Watch Out for This Shortcut
In an effort to fit more and more in our busy schedules, using abbreviations can be tempting. And once these shortcuts gain traction, their use can spread like wildfire. However, they can quickly introduce problems with clarity, and one area in particular in which they commonly derail PR writing involves the use of initialisms and acronyms.
First, a quick note on the difference between the two. An initialism is an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of a series of words and pronounced by spelling out each letter: FBI, IBM. An acronym, though, is a word formed from the first letters of a series of words and pronounced as one word: NASA, FEMA.
We all use initialisms and acronyms to save space as well as to aid comprehension. However, in a speed-is-everything world, new forms of these shortcuts can pop up overnight that are unclear, conflicting or just plain lazy. For example, a new product named Corporate Software Resource shouldn’t immediately be abbreviated “CSR” when this initialism already has a similar, established meaning (corporate social responsibility), and when few people outside of the company would likely be able to make this association.
Keep in mind this cardinal rule. Initialisms and acronyms should be used only in contexts where they are standard in use, have some discrete history of usage, and are able to be quickly recognized by readers. Some can be used in spelled-out form (ATM or JPEG) without explanation. Others can be used when they’re appropriate to the content (EBITDA in a financial story), and, as a courtesy to those who might not recognize them, they are normally spelled out on first occurrence. However, new or less familiar ones (IoT for “Internet of Things”) should be used only if they occur more than several times within a story, and they should always be spelled out on first use.
In my role as writer, I frequently come across errors related to initialisms and acronyms, and below I’ve compiled a guide to some that cause particular confusion in PR writing. Be judicious when using these shortcuts, and consult resources like the dictionary, AP Stylebook or a major news publication to get an idea of how standard they are. Above all, remember that initialisms and acronyms are often a convenience to the author, but not the reader.
Here are several more guidelines:
Plurals - Add only an “s,” with no apostrophe: She sent the PDFs. However, for plurals of single letters, use an apostrophe to prevent the abbreviation from being read as a word: She made straight A’s.
Dot or not? - Generally, omit periods in initialisms of more than two letters. For two-letter abbreviations, AP style calls for periods in U.N., U.S., U.K., a.m. and p.m., but many other common ones are almost never written with periods: HR, IT and, of course, PR.
To “the” or not to “the” - True acronyms, like NATO, get no “the.” It’s the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, but NATO is simply “NATO.” Similarly, initialisms generally get the “the” if their spelled-out counterparts do. For instance, the Environmental Protection Agency is “the EPA.” However, in what can be a difficult nuance to understand, “the” is omitted for initialisms that have come to officially or unofficially replace their spelled-out forebears. For example, the Public Relations Society of America is usually written as “PRSA” with no “the.” Use your ear first in determining whether to include “the” in these instances, but the AP Stylebook can also provide guidance.
States - Although using postal abbreviations like “TN” for states has become second nature for many of us, in PR writing, we should stick to “Tenn.” and the longer AP style abbreviations. Why? Quick, what’s AK? Arkansas? Wrong. What’s MS? Massachusetts? Wrong. While many PR pros know these, others can get confused, and readers outside the U.S. can get totally stumped. “NE” could be Nebraska or Nevada to different readers, but “Neb.” runs little risk of confusing people, and we should take care to use this abbreviation style.
Ampersands - Using an ampersand is similar to parking in a space reserved for the handicapped when you need to make a quick run-in to a store: It’s convenient, but wrong. Ampersands should only be used when they’re part of a company’s name or other formal title: AT&T, Procter & Gamble. However, many writers have a tendency to resort to them when they write two related terms, such as “sales & marketing,” “mobile & online,” etc. Be on guard against letting this creep into your writing, and avoid using that handicapped space.