EDITORIAL GUIDE

The Catalina Island Conservancy editorial guide provides guidelines for consistent style, usage, punctuation and grammar that are likely to be used in communications. The guidelines presented here are based primarily on The Associated Press Stylebook, which is widely followed for journalistic standards.

These guidelines are intended to be a resource for those who communicate with external and internal audiences, and does not necessarily apply to research papers or legal policies.

 

A

Acronyms

Spell out names or programs on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses. Use the acronym in all following mentions on the same page.

Example: Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) Island, then CCLB moving forward.

  • Use periods for two-letter acronyms (U.S., P.O.), but no periods for acronyms with three or more letters.
  • Use “Catalina Island Conservancy” on first reference; the “Conservancy” is acceptable afterward on the same page or in the same story.

Ampersands

Do not use ampersands unless it is part of an official name, such as Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden.

B

C

Capitalization

  • Conservancy: Always capitalize, even when used alone.
  • Island: Capitalize when referring to Catalina Island, even if “Catalina” isn’t included. Example: Become a member and protect the Island you love.
  • Wildlife Names: Capitalize common names only when they include a proper noun (eg, American bison, Catalina Island fox). Keep other species names lowercase (eg, bald eagle, black sea bass).
  • Legal Entities: Capitalize full names (eg, Catalina Island Conservancy Board of Directors), but lowercase “board” or “board member” when used generally.

Catalina Island Conservancy

Catalina Island Conservancy in the first reference. Following references may use the Conservancy. Never use CIC.

Commas

Do not use Oxford commas. No comma before “and” or “or” in a series. For example, it is correct to write red, white and blue.

Common and Scientific Names

  • The Conservancy will use common names followed by the scientific name in parentheses in the first reference: For example, Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae)
  • Always italicize the scientific name.
  • The following references can say the Catalina Island fox, or the fox.

D

Days of the Week

Always spell out. Monday, Tuesday, etc.

Doctorates

Use “Dr.” only for those with medical, dental, optometry, osteopathy or podiatric degrees. Academic degrees should appear after the name.

  • Example: Leah Melber, Ph.D.
  • Do not use “Dr.” on second reference for academic doctorates.

Dollar Amounts

Used without zeros (Ex: Tickets are $12.)

E

F

G

Gabrieleno-Tongva

When referring to our tribal partners, we always use Gabrieleno-Tongva. Use the preferred spelling and naming when referring to other specific tribal organizations.

H

I

J

K

L

M

Maps (Place Names)

Do not use apostrophes or similar punctuation in geographic place names when on a map. Examples: Whites Landing, Howlands Landing, Parsons Landing.

Months

Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. when used with a specific date; for example. Jan. 12. Spell out when used alone. The others – March, April, May, June and July – are always spelled out.

 

 

N

Numbers

Spell out nine and under, use numerals for 10 and above; use a comma in 1,000, etc.

O

P

Phone Numbers

Use hyphens between sets of numbers. No parentheses around area code (Ex: 562-437-8555).

Q

R

S

T

Time

Use periods in p.m. and a.m., no zeros needed (6 p.m., not 6:00 p.m.). Noon and midnight are spelled out, such as noon–6 p.m. or 5 a.m.-6 p.m. when a range stretches both a.m. and p.m.

Titles

  • Before Names: Capitalize titles when they appear before a person’s name.
  • Example: Chief Operating Officer John Smith
  • After Names: Do not capitalize titles when they follow a name.
  • Example: Jane Smith, chief financial and business development officer

U

V

W

X

Y

Z