Readers want to know where and when a story was reported. A dateline is the line at the beginning of an article that states the place, and sometimes the date, from which the report originates.

Traditional datelines use a city name in capital letters followed by the rest of the opening sentence. Wire services rely on them so that stories can be sorted and understood quickly across many outlets. Online formats sometimes replace or supplement the classic dateline with a location tag and timestamp.

An accurate dateline signals that a reporter was present or that the information was gathered in that place. Misused datelines have occasionally misled readers about proximity to events. Most stylebooks treat the dateline as a factual claim that must be justified by the reporting.

• Opening line showing place of origin of a story
• Often includes city name in a set style
• Helps readers assess proximity and timing
• Treated as a factual assertion by style guides