As a journalist, facts are vital. While accuracy provides the truth, clarity ensures your audience actually understands it.
If you write something that is factually correct but too complex to understand, you have failed your reader. This quick guide checklist is based on the article Clarity is as important as accuracy, which we suggest you read before checking the points below.
Follow this 10-point checklist to ensure your writing is both precise and accessible:
- [ ] Prioritise simple words over long ones. Always choose a short, familiar word if it carries the same meaning. For example, use ‘buy’ instead of ‘purchase’ and ‘about’ instead of ‘approximately’. See: The power of words.
- [ ] Use the active voice. Write in the ‘subject-verb-object’ format (e.g., ‘The police arrested the suspect’ rather than ‘The suspect was arrested by the police’). This makes your sentences more direct and lively. See: The active voice in news.
- [ ] Cut out unnecessary words. If you can remove a word without changing the meaning of the sentence, delete it. Be especially careful with ‘filler’ words that add no value. See: Using the right words.
- [ ] Avoid using clichés. Phrases like ‘at the eleventh hour’ or ‘against the clock’ are overused and lose their impact. Use fresh, original language to describe events instead.
- [ ] Translate technical jargon. If you must use a specialised medical, legal, or scientific term, explain what it means in simple English immediately so you do not baffle your readers. See: Clichés, jargon and journalese.
- [ ] Be careful with adjectives and adverbs. Let the facts convey the emotion. You do not need to call a disaster ‘tragic’; the details of the event will tell the reader how serious it is. See: Adjectives and adverbs in news.
- [ ] Check your use of the word ‘that’. Do not remove ‘that’ if it makes the sentence confusing. It is often needed after verbs like ‘said’, ‘suggested’, or ‘claimed’ to help the reader follow your logic. See: News writing for beginners.
- [ ] Write succinct introductions. Keep your opening paragraph short and place the most interesting or important information at the very beginning of the sentence. See: Pyramid journalism.
- [ ] Avoid using question marks in headlines. Your role as a journalist is to provide answers and facts, not to speculate or ask the audience questions.
By following these steps, you will go a long way to ensuring that your reporting is not just accurate, but also a powerful tool for public understanding.
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