AP Style and Writing Skill

Overview

The AP Style and Writing skill provides AP style compliance, grammar checking, and PR writing assistance capabilities. This skill enables professional-grade PR content creation that meets journalism standards and maintains brand consistency.

Capabilities

Style Compliance

•AP Stylebook integration
•Real-time style checking
•Industry-specific style rules
•Company style guide integration
•Style exception management

Grammar and Quality

•Grammar and readability analysis
•Sentence structure optimization
•Passive voice detection
•Jargon and complexity flagging
•Tone consistency checking

Press Release Writing

•Press release template library
•Headline optimization
•Lead paragraph structure
•Quote formatting validation
•Boilerplate management

Brand Consistency

•Brand voice consistency checking
•Key message integration
•Approved terminology enforcement
•Competitor name handling
•Product name consistency

Compliance and Risk

•Legal/compliance flag detection
•Disclaimer requirement checking
•SEC disclosure compliance
•Trademark and copyright handling
•Fact-checking reminders

Usage

Style Check Configuration

javascript

const styleCheckConfig = {
  baseStyle: 'AP-Stylebook-2026',
  customRules: {
    companyName: {
      correct: 'Company X',
      incorrect: ['CompanyX', 'Company-X', 'company x']
    },
    productNames: {
      'ProductOne': { trademark: true, firstUseTM: true },
      'ProductTwo': { trademark: false }
    },
    executiveTitles: {
      pattern: 'lowercase-after-name',
      examples: 'Jane Doe, chief executive officer'
    },
    numbers: 'spell-out-under-10',
    dates: 'month-day-year'
  },
  voiceGuidelines: {
    tone: 'professional-but-accessible',
    perspective: 'third-person',
    passiveVoiceLimit: 10,
    jargonLevel: 'minimize'
  },
  complianceRules: {
    forwardLooking: { required: true, template: 'standard-disclaimer' },
    financialDisclosure: { secCompliant: true },
    legalReview: { triggers: ['lawsuit', 'litigation', 'settlement'] }
  }
};

Content Review

javascript

const contentReview = {
  document: 'press-release-draft.md',
  results: {
    styleIssues: [
      { line: 5, issue: 'Numbers: "8" should be "eight"', severity: 'style' },
      { line: 12, issue: 'Date format: Use "Feb. 15, 2026"', severity: 'style' },
      { line: 18, issue: 'Company name: Use "Company X" not "Company-X"', severity: 'brand' }
    ],
    grammarIssues: [
      { line: 8, issue: 'Passive voice: Consider active construction', severity: 'suggestion' },
      { line: 22, issue: 'Run-on sentence: Consider splitting', severity: 'warning' }
    ],
    readability: {
      fleschKincaid: 10.2,
      target: 8.0,
      recommendation: 'Simplify for broader audience'
    },
    compliance: [
      { issue: 'Forward-looking statement detected', action: 'Add safe harbor disclaimer' }
    ],
    brandConsistency: {
      keyMessages: { present: 2, expected: 3 },
      toneScore: 85,
      voiceConsistency: 'good'
    }
  },
  summary: {
    totalIssues: 7,
    critical: 0,
    warnings: 3,
    suggestions: 4,
    overallScore: 82
  }
};

Process Integration

This skill integrates with the following PR processes:

Process	Integration Points
press-release-development.js	Writing and editing
corporate-messaging-architecture.js	Message consistency
csr-communications.js	Report writing
internal-communications-strategy.js	Internal content

Best Practices

•Style First: Apply AP style consistently throughout
•Headline Power: Spend extra time on headline optimization
•Lead Strong: Front-load key information in first paragraph
•Quote Quality: Ensure quotes add value and sound natural
•Readability Focus: Write for your audience's level
•Review Process: Always use multiple review passes

Metrics and KPIs

Metric	Description	Target
Style Compliance	AP style adherence	>95%
Readability Score	Flesch-Kincaid grade	Audience-appropriate
Brand Consistency	Message and voice alignment	>90%
Error Rate	Errors per document	<1 per page
Review Efficiency	Time to publication-ready	Improving

Related Skills

•SK-003: Media Database (journalist preferences)
•SK-004: Press Release Distribution (publication)
•SK-007: Internal Comms Platform (internal content)