AP Style Woes

I have been using AP style since last semester.  I took a journalism class, expecting to interview a few people and jot down a story. I was so mistaken. The instructor drilled into me the importance of AP style. Since that class, I have learned many things.

For instance, every college instructor has lied to us. They are really standing behind a lectern, not a podium. According to AP style, a podium is something someone stands on, not behind. Even though "website" is now one word, AP style still demands that Internet and Web be uppercase.

I am especially (not) fond of AP style's rule on hyphens. They love to hyphenate certain words, even if the words seemingly don't need it. "Worn-out," "best-seller," and "Wi-fi" are just a few. Then there are words that they don't hyphenate. Some of these words are "halftime" or "bussinesslike." As if to add insult to injury, they took the hyphen away from "email." I may be missing something, but there does not seem to be a hard-and-fast rule for hyphens. This is why it is so important to carry an AP Stylebook. I am certain they started printing them just for hyphen and comma rules.

A mistake was, again, in my own writing. The sentence read, "Those driving by prisons are warned not to pick up hitch-hikers." The word should be "hitchhikers." This was for a class that uses AP style. Ironic, isn't it?