Journalists need to recognise and then avoid using journalese, jargon, and clichés. Their writing must be clear, easy to understand, and informative. This exercise is designed to help spot all three.
Welcome to this Media Helping Media (MHM) exercise about Cliches, journalese and jargon which is published on MHM. You are invited to complete the exercise either on your own or with a colleague. Please ensure you read the article above before proceeding.
MHM exercises are a chance for those who are new to journalism to learn skills and test what they know against fictional scenarios. The articles on which the exercises are based have been created from the experience of journalists who have shared their knowledge in order to help others learn the fundamental principles of robust public service journalism.
The first requirement of any piece of journalism is that it should be accurate. Although this is an exercise involving fictitious material, not for publication, trainees must take everything they are told in the exercise to be factual and they must stick to those facts. If one thing they produce in the exercise is inconsistent with those facts, their whole work is discredited. Accuracy comes first.
Task 1: Journalese translation
Journalists often fall into the trap of using journalese (artificial or pompous language used by journalists or officials) instead of plain English. This can create a barrier between the news and the audience. Our job is to set out information in clear and plain language, not confuse matters..
Your task: Rewrite the following three sentences to remove the journalese and make them suitable for a general audience:
- “The embattled minister gave the green light to the controversial blueprint despite a storm of protest.”
- “Police are mounting a major investigation after the victim was left fighting for his life following a horror smash.”
- “The local council is set to axe the funding in a shock move that has sparked fury among residents.”
Task 2: Replacing jargon
Jargon (special expressions used by a particular profession that are difficult for others to understand) is often used by sources to hide the truth or sound more important. To maintain integrity, a journalist must translate this for the reader.
Your task: Imagine you are interviewing a local government official about a new health policy. They give you the following quote: “We are pivoting towards a holistic, multi-agency framework to optimise the delivery of front-line synergies and mitigate negative outcomes for stakeholders.”
Write a 50-word summary of what this actually means in simple, everyday language. Ensure you avoid any bias by not assuming the official’s intent – just translate the words.
Task 3: Cliché audit
A cliché (an overused phrase or opinion that betrays a lack of original thought) makes your writing predictable and dull. It can also lead to a lack of impartiality if the cliché carries a pre-judged meaning.
Your task: Review a 90-second news script you have written (or use a recent news article from a local paper). Highlight every phrase that feels tired or overused (e.g., “against all odds,” “the end of an era,” “in the wake of”). Replace these with fresh, descriptive language that is accurate and specific to the event you are describing.
Purpose and learning outcomes
The purpose of this exercise is to sharpen your editing skills by focusing on clarity and originality. By completing these tasks, you will learn to spot the linguistic crutches that weaken journalism. The intended outcome is the ability to produce copy that is accessible, professional, and free from the confusion that institutional language often causes.
Self-assessment quiz
- What is the main danger of using jargon in a news report?
- It makes the journalist sound like an expert.
- It can confuse the audience and hide important facts.
- it is always ‘libel’ (a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation).
- It helps save space in a print layout.
- Which of these is an example of journalese?
- “The cat sat on the mat.”
- “The Prime Minister said he was happy.”
- “The under-fire boss slammed the decision.”
- “The rain fell heavily for three hours.”
- Why is “accuracy comes first” the most important rule when removing cliches?
- Because cliches are always factually wrong.
- Because in the search for fresh words, you must not change the meaning of the facts.
- Because ethics only apply to long words.
- Because cliches are protected by privacy laws.
- How does avoiding cliches improve impartiality?
- It doesn’t; it only makes the writing prettier.
- It prevents the journalist from using loaded terms that suggest a specific viewpoint.
- It makes the story shorter.
- It ensures that the reporter is never boring.
- If a source uses a complex term you don’t understand, what should you do?
- Use it anyway so you don’t look uninformed.
- Ask them to explain it in simple terms so you can be accurate.
- Make up a definition that sounds right.
- Ignore that part of the interview entirely to avoid offence.
Answers:
1: b, 2: c, 3: b, 4: b, 5: b
Related material
