A dateline serves as a geographic identifier. Datelines are placed at the beginning of a story. It tells the reader where the writer obtained basic information for a story. In general, datelines include at least the city/town/village/military base/, in all capital letters then the state or the country.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, State/Country
Datelines should convey the spirit of the reporting; they are not restricted to cities and towns. Use census-designated places, townships, parks, or counties. If your location is non-descript, use a dateline such as ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE or ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. In this case, check to make sure disclosing the location does not violate operational security (OPSEC).
If the geographical location is not clear, such as when the story contains multiple locations, mainly covers analytical material or occurs at a location that is difficult for the reporter to access, the dateline should be the city where the staffer is located.
Video, Audio and Photos
The dateline for video, photos or audio must be the location where the events depicted actually occurred. If a reporter covers a story in one location but does a live report from another, the dateline is the filing point.
When Not To Use a Dateline
For voice work, the dateline must be the location from which the reporter is speaking; if that is not possible, the reporter should not use a dateline.
Do not use datelines before the start of the caption if the caption already includes the date and location of the image.
If no dateline is used, provide a state or nation identification for the city within the story. Cities may be used alone if no confusion would result.
Read the following information to understand the various dateline formats and their exceptions.
Domestic Datelines
Most U.S cities, towns or villages will have the state included in the dateline, even if the city name is the same as the state name.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, State
CORRECT EXAMPLES
KANSAS CITY, Mo.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
KANSAS CITY
Exception
However, some cities are so large, so well known, and appear so frequently in the news that they are synonymous with the state where they are located. In the following cities, it is; not necessary to include the state in the dateline; the city may stand alone.
- ATLANTA
- BALTIMORE
- BOSTON
- CHICAGO
- CINCINNATI
- CLEVELAND
- DALLAS
- DENVER
- DETROIT
- HONOLULU
- HOUSTON
- INDIANAPOLIS
- LAS VEGAS
- LOS ANGELES
- MIAMI
- MILWAUKEE
- MINNEAPOLIS
- NEW ORLEANS
- OKLAHOMA CITY
- PHILADELPHIA
- PHOENIX
- PITTSBURGH
- ST. LOUIS
- SALT LAKE CITY
- SAN ANTONIO
- SAN DIEGO
- SAN FRANCISCO
- SEATTLE
- WASHINGTON
Beverly Hills
Although geographically, Beverly Hills is in the city of Los Angeles, it is a special exception and should be spelled out in a dateline. It’s an incorporated city and the dateline for the Golden Globes movie awards, sponsored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES
Most military bases will have the state included in the dateline, even if the military base name is the same as the city name.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
MILITARY BASE NAME, State
CORRECT EXAMPLES
FORT HOOD, Texas
NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, Va.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
NAVAL AIR STATION, Virginia Beach, Va.
Exception
If a military base is in and has the name of a stand-alone city, no state name is required.
CORRECT EXAMPLES
NAVAL AIR STATION SAN DIEGO
COAST GUARD BASE HONOLULU
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
NAVAL AIR STATION SAN DIEGO, Ca.
Use UNITED NATIONS alone, without the N.Y. designation, in stories from U.N. headquarters.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
UNITED NATIONS
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
UNITED NATIONS, New York City, NY.
Most states can be abbreviated in a dateline. Use the
AP stylebook abbreviations listed on Purdue University.
There are eight exceptions to this rule. Always spell out these eight states in a dateline. Note that all states are spelled out in the body of an article.
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Maine
- Ohio
- Texas
- Utah
CORRECT EXAMPLES
BANGOR, Mass.
MINOT, N.D.
LANCASTER, Pa.
INCORRECT EXAMPLES
BANGOR, Me.
MINOT, North Dakota
LANCASTER, PA
For islands within the boundaries of other states, spell out the state, not the island. This includes island nations and territories.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, State
CORRECT EXAMPLE
EDGARTOWN, Mass.
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
EDGARTOWN, Martha’s Vineyard
Hawaii
Spell out Hawaii after all cities outside Honolulu. Specify the island in the text if needed.
CORRECT EXAMPLES
HONOLULU
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
MAUI, Hawaii
International Datelines
Stories from international cities should contain the name of the city/town/village in all capital letters, followed by the country or territory.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, Country/Territory
CORRECT EXAMPLE
NICE, France
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
NICE
Exception
However, stories from the following international cities do not need to include the country or territory in the dateline; they may stand alone.
- AMSTERDAM
- BAGHDAD
- BANGKOK
- BEIJING
- BEIRUT
- BERLIN
- BRUSSELS
- CAIRO
- DJIBOUTI
- DUBLIN
- GENEVA
- GIBRALTAR
- GUATEMALA CITY
- HAVANA
- HELSINKI
- HONG KONG
- ISLAMABAD
- ISTANBUL
- JERUSALEM
- JOHANNESBURG
- KUWAIT CITY
- LONDON
- LUXEMBOURG
- MACAU
- MADRID
- MEXICO CITY
- MILAN
- MONACO
- MONTREAL
- MOSCOW
- MUNICH
- NEW DELHI
- PANAMA CITY
- PARIS
- PRAGUE
- QUEBEC CITY
- RIO DE JANEIRO
- ROME
- SAN MARINO
- SAO PAULO
- SHANGHAI
- SINGAPORE
- STOCKHOLM
- SYDNEY
- TOKYO
- TORONTO
- VATICAN CITY
- VIENNA
- ZURICH
CORRECT EXAMPLE
ZURICH
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
ZURICH, Switzerland
Stories from military installations overseas should contain the name of the military installation in all capital letters, followed by the country or territory, even if the name of the base is the same as the city.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, Country/Territory
CORRECT EXAMPLE
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Bagram, Afghanistan
In most cases, the name of the nation or country in a dateline is the conventionally accepted short form of its official name. For example, “Argentina” for the “Republic of Argentina.” If in doubt, look for an entry in the AP Stylebook. If there are no entries, follow Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
CORRECT EXAMPLES
Argentina
El Salvador
Philippines
INCORRECT EXAMPLES
Republic of Argentina
Republic of El Salvador
Republic of the Philippines
Other Special Cases
- Instead of “United Kingdom,”: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales.
- For divided nations, use the commonly accepted names based on geographic distinctions: North Korea, South Korea.
Some overseas territories, colonies and other areas that are not independent nations commonly have accepted separate identities based on their geographic character or special status under treaties. In these cases, use the commonly accepted territory name after a city name in a dateline.
- Bermuda
- Corsica
- Faeroe Islands
- Greenland
- Guadeloupe
- Guam
- Martinique
- Puerto Rico
- Sardinia
- Sicily
- Sikkim
- Tibet
CORRECT EXAMPLE
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, United States
For cities that have recently gained independence, use only the new country in the dateline.
For cities in the former Soviet Union, datelines include city and republic names.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
ALMATY, Kazakhstan
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
ALMATY, United Socialist Soviet Republic
Former Serbia
Montenegro gained independence from Serbia in 2006. For stories originating in Montenegro, use a Montenegro-only dateline. Similarly, Kosova gained independence in 2008, use a Kosovo-only dateline.
CORRECT EXAMPLES
PODGORICA, Montenegro
PRISTINA, Kosovo
INCORRECT EXAMPLES
PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro
PRISTINA, Serbia
Current Serbia
Stories originating in current Serbia carry a Serbia-only dateline.
CORRECT EXAMPLE
BELGRADE, Serbia
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro
Most Canadian cities will have the province included in the dateline.
Do not abbreviate any province or territory name.
FORMAT TO FOLLOW
CITY, Province
CORRECT EXAMPLE
EDMONTON, Alberta
INCORRECT EXAMPLE
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada
Exception
The following Canadian cities may stand alone.
- MONTREAL
- QUEBEC CITY
- TORONTO
References
Associated Press. (2020). The Associated Press stylebook: 2020-2022 (55th ed). New York: Basic Books.
AP.org. (2021). Telling the Story. The Associated Press.
Department of Defense. (2020). Visual Information Style Guide.
Purdue University. (n.d.). Associated Press Style.