Stylebook

Remember the limitations of spellcheck systems.

They can’t spot misused homophones.

The following words and phrases are frequently misused.

In journalism, never use italics for titles of books, reports, newspapers, magazines, plays, films, albums, paintings one-off broadcasts, serials and series.

Collective nouns, that or which, their or there and so on.

It is the first world war, second world war (avoid writing “before the war” or “after the war” when you mean the second world war).

The archbishop of Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, St Andrew’s, Southwark and Westminster: it is not normally necessary to say Roman Catholic (as there is no Anglican

If in doubt, refer to the NUJ reporting guidelines.

Write out the words street, avenue etc in addresses in full.

In general, at first mention use a person’s full name without title: Boris Johnson. In news reports, at subsequent mentions always use the title and

Foreign words and phrases go in italics unless completely absorbed into the English language: In the café they ordered some pains au chocolat. Italics also

Use capital letters sparingly.

An apostrophe indicates either a contraction (isn’t for is not) or a possessive (the department’s stylebook for the stylebook of the department).