AP style is the style guide used by the Associated Press, a global news agency. It covers spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations and more for clear style. AP style is a standardized way of writing for print journalism, developed and maintained by the Associated Press. Learn the basics of AP style, such as The AP Stylebook is a writing style guide for journalists. It is published and updated every two years to reflect changes in writing style and new guidelines. Updated regularly since its initial publication, the AP Stylebook is an essential reference for writers, editors, students and professionals. It provides fundamental guidelines. What is AP Style, AP Style or Associated Press Style, is the writing style guide used by the Associated Press. It is a standardized way of writing created and maintained by the Associated Press, a long-standing authority in the news world. Each year, the Associated Press publishes an updated version of The Associated Press. The following formal names of specific degrees must always be capitalized in AP style: Bachelor of Arts. Bachelor of Science. Master of the arts. Master of Science. Masters in Business Administration. As you can see, master's degrees are capitalized when abbreviated. However, the forms license, bachelor's degree, master's degree and. This web page is intended to provide an introduction to AP style and a summary of some AP style rules. However, the Associated Press Stylebook includes much more, much more than can be covered here. For a comprehensive guide to AP style, editors should consult the most recent edition of the Associated Press Stylebook or visit, Editor's note: The NPR Style Guide provides an editorial framework for journalists, including colleagues in member stations, which create content for NPR, including its news magazines, websites, social platforms and podcasts. The Associated Press Stylebook is the basis for most of the guidelines that appear here, and there are exceptions to AP style.