How to Nail That "San Francisco" AP Style Vibe: A Hilarious Guide
Let’s be real. AP Style is like the grumpy old drill sergeant of the writing world. It’s gotta be just so, or you’ll get dinged. And when it comes to cities, especially those major league cities, things get trickier than parallel parking a Smart car on a San Francisco hill.
But don't you worry your little journalistic heart! Writing "San Francisco" in AP Style is actually easier than finding a decent burrito in the Mission District (and that's saying something). We’re talking about one of those exclusive, VIP-list-only cities that gets the special treatment. It’s a total flex. Get ready to ditch the state abbreviation and embrace the high life!
Step 1: Check the All-Star Roster
First off, you gotta confirm that "San Francisco" is one of those big shots that can stand alone. Think of it like a celebrity sighting. Does "The City by the Bay" really need its chaperone, "California," to hold its hand? Nope.
1.1. The Big Kahunas
AP Style has a list of cities so famous, so well-known globally, that they don’t need a state or country tacked onto them when they appear in a dateline. This list includes domestic legends like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (You can almost hear the crowd cheering.)
1.2. Is San Francisco on the List?
You bet your sourdough it is! San Francisco is a bona fide member of the "Cities That Stand Alone" club. This is the golden ticket to simplifying your life. No "Calif." needed, not even the full "California," when following the city name. Seriously, it’s that easy.
Tip: Revisit challenging parts.
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| How To Write San Francisco In Ap Style |
Step 2: Conquering the Dateline Drama
This is where the AP Style rules really shine (or, you know, just get super specific). A dateline is that all-caps city/state combo at the very beginning of a news story, telling readers where the reporting is coming from.
2.1. All Caps, All the Time
When writing the dateline for a story filed from San Francisco, you must capitalize the entire city name. This isn't just a friendly suggestion; it's a mandate. It should be screaming at your reader, 'I’M HERE!'
The Correct Vibe: SAN FRANCISCO
The Rookie Mistake: San Francisco
2.2. The Lone Wolf Status
Since San Francisco is a standout, it gets to chill by itself.
The Ultimate, Correct Dateline:
(Don't forget that slick em dash to connect the dateline to the actual story! It's like the little bridge over the bay.)
The Incorrect (But Common) Error: SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. —
Step 3: Integrating into the Story Flow
QuickTip: Revisit this post tomorrow — it’ll feel new.
Once you’re past the dramatic flair of the dateline, you need to know how to use the city name naturally within the body of your text. It's a different animal, kind of like moving from the chaos of Fisherman's Wharf to a quiet neighborhood spot.
3.1. General Text Reference
When you mention the city inside a sentence, you treat it like any proper noun. Capitalize the first letter of each name, but don't go all-caps.
Example: "She moved to San Francisco to pursue her dream of coding."
3.2. Adding the State (When Necessary)
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This is the ultimate AP Style plot twist: If you are mentioning a city not in your dateline's state, or if your story doesn't have a dateline, you usually need to include the state name (abbreviated).
But wait! Because San Francisco is so legendary, it often gets a pass, even in text, unless context absolutely demands the state to prevent confusion (which is rare, but hey, never say never).
The Safest Play (when the state is really needed): If you absolutely must use the state with the city inside the story, you’d write it out as "San Francisco, Calif." (lowercase, abbreviated, and followed by a comma, unless it ends the sentence). Remember, AP uses Calif., not the postal code CA.
3.3. Don't Get Fancy!
Avoid nicknames like "Frisco" or "SF" unless they're in a direct quote or totally necessary for brevity in an informal setting. AP Style is all about that professional look. You’re not texting your buddies; you’re writing the news! Keep it clean, keep it classy.
FAQ Questions and Answers
QuickTip: A quick skim can reveal the main idea fast.
How-To Write San Francisco on First Reference in Text
In the body of a story, you write it as San Francisco. No need for the state abbreviation unless you need to differentiate it from another San Francisco somewhere (a situation as rare as a sunny day in August).
How-To Format San Francisco in a Dateline
You write it as SAN FRANCISCO in all capital letters, followed by the dateline dash (em dash):
How-To Abbreviate California with San Francisco
You generally don't. San Francisco is one of those big-time cities that stands alone in a dateline. If you must use the state name in the body of a story, AP's abbreviation is Calif.
How-To Use the City Name in Subsequent References
You continue to use San Francisco. You can also use "the city" or "The City by the Bay" if you are being poetic, but keep it professional.
How-To Write About the San Francisco Bay Area
QuickTip: Reading regularly builds stronger recall.
It’s often written as the San Francisco Bay Area. AP Style often capitalizes "Area" when it's part of a widely accepted name for a specific region.
How-To Use "Frisco" in AP Style
Do not use it. It’s considered nonstandard and often a no-go for professional journalistic writing. Stick to San Francisco.
How-To Punctuate the City and State in Text (If You Use Both)
If you use a city and state together in the body of a story (e.g., for a less-famous city), you use a comma after the city and a comma after the state abbreviation: The plane landed in Oakland, Calif., just after noon.
How-To Handle International Cities in Datelines
Some major international cities (like PARIS or LONDON) also stand alone in a dateline, just like San Francisco.
How-To Refer to the Local Government
The city’s government is the San Francisco city government or simply city government on second reference.
How-To Check the AP Style All-Star City List
The official list of U.S. cities that stand alone in a dateline can be found under the Datelines entry in the current Associated Press Stylebook.
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