The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage

The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
Name	The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage
Author	The New York Times Staff
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Style guide
Publisher	The New York Times Company
Pub date	First edition 1974
Pages	varies

The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage is a house style guide produced by editors at The New York Times to govern spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and journalistic practice across newsrooms. It has been used by staff at The New York Times, cited by reporters from outlets such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and referenced in academic contexts including Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University. The manual intersects with professional standards exemplified by resources like the Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, and it has influenced style decisions in organizations such as Reuters and Bloomberg L.P..

History and editions

The manual's origins trace to internal style sheets and memoranda circulated among editors during the leadership of publishers such as Adolph Ochs and later figures including Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., with formal consolidation into a published manual in the 1970s under newsroom authorities linked to managing editors and copy chiefs who reported to institutions like Times Company boards. Early editions were shaped by newsroom veterans connected to news events such as the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, and the coverage of the Iranian Revolution, reflecting practical choices about names, titles, and foreign-language usage used in reporting on incidents like the Tet Offensive and the Iran Hostage Crisis. Subsequent editions incorporated changes responding to coverage of the Gulf War, the September 11 attacks, and the rise of digital journalism during the administrations of editors associated with the periods of A. M. Rosenthal and Jill Abramson.

Editorial principles and scope

The manual articulates principles that guide headline writing and copyediting in the context of institutions such as New York City Hall, United Nations, and courts like the Supreme Court of the United States. It balances practices familiar to users of the Associated Press Stylebook and the Oxford English Dictionary while maintaining newsroom-specific stances on issues involving figures such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, and organizations including Facebook, Google, and Amazon (company). The scope covers names, titles, datelines, and usage in reporting on international entities like European Union, NATO, and countries such as China, Russia, and India. Editorial decisions reflect legal and ethical considerations informed by precedents including libel actions involving outlets like Gawker Media and newsroom standards influenced by journalism educators from Columbia Journalism School and professional organizations such as the Society of Professional Journalists.

Content and notable entries

The manual contains entries on spelling of proper nouns, names of institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, and Stanford University, and treatment of awards such as the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize. It addresses capitalization rules applied to entities including Congress of the United States, Russian Federation, and the People's Republic of China, and entries on historical events such as the World War II, the Cold War, and the Great Depression. Notable entries prescribe usage for titles referencing individuals like Pope Francis, Queen Elizabeth II, and Nelson Mandela, and for works such as The Bible, The Odyssey, and War and Peace. The manual also includes guidance on style for legal references involving statutes like Civil Rights Act of 1964 and institutions such as the International Criminal Court.

Influence and reception

The manual has been influential among newsroom copy desks at outlets such as Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and The Boston Globe and has been discussed in journalism courses at institutions including New York University and Northwestern University. Critics and commentators from media outlets like Columbia Journalism Review and authors such as Gay Talese and Tom Wolfe have debated its prescriptive choices, especially in contexts involving figures such as Edward R. Murrow and events like the Watergate scandal. Its authority has been invoked in disputes over capitalization and nomenclature in reporting on companies like Apple Inc., Microsoft, and Tesla, Inc., and in cultural coverage involving artists from Bob Dylan to Beyoncé.

Comparison with other style guides

Compared with the Associated Press Stylebook, the manual often takes distinct stances on punctuation, capitalization, and usage when referencing institutions such as Federal Reserve System or legal bodies like the International Court of Justice, and differs from the more academic guidance of the Chicago Manual of Style used by publishers such as Penguin Random House and Oxford University Press. Internationally, it contrasts with conventions followed by agencies like Agence France-Presse and organizations such as the BBC News style guide when reporting on entities including European Commission and events like the Brexit referendum.

Updates and digital adaptations

In response to the shift toward digital publishing driven by platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, the manual's updates addressed online headline strategies employed by outlets such as Vox Media and BuzzFeed. Later revisions reflected considerations for search-engine optimization relevant to companies like Alphabet Inc. and content management systems used by newsrooms at organizations including ProPublica and The Atlantic. The manual's evolution paralleled technological transitions exemplified by the rise of the World Wide Web and the proliferation of multimedia coverage in events like the Arab Spring and the European migrant crisis.

Category:Style guides