Most of us were indoctrinated in the Associated Press Stylebook somewhere early in our journalistic education and rely on it daily, and many of us work for news organizations that are ruled by stylebooks of their own that supplement or supplant other stylebooks.

NABJ Style is offered as a stylebook for newsrooms and others on terms and language usage of special interest or relevance to our membership and our community. It is meant to be as much a resource for our own members as for anyone else in newsrooms and journalism classrooms as well as other students, educators and researchers, etc.

This is a momentous effort three years in the making. Many NABJ members, including those from the associations Copy Editors Task Force, have been instrumental in helping shape and produce this document. NABJ Region X Director Jerry McCormick and former NABJ Secretary Angela Dodson, in particular, provided valuable leadership along the way.

They and a core group of people offered ideas on what NABJ Style should include and why. Many are involved in different aspects of news coverage and production and so have vast experience with different terms, names and issues that arise in newsrooms.

We certainly don't expect universal agreement on what's in this document. There are bound to be differences of opinions on the acceptability or style for a given name or term. There also may be items that should be included that are not. Maybe there was a good reason. Or maybe we just forgot and need to be reminded.

All of this is OK. We consider this a first draft, an evolving document to which all members and users are now asked to review. Additional entries, words, research and clarifications are welcome. Comments from copy and news desk heads, slots and those who may have worked on other stylebooks are especially solicited, as well as more samples of stylebooks used by your news operation or other organizations.

If your publication has a style or wording we should consider please forward that to us so we can credit it where possible. Keep in mind that our emphasis is on accuracy, clarity and providing information, not on restricting usage or airing pet peeves without guidance.

Send suggestions for entries and issues to cover, as well as any other feedback to jerry.mccormick@uniontrib.com. Please submit proposed entries with supporting documentation [citations from reference books, examples from stories, etc.] Also, include where you can be reached by e-mail and telephone. Thank you.

The NABJ Stylebook Committee

NABJ Style