During World War II, readers needed to be able to distinguish between Grand Island and the Army. Today the exception of using initials with the abbreviation for Grand Island continues, although the distinction is much less important. Courtesy titles is another area where careful usage is required. Otherwise, the Associated Press and The Independent use just last names on second and additional references. Newspapers rely on short sentences.
News articles are more likely to be read when fewer words are used.
One of the important rules of journalism is to eliminate extraneous words whenever possible. Of course, there are exceptions. When the names of a mother and daughter appear in the same story, and one is not married, the writer will use Mrs. and Miss to help readers distinguish between the two names. While style refers to the use of words in the newspaper, policy refers to the way the newspaper routinely handles decisons and pther situations. Whether the topic is scholarship winners, lottery winners or those charged with crimes, the newsroom needs to handle each category the same.