Rep are preferred first reference forms when a formal
title is used before the name of a U.S. House member. Congressman and congresswoman should
appear as capitalized formal titles before a name only in direct quotation. Capitalize titles for
formal, organizational offices within a legislative body when they are used before a name:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
legislature: Capitalize when preceded by the name of a state or in direct reference to a state
legislature: the Rhode Island Legislature or the state Legislature voted to legalize medical
marijuana use. Lowercase when used generically and in all plural references: the Rhode Island
and Massachusetts legislatures. In Rhode Island the legislature is a General Assembly composed
of a senate and house.
lieutenant governor: Capitalize and abbreviate as Lt. Gov. when used as a formal title before
one or more names in regular text, spell out in direct quotations. Lowercase and spell out in all
other uses. Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts ’78 defeated incumbent Charles Fogarty in the last
election.
likable: Not likeable.
like, as: Use like as a preposition to compare nouns and pronouns. Jim blocks like a pro. The
conjunction as is the correct word to introduce clauses: Jim blocks the linebacker as he should.
local: Avoid irrelevant use. Irrelevant: The students were taken to a local hospital. Better: The
students were taken to a hospital.
login, logon, logoff (n.): But use as two words in verb form: I log in to my computer.
M
magazine names: Capitalize name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase magazine unless it is
part of the publication’s formal title: Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine.
majority, plurality: Majority means more than half of an amount. Plurality means more than
the next highest number. Use of a singular or plural verb following an construction depends on
the meaning of the sentence: A majority of two votes is not adequate to control the committee.
The majority of houses on the block were destroyed.
Marines: Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Marines, the Marines, the Marine
Corps. Do not use the abbreviation USMC.
master of arts, master of science: A master’s degree or a master’s is acceptable in any
reference.
media: In the sense of mass communication, such as magazines, newspaper and television, the
word is plural: The news media are resisting attempts to limit their freedom.
3
6
mentally disabled: The preferred term for those with significantly subaverage intellectual
functioning. Use instead of “mentally retarded.”
metric system: Use metric terms when they are either the primary form in which the source of a
story has provided statistics or when metric equivalents have become widely known. For
example, when referring to speed limits.
miles per hour: The abbreviation mph is acceptable on second reference.
military titles: Capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individual’s
name.
millions, billions: Use figures million or billion in all except casual uses: I’d like to make a
billion dollars. Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth
from $2 million to $4 million. A phrase like $100 million gift does not take a hyphen.
mountains: Capitalize as part of a proper name: Appalachian Mountains.
N
National Aeronautics and Space Administration: NASA is acceptable in all references.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: NAACP is acceptable on first
reference to avoid a cumbersome lead, but provide the full name in the body of the story.
nationalities and races: Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, tribes, etc.:
Arab, Arabic, African, Jewish, Latin, Swede. Lowercase black (noun or adjective), white,
mulatto, etc.
NATO: Acceptable in all references for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Navy: Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Navy, the Navy.
nonprofit: Always use as one word.
O
obscenities, profanities, vulgarities: Do not use them in stories unless they are part of direct
quotations and there is a compelling reason for them. In reporting profanity that normally would
use the word god, lowercase god: goddamn it.
ocean: Lowercase when standing alone or in plural uses: the Atlantic Ocean; the Indian and
Pacific oceans.
offices: Capitalize office when it is part of an agency’s formal name: Admission Office.
Lowercase all other uses: the state attorney general’s office.
OK
3
7
on: Do not use before a date or day of the week when its absence would not lead to confusion.
The lecture will be given Monday. Use to avoid awkward juxtaposition of a date and a proper
name: John met Mary on Monday.
one-: Hyphenate when used in writing fractions: one-half, one-third.
online: One word in all cases for the computer connection term.
organizations and institutions: Capitalize the full names of organizations and institutions: the
American Medical Association, First Presbyterian Church, General Motors Corp. Retain
capitalization if Co. or Corp .or a similar word is deleted from the full proper name: General
Motors.
P
page numbers: Use figures and capitalize page when used with a figure. When a letter is
appended to the figure, capitalize it but do not use a hyphen: Page 1, Page 10, Page 20A. One
exception: It’s a Page One story.
party affiliation: Let relevance be the guide in determining whether to include a political
figure’s party affiliation in a story. In stories about party meetings, such as a report on a meeting
of the Brown Democrats, no specific reference to party affiliation is necessary unless an
individual is not a member of the party in question. The Herald used the form Sen. Sheldon
Whitehouse, D-R.I., said he was going to resign.
people, persons: Use person when speaking of an individual: One person waited for the bus.
The word people is preferable to persons in all plural uses. Persons should be used only when it
is in a direct quote or part of a title. People is a collective noun that takes a plural verb when used
to refer to a single race or nation: The American people are united. In this sense, the plural is
peoples: The peoples of Africa speak many languages.
percent: One word. It takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word
follows an of construction: He said 50 percent of the membership was there. Be careful to
distinguish “percent” and “percentage points,” as a drop in President Bush’s approval rating from
40 percent to 30 percent is a drop of 10 percentage points but of 25 percent.
personifications: Capitalize them: Grim Reaper, Old Man Winter.
-persons: Do not use coined words such as chairperson or spokesperson in regular text, only
when occurring in a direct quote or when it is a formal title. Instead, use chairman/chairwoman
or spokesman/spokeswoman as appropriate.
p.m., a.m.: Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 p.m. tonight.
police department: Capitalize when part of a name, such as Providence Police Department.
Abbreviation (such as PPD) acceptable on second reference. Lowercase police department in
plural uses: the Providence and Warwick police departments. Lowercase the department
whenever it stands alone.
3
8
political divisions: Use Arabic figures and capitalize the accompanying word when used with
the figures: Ward 1, the ward.
politics: Usually it takes a plural verb: My politics are my own business. As a study or a science,
takes a singular verb: Politics is a demanding profession.
polls: Stories based on public opinion polls must contain the basic information for an intelligent
evaluation of the results: who did the poll and who paid for it, how many people were
interviewed and how were they selected, who was interviewed, how was the poll conducted,
when was the poll taken, what are the sampling error margins for the poll and for sub-groups
mentioned in the story, what questions were asked and in what order. Do not exaggerate poll
results, comparisons with other polls are often newsworthy, and sampling error is not the only
source of error in a poll (though it is the only one that can be quantified).
post-: Follow Webster’s New Word dictionary. Hyphenate if not listed there. Some without a
hyphen: postdate, postdoctoral, postgraduate, postwar. Some with a hyphen: post-bellum, postmortem. When referring to the arts and entertainment magazine of the Brown Daily Herald, postMagazine (post- downcapped).
post office: It may be used but is no longer capitalized referring to the mail system, which is
now the U.S. Postal Service. Lowercase when referring to an individual office, such as the post
office in J. Walter Wilson. The University mailroom can be called the P.O. except on first
reference when meaning is clear in context.
prefixes: Generally, a hyphen is used if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows it
begins with the same vowel: pre-election, pre-empt. Otherwise, follow Webster’s New World
dictionary, hyphenating if it is not listed there: prehistoric, precook.
presidency, presidential: Always lower case except as part of a formal name, such as the
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
president: Capitalize president only as a formal title before one or more names: President Ruth
Simmons. Lowercase in all other names. For U.S. presidents, use the president’s full name on
first reference.
press secretary: Seldom a formal title. For consistency, always use lowercase, even when used
before an individual’s name.
primary: Do not capitalize: the Republican primary, the New Hampshire primary.
Q
quotations in the news: Never alter quotations even to correct minor grammatical errors or
word usage. Casual minor tongue slips may be removed by using ellipses but even that should be
done with extreme caution. If there is a question about a quote, either don’t use it or ask the
speaker to clarify. If a person is unavailable for comment, detail attempts to reach the person:
Simmons was out of the country on business, Bergeron did not return multiple phone and email
messages. Follow basic writing style and use abbreviations where appropriate, as in No. 1 and St.
3
9
Quran: This is the preferred spelling for the Muslim holy book. Use Koran only if preferred by
a specific organization or in a specific title or name.
R
race: Identification by race is pertinent in biographical and announcement stories or when it
provides the reader with a substantial insight into conflicting emotions known or likely to be
involved in a demonstration or similar event. In some stories that involve a conflict, it is equally
important to specific that an issue cuts across racial lines. If, for example, a demonstration in
support of busing to achieve racial balance in schools includes a substantial number of whites,
that fact should be noted. Never use racially derogatory terms unless they are part of an essential
quote.
radical: In general, avoid this description in favor of a more precise definition of an individual’s
political beliefs.
radio station: The call letters alone are frequently adequate, but when the phrase is needed, use
lowercase: radio station WBRU.
ratios: use figures and hyphens: the ration was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio.
reference works: Capitalize their proper names. Do not use quotation marks around titles of
books that are primarily catalogs of reference material, almanacs, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.
For example, the AP Stylebook, Webster’s New World Dictionary, instead of “The Sound and the
Fury.”
Religious references: Capitalize the proper names of monotheistic deities: Allah, God, the
Father, the Holy Spirit, etc. Lowercase pronouns referring to the deity: he, him, his. Lowercase
gods in referring to the deities of polytheist religions. Capitalize the proper names of pagan and
mythological gods and goddesses: Thor, Neptune, Venus, etc. Lowercase such words as godawful and godsend. Capitalize the names of major events in the life of Jesus Christ (the Last
Supper, the Resurrection) and capitalize the proper names of holy days. Lowercase heaven, hell,
devil, angle, cherub, an apostle, a priest, etc. Capitalize Hades and Satan.
Reserve Officers’ Training Corps: ROTC is acceptable on all references.
Rhode Island: Smallest of the 50 states, at 1,049 square miles. Abbreviated as R.I. Not actually
an island.
Roman numerals: Use for wars and to establish personal sequence for people and animals:
World War I, World War II, King Elizabeth II, Bruno VI. Use for Super Bowl numbering. Use
Arabic numerals in all other cases.
rooms: Use figures and capitalize room when used with a figure: Room 2, Room 211
4
0
S
SAT: Acceptable on all references.
seasons: Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter and derivatives such as springtime unless part
of a formal name, such as Spring Weekend or the Winter Olympics.
Senate: Capitalize all specific references to governmental legislative bodies, regardless of
whether the name of the nation is used: the U.S. Senate, the Senate, the Rhode Island Senate, the
state Senate. Lowercase plural uses: the U.S. and state senates.
Sept. 11: OK on all references, as is 9/11.
sexually transmitted infections: This is the preferred term. On second reference, STI is
acceptable.
Seven Sisters: The colleges are Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar
and Wellesley.
shutout (n.), shut out (v.)
side by side, side-by-side: They walked side by side. The stories received side-by-side display.
smartphone: This is one word.
software titles: Capitalize but do not use quotation marks around such titles as Word or
Windows, but use quotation marks for computer games such as “Where in the World is Carmen
Sandiego?”
Statehouse: Capitalize all references to a specific statehouse, with or without the name of the
state: The Vermont Statehouse is in Montpelier. The governor will visit the Statehouse today.
Lowercase plural uses: the Massachusetts and Rhode Island statehouses.
street: Write out and capitalize when part of a proper noun: Waterman Street. Abbreviate when
used with a street address: 75 Waterman St. Lowercase when used with multiple proper names:
at the corner of Charlesfield and Brown streets.
sub-: Generally, no hyphen: subcommittee, subculture, subzero.
T
television program titles: Use quotation marks. Put quotation marks around show only if it is
part of the formal name. The word show may be dropped when it would be cumbersome, such
as in a set of listings. Use quotation marks also for the title of an episode: “Chuckles Bites the
Dust,” an episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
time element: Use fully spelled out days of the week within seven days before or after the
current date. Use a month and a figure for dates beyond this range. Avoid such redundancies as
4
1
next Tuesday or last Tuesday.
times: Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes.
11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m. Avoid redundancies like 10 a.m. this morning.
toward: not towards.
T-shirt
TV: Acceptable as an abbreviated form of television, as a noun or adjective.
U
unique: It means one of a kind. Do not describe something as rather unique or most unique.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator, an Internet address. When a URL does not fit entirely on one
like, break it into two or more lines without adding a hyphen or other punctuation mark.
U.S.: Used as an adjective, but not as a noun, for United States.
V
versus: Spell it out in ordinary speech and writing. In short expressions, vs. is permitted. For
court cases, use v.
W
website: One word, not capitalized.
week-long: Takes a hyphen, which is an exception to AP style.
who’s, whose: Who’s is a contraction for who is, not a possessive. Whose is the possessive.
who, whom: Who is the pronoun used for references to human beings and to animals with a
name. It is grammatically the subject (never the object) of a sentence, clause or phrase. Whom is
used when someone is the object of a verb or a preposition.
Wi-Fi: Use this to describe wireless Internet networks.
4
2
AP Sports Style Guidelines
Abbreviations vs. full-names: It isn’t necessary to abbreviate common terms like NFL, NBA,
AFC, NFC, MLB, NHL, etc., on first reference. In regard to colleges, however, always name the
school’s full name in the first reference. For example, if Brown plays BC, the first reference
should be to Boston College, not BC. The exception is the Ivy League schools, which never need
to be first referenced, and in men’s and women’s hockey only, schools in our league also do not
need to be first referenced. Also, in game recaps or features try to limit the use of the
abbreviation as much as possible. Use the school’s nickname (“the Eagles” or “the Friars”)
before resorting to the abbreviated name.
All-America teams: The AP style recommends to only reference players selected to its own AllAmerican teams but in football at least four different publications select All-American teams and
a similar number in basketball. It is ok to call someone an “All-American” as long as he or she
was selected to at least one All-American team. Example: first-team All-American, first-team
All-Ivy.
Athlete of the Week: Upcap this phrase, e.g. The Herald has named Dan Towne Athlete of the
Week for the way he throws the little red football around the office.
Athletic director: In a title, capitalize, “Director of Athletics Michael Goldberger.”
backfield, backcourt, backstop, backstroke, backboard: all one word
ball carrier: two words
Baseball: refer to AP style guide for terms, but here are the most common:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
baseline
bullpen
center fielder
ERA
home run: two words. Avoid euphemisms like homer, dinger, bomb, etc. The Herald
isn’t SportsCenter!
lineup
pinch hitter
RBI, RBIs
shortstop
shut out (v.) shutout (n., adj.)
strikeout
Basketball: refer to AP style guide for terms, but here are the most common:
•
free throw, free-throw line
4
3
•
•
•
•
•
Crew:
full-court press
jump shot
man-to-man defense
midcourt
three-pointer
•
On first reference, write time as 5 minutes, 47.76 seconds. On second reference,
5:47.76 is fine.
Groups include varsity eight, second varsity, varsity four and freshman four.
•
•
Certain races are called “A” or “B.”
coxswain- the person who steers the ship
•
Cross Country/Track and Field:
•
•
•
•
•
Never hyphenate “cross country.”
On first reference, write time as 5 minutes, 47.76 seconds. On second reference, 5:47.76
is fine.
On first reference, write race as 100-meter sprint or 4x400-meter relay. On second
reference to a race in the same units, shorten to 100, 200 and 4x100 relay. The same rule
applies to hurdles.
For field events, use these forms: 26 1/2 for 26 feet, one-half inch; 25-10 1/2 for 25 feet,
10 1/2 inches.
Events in the field include javelin throw, long jump, pole vault, shot put, triple jump
and weight throw.
Equestrian:
•
•
•
Scores are in whole numbers.
Each class level has one point rider; the high point rider is the highest-scoring point
rider in the show.
Events include Intermediate Fences, Intermediate Flat, Novice Fences, Novice Flat,
Open Fences, Open Flat, Walk Trot and Walk Trot Canter.
Fencing:
•
•
Each event consists of nine points, which can be gained by certain touches.
Events include epee, foil and saber.
Football: refer to AP style guide for terms, but here are the most common:
• Use figures for yardages (exception to AP Style)
• touchdown
• goal line
• end zone
4
4
game plan: two words
goaltender, goalkeeper: use goaltender on first reference in hockey, lacrosse, field hockey.
Goalie is fine on second reference. In soccer always refer to goalkeeper first, then goalie after,
but never goaltender.
Gymnastics:
•
•
Scores are given to three decimal places.
Events include all-around, balance beam, floor exercise, uneven parallel bars and
vault.
head coach: Like other titles, it is upcapped before a name and downcapped after a name.
Hockey: refer to AP style guide for terms, but here are the most common:
• In addition to the Ivy League, other schools in our league do not need to be first
referenced. These schools include Colgate, Quinnipiac, Union, Rensselaer (RPI on
second reference), and St. Lawrence.
• blue line
• goal line
• short-handed
• power play, power-play goal
• hat trick
Lacrosse:
•
•
•
Positions include attackmen, defensemen, goaltenders (or goalies) and midfielders
(one of which is a long-stick midfielder),
man-down team: a team with one player in the penalty box
man-up team: a team playing opposite a man-down team
left-hander, right-hander: use hyphen: He called on the left-hander out of the bullpen
offseason: no hyphen
Olympics: always capitalize
postseason, preseason: no hyphen
Rugby:
•
•
•
The field is called a pitch.
Teams can score by a try (five points, plus two points for a conversion) or by going for
post (three points).
Positions include centers, flankers, fly halves, fullbacks, hookers, locks, number
eights, props, scrum halves and wings.
4
5
Soccer: always describe the penalty boxes as either the 18-yard box, 6-yard box
Skiing:
•
•
Scores are given to two decimal places.
Events include giant slalom and slalom.
Squash:
•
•
Games are played to nine points unless the score is tied 8-8; in that case, the game goes to
10 points.
Matches are played in a best-of-five format.
Swimming and Diving:
•
•
•
•
•
Strokes include breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
On first reference, write race as 200-yard relay or 100-yard backstroke. On second
reference, use 200 relay, 50 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
On first reference, write time as 5 minutes, 47.76 seconds or 47.76 seconds. On second
reference, write 5:47.76 or 47.76 (if clear).
Divers’ scores are given to two decimal places.
individual medley- an event in which one swimmer swims all four strokes; may be
shortened to IM on second reference.
Tennis:
Matches are best of seven points with one point awarded for winning two-of-three
doubles matches; when doing scores use parentheses to indicate tiebreakers.
• Examples of scores in a game: 30-0, 40-15, deuce, and Smith’s advantage
• Examples of scores in a set: 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3), and 7-6 (9)
o 7-6 (3) means that the tiebreaker was won 7-3.
o 7-6 (9) means that the tiebreaker was won 11-9.
• For match scores, put winner’s first-set score first: 1-6, 6-2, 6-3; 6-1, 4-6, 7-5; and 6-4, 64
• Smith lost 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a tight match.
Volleyball:
•
•
•
•
Games are played to 30 points, win by two. Matches are played in a best-of-five format.
For match scores, put winner’s first-game score first: 20-30, 25-30, 30-28, 31-29, 30-20;
30-25, 32-34, 30-20, 30-20.
Players can attack (or spike), block, dig, pass, serve or set.
Water Polo:
•
•
Positions include centers (or two-meter), drivers, center-defender and goalkeepers.
man-down team: a team with one player out of the game due to a penalty
4
6
•
man-up team: a team playing opposite a man-down team
Wrestling:
•
•
•
Points can be scored by escapes, near falls, penalties, reversals, riding times and
takedowns.
A wrestler can win via decision (three team points), default (six team points),
disqualification (six team points), fall/pin (six team points), forfeit (six team points),
major decision (four team points) or technical fall (four or five team points).
Weight classes include 125 pounds, 133 pounds, 141 pounds, 149 pounds, 157 pounds,
165 pounds, 174 pounds, 184 pounds 197 pounds and 285 pounds (or heavyweight).
4
7