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* Remember this funny little kerfuffle from 2019?…
Major media organizations have been using those periods on the name of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. But that’s not how the governor has been spelling it — at least not lately — though his name has appeared with periods in the past, as when he ran for Congress in 1998.
Long story short, Pritzker told Brian Mackey that he doesn’t use periods in his name.
Back to the story…
Many of us rely on the Associated Press to settle these questions, so I emailed the corporate office in New York. Spokeswoman Lauren Easton wrote back after broadcast: “AP is considering how to handle the styling of the governor’s initials but hasn’t yet resolved it.” But the AP Stylebook says when someone uses initials instead of a first name, periods should be used
* The Associated Press (which doesn’t put periods in AP) continues to this day to refer to the governor as “J.B. Pritzker.” So does the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and NPR, which, like the AP, does not put periods in the abbreviation of its own name.
* Why am I bringing this up? Well, here’s an AP (A.P.?) story about another politician who doesn’t use periods in his name…
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance used his first solo campaign rallies Monday to throw fresh barbs at Vice President Kamala Harris a day after President Joe Biden threw the presidential election into upheaval by dropping out and endorsing his second-in-command to lead Democrats against Donald Trump.
Sen. Vance’s full name is James David Vance. But no periods for the A.P.
Odd.
* The Tribune and the Sun-Times are also using Vance’s preferred spelling, while continuing to spell Pritzker’s name with periods. Same for N.P.R.
USA Today, which also doesn’t put periods in its own abbreviation, spells their names “J.B. Pritzker” and “JD Vance.”
The Washington Post is being consistent, however. The paper spells both Pritzker’s and Vance’s names with periods.
* And, yes, of course this is a trivial matter. But these news outlets are all about words. The AP Stylebook is 524 pages long, for crying out loud.
On the off chance that Pritzker is chosen as a vice presidential candidate and faces Vance, we’ll probably see a revisiting of this oddly contradictory policy. Until then, inconsistency will likely prevail.
…Adding… The A.P. is the culprit here…
Short, unsatisfying answer for us: We follow AP. https://t.co/lbSSspkXwT
— Dan Petrella (@PetrellaReports) July 24, 2024
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:06 pm
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Yeah, and AP News also doesn’t use the Oxford Comma, an absolutely vital piece of punctuation (as if you introduce someone to “your wife, your best friend and your sister” rather than “your wife, your best friend, and your sister,” then you’re describing an admittedly happy but very disturbing relationship with your sister/wife with the former and a perfectly normal introduction for three different people with the latter), so they clearly don’t have their heads on straight as it is.
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:21 pm
As a former professional copy editor, this makes me unreasonably angry. You have a style guide, guys, now use it [banned punctuation]
Comment by Benjamin Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:21 pm
At least we still have the WSJ using still using “Mr./Ms.”
Comment by Unionman Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:23 pm
I thought Republicans were against using different names than birth names? What’s up with that James David?
Comment by Steve Rogers Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:29 pm
== I thought Republicans were against using different names than birth names? What’s up with that James David? ==
In that vein, ask them what they think about Republican President Leslie Lynch King, Jr.
Comment by TJ Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:34 pm
Vance doesn’t use periods because women’s health makes him squeamish.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:40 pm
Missing a period or two under a Pritzker term isn’t nearly as menacing as it would be with Vance in office.
Comment by Shark Sandwich Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:41 pm
prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar
The period is in the eye of the pen holder.
Comment by WLDS News Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 1:46 pm
Well played, Shark Sandwich.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:02 pm
Proud Papa five stars
Comment by Billy Batts Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:06 pm
I doubt if it matters to Mr. Vance. After all, Ukraine does not matter to him one way or the other.
Comment by Stix Hix Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:17 pm
Must be a slow news day……
Comment by Just a Random Guy Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:21 pm
Yeah but __ JB is his nickname, because B. is not his actual middle initial.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:21 pm
Harry S Truman
Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:23 pm
CMOS FTW. IYKYK.
Comment by Dysfunction Junction Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 2:29 pm
“Harry S Truman”
His middle name is S.
And are we sure it’s not Jefferson Davis Vance…? /s
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Jul 24, 24 @ 3:00 pm