The Associated Press Stylebook is pretty much a required fixture on journalists’ desks, but with today’s release of the reference work as an app for the iPhone and iPod touch, it just got a lot easier to carry around. However, the $28.99 price tag for the app is a lot heavier than the current $18.95 non-AP members have to fork over (AP members and college students can get the spiral bound edition for $11.75). It’s also slightly more than the $25 annual online subscription to the Stylebook. At a time when many reporters have found themselves laid off or seen a cut in the wages, the price might seem a bit steep. But the app will be updated annually with each new edition, so it could save reporters and editors from having to go out and buy a new one every few years.
That said, the AP said it won’t charge for the upgrades now, but of course that could change. The creation of the Stylebook app comes as the AP has been looking more to digital for its revenues, including the selling licensed AP photos and other archival material online. So far, the AP Mobile app, which includes a mix of breaking news and photos, remains free. Release

Comments have been disabled for this post