The Style Book of the Detroit News

This is the journalism style guide that once sat on the desks of reporters at The Detroit News, one of America's great newspapers. Written in the early 20th century, it offers something unexpected: a window into an era when journalism still believed fiercely in its own purpose. The opening philosophy remains striking. It calls for reporting that is vigorous yet fair, interesting but never sensational. It insists on accuracy as a moral duty and reminds journalists that their work protects people's reputations. Beyond philosophy, the book provides practical guidance on writing clearly, editing rigorously, and producing newspaper content with consistency. For writers, historians, and anyone curious about the craft of journalism, this is a time capsule. It shows what a major American paper expected from its journalists a century ago, and implicitly, what we may have lost.