Politis PR Tip #72: A.P. Style Abbreviations for States, NOT the Post Office Versions
PUBLIC RELATIONS TIPS — TIP NO. 72:
Okay, this is another A.P. bugaboo of mine for public relations people.
But if it was/is important enough for the Associated Press to create specific state appreviations for use in datelines, why wouldn’t you (as a PR pro) want to use this A.P. style in news releases?
To me, this is a simple way of showing professional courtesy to the vast majority of journalists.
Hence, California is abbreviated as Calif. and not CA; Washington is abbreviated as Wash. and not WA; and Oregon is abbreviated as Ore. and not OR.
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BONUS TIP:
There are a handful of states that are NOT abbreviated in datelines. Utah is one of ‘em; Texas is another. If you’re not sure, check with the A.P.