A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A

abbreviations:

Abbreviations should be easily understood by the reader. The rule is to spell out the name in full on first reference and use the abbreviation in following references – the Legislative Council becomes Legco; the National People’s Congress becomes NPC. Bear in mind that abbreviations are not compulsory. Your story may read better if you keep using a phrase like New Territories in full, rather than NT.

There is a small range of abbreviations that may be used without explanation in Hong Kong: ATV, TVB, RTHK, ICAC, BBC, US, UK, UN and Nato.

Do NOT put the abbreviation in brackets after the full name. This is awkward and unnecessary as most acronyms are obvious.

Example: Elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council were held on September 4, 2016. There are 70 seats available in Legco.

Incorrect Example: Elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (Legco) were held on September 4, 2016.

Only use widely recognised acronyms; do not make up your own.

Typography: Acronyms do not take points (E.g. it is US, not U.S.)

Do not abbreviate:
and
Hong Kong (except in headlines where HK is acceptable)
individual American states
Kowloon
weekdays
military ranks
Street, Road, Terrace, etc.
“No” is an acceptable abbreviation for number provided that there is a figure after it — a No 7 bus, BUT do not use it in addresses, where an unadorned 224 Waterloo Road is sufficient.
Christmas, which is not Xmas, even in headlines.

age

All ages take figures. The appropriate format is to put the age between commas on first or second reference.

Example: John Smith, 52, spoke in court yesterday.

If general age is to be referred to, be sure to use an accurate term.

General Age descriptions

• Child: legally under 18 but usually implies young (before puberty)
• Infant: 0-1
• Toddler: 1-3
• Youngster: 0-about 12 (before puberty)
• Adolescent: about 12-17 (after puberty before legal adulthood)
• Minor: legal term for someone under 18
• Juvenile: same as minor
• Teenager: 13-19
• Young adult: 18-29 (approx)
• Adult: 18 or older
• Middle aged: Around 40-65.
• Elderly: technically older than 65 but a healthy, active 65-year-old might take offence.  Better to save this for someone who is over 70. 

B

besides 

“Besides” does not mean “also.” ” It means “apart from” or “in addition to.”

Example: Besides Mary, I didn’t know anyone at the party.

Example: I don’t feel like going on a picnic. Besides, the observatory said it was going to rain.

borrow / lend

To borrow is to take. To lend is to give.

Example: Can I borrow your textbook? 

Example: Will you lend your textbook to me?

C

captions

Photo captions are written in present tense, even if the photograph is historical. A caption generally consists of a single sentence that addresses the 5Ws and 1H, but a second sentence can be added if additional context or explanation is needed. Use complete sentences, not fragments.

Information acquired through newsgathering must be sourced in the caption just as it would in the main text.

Do not use a caption that implies the person in the photo is involved in specific circumstances. For example, do not use an identifiable photo of a young person with the caption that drug abuse is increasing in university students as it unfairly suggests the person in the photo does drugs.

Captions must not contain assumptions by the photographer. For instance, someone marching at a rally for same-sex marriage is likely a supporter of same-sex marriage, but it would be incorrect for the caption to suggest that the person is gay.

Captions should not make assumptions about what a person is thinking; e.g., “A man ponders his future.” This would be acceptable only if you interviewed the man and he told you what he was thinking in that moment.

Use full names for key people and if needed, name people from left to right, preceded by “(from left)”. If there are only two people, “(left)” should suffice.

Captions should be able to stand alone, meaning they should provide essential information and do not rely on the article text for explanation. Do not use captions to describe what can already be seen. Instead, captions should add non-visual information.

Carrie Lam

Carrie Lam 
Cheng Yuet-ngor was the Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017-2022. Her full name should me used on first reference and Lam on following references.

COVID-19

The name of the illness is COVID-19, which is caused by a coronavirus. It is not the name of the virus itself (which is SARS-CoV-2), As this is not the only coronavirus, use COVID-19 when referencing tests, patients, deaths and illness for the current COVID-19 pandemic. Use all capital letters when referencing the disease. Covid-19 is incorrect.

Examples: The government has ordered compulsory COVID-19 tests for all residents; All COVID-19 patients have been moved inside the hospital.

currency

If reporting on Hong Kong in Hong Kong, use HK$. Do NOT use “HKD”.

Use figures.

Examples: HK$5, HK$500, HK$5.50 (the final zero is required), HK$5,000, HK$500,000, HK$5 million, HK$5.5 million (not HK$5,500,000), HK$35 billion, 10 cents.

For foreign currency used to report news in other countries, use the appropriate symbol and give an initial conversion into Hong Kong dollars in brackets on first mention.

Example: China’s Alibaba Group, Japan’s SoftBank and Foxconn will lead an investment of US$500 million (HK$3.9 trillion) in India’s Snapdeal.

China’s official currency is the renminbi and its basic unit is the yuan. The symbol for the yuan, ￥, is not in popular use. When you report a sum in renminbi, use “yuan”.

Example: The flat in Beijing costs 2.4 million yuan (HK$2.8 million).

D

dates

Dates should be written in the Month/Day/Year format.

When using a date with the month, abbreviate the longer months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

Do not put “th” or “nd” after the number.

When not using a date, spell out the month.

Example: He was born on Jan. 1.

Example: He was born in January.

If the year is needed (rarely necessary in news writing) then it should be separated from the other number by a comma: Jan. 1, 2019. If the full date is not given you can dispense with the comma — January 2019.

Centuries should be written: the 21st century.

Decades do not need an
apostrophe: the 20s.

E

elderly 

Do not use “elderly” as a noun for an individual person. “The elderly” refers to a group of people, usually above the age of 70.  “An elderly person” is someone generally older than 70. It is an insult to call someone who is only 50 an elderly person. See AGE.

Example: The money is to help the elderly.

Incorrect: He is an elderly.

eyeball

Something catches your “eye” or your attention. It does not “catch your eyeball.” “Eyeball” is a verb meaning “to scrutinize” or “to measure with your eyes.”

Example: “The bright colors of the clothes caught my eye.”

F

famous 

Be sure you use this work accurately. “Famous” means “widely known by a lot of people.” A movie star is famous.  A particular dish at a Mongkok restaurant is probably not famous. Often the word you are looking for is “popular” or, in the right circumstances, “well-known.”

flew

“Flew” is the past tense of “fly.” There is no such word as “flied.”

foreign domestic helpers

Refer to all people working in Hong Kong on a foreign domestic helper visa as “foreign domestic helpers” on first reference.  On future references, they may be called “domestic helpers,” “dometic workers,” or “migrant domestic workers.” Do not call them FDH.

foreign words (non-English words)

Foreign, or non-English, words that have become accepted in English writing, like coup d’etat and ballet, may be used as normal.

Non-English words, including romanised Chinese words, should be used sparingly. When used, it should be in italics with a rough translation in brackets or with an explanation immediately following and offset by commas.

Example: She ate at a daipaidong (cooked food stall) before the accident.

Example: She ate at a daipaidong, a Hong Kong cooked food stall, before the accident.

G

gender neutral language

When possible, use gender neutral terms to refer to general occupations. For example: firefighter, police officer, flight attendant, business person, chairperson, salesperson, meteorologist.

When refering to a specific individual, you may use the gendered word, i.e. businessman, policewoman etc..

generalisations

Avoid generalisations and stereotypes in your writing. They can alienate or offend people and they can also make you look biased or ignorant.

Here are a few common examples of generalisations that should not be used:

• “Hong Kong people are not familiar with xxx” – what you really mean is that you and your friends aren’t familiar with something. This doesn’t mean the rest of Hong Kong isn’t, unless you have an official survey to prove it.
• “The younger generation likes to xxx” Most of the time, this in connection with technology. Usually, this is not accurate and reflects a bias on your part. Lots of people who are not in the “younger generation” know how to use the Internet or do other things that young people also like to do. Only use this when you have evidence to support it.
• “you might think…but you’re wrong” Don’t assume you know what people think.
• “you may wonder…” What if someone don’t wonder? This phrase is unnecessary

girl/boy

In journalism, “girls and boys” are people under the age of 18. Everyone else is a “man” or a “woman.” See ages for more info.

grassroots

The word “grassroots” has been adopted in Hong Kong as a Chinese translation and is widely used incorrectly.  “Grassroots” is not a singular noun. You should not say: “He is a grassroots.” Usually what you mean is he is “poor” (as he has an income below the Hong Kong defined poverty line)  or “he is a blue-collar worker.” When applied to a group of people, look for a better term to use, such as “working-class neighbourhoods”.

Usually this word is used as an adjective to describe an independent movement, such as: “The protest was a grassroots movement.” This means the movement was organised by ordinary people, not a traditional power structure.

H

headlines

Headlines are written in the present tense except in rare instances.

Headlines should be written in downstyle, meaning only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. Most headline words appear in lowercase letters.

Example: Physics student wins prize at national competition

Example: New building opens tomorrow

Avoid using the articles of speech (the, a, an) unless they are needed for clarity.

Avoid approximate figures such as “about 100”, especially in headlines. Approximations such as “over” or “more than” are acceptable; otherwise, state the actual figure or avoid mentioning the figure.

Do not use unfamiliar proper names in a headline.

Incorrect: John Wong hit by lightning while fishing

Correct: Local man hit by lightning while fishing

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is spelled as two words, except in certain proper names (eg, Hongkong Bank Foundation). Do not use “HK” to refer to Hong Kong.

Hongkongers

When referring to the place of origin of Hong Kong people, “Hongkonger” should be used, not “he is a Hong Kong person” or “he is Hongkongnese”.

I

J

John Lee

John Lee Ka-chiu became the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2022. His full name is used on first reference and Lee is used on all following references.

K

L

like

Do not use the word “like” when you mean “ for example” or “ such as”.

Example: Actors, such as Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke and Bradley Cooper, are American.

Incorrect Example: Actors, like Matt Damon, Ethan Hawke and Bradley Cooper, are American.

Example: Quadrupeds, for example elephants, lions, and horses, have four legs.

Incorrect Example: Quadrupeds, like elephants, lions, and horses have four legs.

BUT

Example: Lions, like tigers, can be aggressive. (Here, the word “like” means similar to)

LGBTQ

TYR follows AP style: LGBTQ is acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer. Use of LGBTQ is best as an adjective and an umbrella term. If referencing an organisation or event that uses a variation in its name, such as LGBTQIA , explain the additional letters. I generally stands for intersex, and A can stand for asexual or ally.

Example: … said Pink Alliance, a non-profit LGBTQ organisation in Hong Kong.

M

Macau

Use “Macau”, NOT “Macao”

mainland China

“Mainland” is the term we use to describe that big chunk of Chinese territory north of the Shenzhen River excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Do not capitalize “mainland”.

Use “on the mainland” OR “in mainland China”, NOT “in the Mainland”

Since Hong Kong is part of China, use “Hong Kong and the mainland” in referring to relations between them, NOT “Hong Kong and China”. You can also use “Hong Kong-mainland relations.”

Use “Hong Kong and China” only in contexts in which the two are clearly distinct entities. For example, Hong Kong and China have separate memberships in world bodies such as the World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Use “go to the mainland”, NOT “go to China” when you are referring to trips to the north

Use “China” when you are writing about national or international issues, especially when you are making international comparisons.

Use “the central government” or “Beijing”, NOT “the Chinese government” when you are referring to the central authorities in the capital.

Be specific in naming official authorities on the mainland. If you are not able to name them specifically, you may use the “mainland authorities”.

measurements

Hong Kong uses the metric system, meaning metres not feet and centimetres not inches. Spell out measurements in full (“centimetre” not “cm”) and remember that measurements get figures.

Example: Hong Kong is 1106 square kilometres.

N

names – references

All adults 18 and older should be referred to by their full names on first reference and by only their last names with no courtesy title on second references.

Example: Robin Ewing is a teacher at HKBU.  Ewing is an advisor to TYR.

Only children 15 and younger and certain celebrities may be referred to by first name on second reference. But use the last name if the seriousness of the story calls for it. For ages 16 and 17, use judgment, but generally go with the surname unless it’s a light story.

Names – Chinese

1. Romanization of Chinese Names

The general rule in spelling a Chinese name is to do it the way the person concerned does it. To ensure accuracy, ask the person to confirm the spelling. If this is not possible, check the spelling against credible and authoritative sources. Only when such efforts fail should you spell the person’s name according to the romanizing system popular in his or her country of origin.

There are different systems for romanizing the Chinese language in Hong Kong, the mainland, Taiwan and various overseas Chinese societies. The following table shows how the same Chinese character can have different spellings depending on the romanization system used and the dialect from which it is transliterated (Source of table: Wikipedia): 

With the exception of mainland China, where the Hanyu Pinyin system is strictly applied, the romanizing systems used in most Chinese societies are adopted as a matter of convention and people are free to spell their names in a way they prefer. So never make any assumptions about how a Chinese name is spelled according to where the person comes from.

From the late 19th century to the mid-1980s, books on China largely followed the Wade-Giles system in romanizing Chinese names. In those days, the widely used romanized name of the leader of the Chinese Communist Party who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 was Mao Tse-tung and that of the statesman who took China on a path of reform in 1978 was Teng Hsiao-ping. In 1982, the International Organization for Standardization adopted Hanyu Pinyin as the standard for romanizing Chinese names. As as result, the romanized names of these two leaders have become Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping respectively.

Although Hanyu Pinyin has also been adopted by Singapore, Taiwan and the United Nations, many Chinese outside mainland China still romanize their names according to local conventions.

For certain Chinese historical figures whose conventional English names are widely known, do not spell their names in other ways. For example, use Sun Yat-sen for the founder of republican China, not Sun Yixian, and Chiang Kai-shek for the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party in the mid-20th century, not Jiang Jieshi. For the philosopher whose thoughts constitute Confucianism, use Confucius, not Kongzi.

For current mainland Chinese leaders, look it up on the Chinese government’s official website: http://www.gov.cn/english/index.htm

For Hong Kong officials, check against the Hong Kong government’s official website: https://www.gov.hk/en/about/govdirectory/

For other names, the following site is a good resource: https://webb-site.com/dbpub/

There are similar references worldwide. Check, don’t guess!

If you have a mainland Chinese name that you need to translate into English, look up the proper Hanyu Pinyin spelling here: https://www.chineseconverter.com/en/convert/chinese-to-pinyin

On the mainland, the surname comes first followed by the rest of the name. Where there are two characters, they are spelt as one word.

Example: Jiang Zemin

Example: Liu Xiaobo

2. Order of Names

When writing Chinese names, follow the standard practice of surname first followed by the first name.  If the first name is two characters, use a hyphen. Do not capitalize the spelling of the second character of the first name when hyphenated.

If the person also uses an English name, put that before the family name.

Do not put the surname in all caps.

Example: “Former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah” then “Mr Tsang

Incorrect Example: Former financial secretary John TSANG Chun-Wah

Example: “Former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen” then “Mr Tsang”

However, for a two-character surname, do NOT put a hyphen between the two characters.

Example: Chan Tai-man (“Chan” is a one-character surname and “Tai-man” a two-character first name: 陳大文)

Example: Szeto Wah (“Szeto” is a two-character surname. “Wah” is a one-character first name.司徒華)

Example: Ouyang Fei-fei (“Ouyang” is a two-character surname. “Fei-fei” is a two-character first name.歐陽菲菲)

For a Chinese woman who has adopted an English name and her husband’s surname, put her English name first, followed by her husband’s surname and her maiden name.

Example:  “Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor” then “Mrs Lam”

Example: “Regina Ip Lau Shuk-yee” then “Mrs Ip”

3. Mainland Names

The mainland is the only Chinese society where a standardized way of romanizing names according to the Hanyu Pinyin system is strictly followed.

According to “The Chinese phonetic alphabet spelling rules for Chinese names” promulgated by the Chinese government, a two-character name in pinyin is spelt as one word without a hyphen.

Example: Deng Xiaoping (NOT Deng Xiao Ping or Deng Xiao-ping

Example: Xi Jinping (NOT Xi Jin Ping or Xi Jin-ping)

4. Taiwanese Names

In the past, Taiwanese usually followed the Wade-Giles or Gwoyeu Romatzyh system in spelling their names in English. In recent years, passport applicants can choose one of four ways to spell their names on their passports: Hanyu Pinyin, Wade-Giles, Tongyong Pinyin and Gwoyeu Romatzyh. A hyphen is used to separate the two characters that usually form a personal name.

Example:  “Ma Ying-jeou” then “Mr. Ma”

Example: “Tsai Ing-wen” then “Ms. Tsai”

Note that these two names are romanized according to Gwoyeu Romatzyh, which is not popular outside the island

5. Overseas Chinese

In anglicizing their names, some overseas Chinese follow the Western way of putting their personal name before their surname, while others opt not to use a hyphen between the two characters that form their personal name. Some only use an English first name and in that case should follow the rule for Western names.

The general rule is to follow the preferred presentation format adopted by the person concerned.

Example: A short story by the Chinese-American writer Ken Liu became the first work of fiction to win all three major English-language science fiction awards.

Sometimes, a person living outside China maybe be called something different inside China. For example, a Taiwanese American scientist, Wen Ho Lee, was once accused of being a spy for China. Use “Wen Ho Lee,” as he is known in the United States, and explain in the text or a note in brackets that he is known among Chinese as Lee Wen-ho or Lee Wen Ho.

Names – Courtesy Titles

In general, do not use courtesy titles except in direct quotations. When distinguishing between two people who use the same last name, as in married couples or brothers and sisters, use the first and last name. 

Example: “Carrie Lam 
Cheng Yuet-ngor” then “Lam”

Example: “Jenny Lam” then “Lam”

Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine, or doctor of veterinary medicine.

Dr Gabriel Matthew Leung is Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong. Leung is often consulted on COVID-19,

Numbers

1. General rules

Spell out from one to nine; numerals from 10 to 999,999; thereafter use million, billion trillion with a figure.

Example: 3 million,  4.5 billion

Incorrect Example: three million, four point five billion

Example:  Chan Tai-man owns a flat and two cars and has $2 million in the bank 

For large numbers, use a comma to separate each group of three digits.

Example: He borrowed two books from the library.

Example: The librarian had recommended 10 books.

Example: He had a list of 3,000 books.

Example: The library has 1.2 million books

For age, always use a figure.

Example: Joe Wong, 54, is a professor.

Example: Joe Wong, who was 54 at the time of the trial, is now 86.

Example: The 54-year-old professor, Joe Wong, retired today.

At the beginning of sentences, ALL figures must be spelled out. However, try to avoid starting a sentence with a figure, especially if the figure is complicated.

Example: Twenty people joined the official visit to Nepal.

2. Ordinal numbers, fractions, percentage 

Spell out amounts less than one, except in tables, using hyphens between the words. 

Examples:  two-thirds, four-fifths.

Spell out up to ninth, then 10th, 21st, millionth. Do not use a superscript.

Example: The horse came in second place.

For prize winners, use “first runner-up”, “second runner-up”, etc.

For percentages, use numerals with the % sign.

Example: He was granted a 15% raise.

O

office lady

This insulting term implies that the woman doesn’t do serious work. Instead, use the woman’s official title, such as administrative assistant. Or say “She works in an office,” though this is vague. 

outlook 

This does not mean “appearance.” It means perspective.

Example: “Her outlook on life is positive.” 

P

PCR test

PCR test may be used on first reference when writing about COVID-19 nucleic acid tests.

personal protective equipment

Use personal protective equipment on first reference and PPE on all other references.

places

For geographical places, regions, areas and countries, use initial capitals.

Examples: China, India, The Hague, East Asia, the West

For places on the mainland, use their pinyin spellings.

Examples: Beijing, NOT Peking. Guangdong, NOT Canton

The exceptions are “Peking University” and “Tsinghua University”, which have opted to retain their old names.

For places in Taiwan, follow local rules.

Examples:Taipei, NOT Taibei. Kaohsiung, NOT Gaoxiong

For the word “state” or “province”, use lower case when it follows the proper name of that place.

Examples: Guangdong province, New York state

The best way of confirming how places on the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong should be spelled is to consult a map or official guide book published by the respective official authorities.

For the English spelling of streets and places in Hong Kong, check the Hong Kong Guide: Gazetteer of Street and Place Names published by the Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department.

plurals

Nouns such as committee, government, staff and police take a singular verb or pronoun when thought of as a single unit but a plural verb or pronoun when thought of as a collection of individuals.

Example: The committee gave its unanimous approval to the plans.

Example: The committee enjoyed biscuits with their tea.

Note the plural forms of the following:

bureau – bureaus

curriculum – curriculums (not curricula)

focus – focuses or focus areas (not foci)

formula – formulas (not formulae)

forum – forums (not fora)

stratum – strata

syllabus – syllabuses (not syllabi)

Although “data” is technically the plural of the Latin word “datum”, in common usage it is treated as an uncountable noun (like information) and thus it now commonly takes the singular form of the verb. Thus, “the data is” instead of the “the data are”.

Similarly, “media” should technically take a plural verb, but seems to be going the way of singular. Use whichever seems to suit the context best and be consistent. Using the phrase “members of the media” might help avoid the problem.

Q

quit 

“Quit” is the past tense of quit. Do not use the old-fashioned “quitted.”

R

rapid test

The term rapid test may be used when referring to COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. Do not use RAT as an abbreviation.

S

spellings

Use British spellings.

Examples: colour, honour, behaviour, licence, defence, offence, organise, recognise, adviser, protester, ageing, enrolment, counselling, totalling

Use “ed” rather than “t” for words that can take either a “t” or “ed” ending.

Examples: “burned” NOT “burnt”, “learned”, not “learnt”

Use longer forms with words that might be spelled with an “or” or “our” (honour, humour); “e” or “oe” (foetus, oedema, manoeuvre), and “e” or “ae” (archaeology).

Use “re” not “er” when there is a choice

Examples: centre, theatre.

Use single t, l, s if either is acceptable as per the dictionary. Be consistent throughout the same publication.

Examples: benefited, focused, targeted

Use “-ise” instead of “-ize” for words like organise, internationalise and globalise. Similarly, use organisation, internationalisation and globalisation.  

Questions on spelling and hyphenation can be settled by checking http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/. Go with the “UK usually” spelling provided in brackets.

If you are doing a voice piece for broadcast, you can check the pronunciation of a word by pressing a play button on the site.

staff

This is not a singular word for an occupation. It is not appropriate to say “he is a staff.” “Staff” refers to a group of people who work somewhere. “

Example: He is a staff member.

Example: He is on staff.  

Example: All the staff came to the meeting.

suggest 

Do not use “suggest you to do something.” The correct structure is “suggest you do something.”

Example: I suggest you study this document.

T

Taiwan

Do not use both “China” and “Taiwan” in a story as if to suggest they are two separate countries. Use “mainland” and “Taiwan” instead.

Use “relations across the Taiwan Strait” or “cross-strait relations” in stories about interactions between the two places as the island is geographically separated from the mainland by the Taiwan Strait.

teenager

This refers to people who are between 13 and 19 years of age. See AGE.

time

The exact time an event happened is usually not necessary. When it is required, such as when an eclipse will take place,  use the time for the location where the event occurs.  It is not necessary to say this.

Always use figures except for noon and midnight. There is no space after the figure. For example, 12pm and 12am.

Use a colon before the minutes, except when it is on the hour. Example: 4pm (NOT 4:00 pm).

Use am and pm, not military time. Omit full stops for am or pm. Example: 1pm (NOT 13:00).

Avoid redundancies such as 9am in the morning. 

Examples: 2am, noon, midnight, 3:15pm

timelines

Use the historic present tense for a timeline.

titles – Composition, Events, Awards

Use italics for composition titles such as the names of books, plays, computer and video game titles, films, works of art and music, and TV and radio programmes and the titles of lectures and speeches.

Do not use italics for newspapers, magazines or journals.

For the first word and all succeeding words except articles and short (four letters or less) conjunctions and prepositions, use initial capitals.

Examples: 

The New York Times

The Economist

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

The book Death of a Salesman

For the names of events, awards, competitions, use initial capitals but NOT italics.

Example: Hong Kong News Awards 2015

U

V

W

white collar

This is not a noun. It is an adjective. “He is a white-collar criminal.”  The opposite is “He has a blue-collar job.”

X

Y

youngster

This word is overused in TYR stories and in general in Hong Kong media. A youngster is a child, someone usually under 16 years old. This word should not be used to describe older teenagers or young adults. See AGE.

Z

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