Probably one of the things no two journalists can agree on is how to punctuate a list. Do you capitalize the first letter of each listed item, put periods at the end of each item, or just put a period at the end of the list? According to Jennifer Rowe, Associate Professor with the Missouri School of Journalism, consistency is the key.
"Use consistency and common sense," Rowe advises. "If one item is a full sentence, make all items sentences. If they are sentences, use end punctuation such as periods. If the list contains items that aren't sentences, don't use end punctuation. Capitalize the first word after each bullet, especially if it starts a sentence!"
To learn more from Rowe, be sure to attend MAP's Sixth Annual Publishing Summit April 8 and 9, 2010. Rowe will present a special pre-conference session called Sharpening Your Editing Skills on Thursday, April 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. She also will present back-to-back editing and grammar sessions on Friday, April 9. To register for the summit, click here.
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