Where are you?
Hopefully you know the answer to that question, but our readers may not. Sure, many readers know exactly where Treasure Valley, Ravensdale or Whitefish are. Most of us probably have a pretty good idea where North Pole might be located. But what about Springfield? While every U.S. state does not have a city named Springfield (contrary to popular rumors), 35 states do. The point is, when you are writing for a five-state audience it becomes important to put yourself, and your story, on the map.
Even if you live in a big city like Seattle or Portland (ah… what if we happened to get a story from Portland, Maine?) it’s important to include the state in which the city you mention is located. The GLEANER style for listing states is to use the Associated Press abbreviations for states. This is almost always different than your two-letter postal abbreviation. For quick reference here are the AP abbreviations for Northwest states:
- Alaska - Ala.
- Idaho - Idaho (no abbreviation, just include the full name)
- Montana - Mont.
- Oregon - Ore.
- Washington - Wash.
If you want the full list of AP state abbreviations you can find it here. This list also include the Chicago Manual of Style and postal abbreviations for each state.
If you happen to attend a church that does not share its name with the city in which it resides, we’ll need the city/state reference so our reader know where to find you when they want to shower your congregation with praise. Put the city/state reference of your church in parentheses following the first mention of your church’s name.
Example: Love of Life Fellowship (Federal Way, Wash.).
Have a style question for the GLEANER editorial staff? Add it as a comment and we’ll provide an answer in a future post.