Writing_for_today_s_readers.pdf

Transcript

1. Readability Writing for today’s readers Tommy Thomason
2. Readability is really…
3. Reading ease:
4. Reading ease: How easy-to-read is this story?
5. ЗАПУГАТЬ ВСЮ СТРАНУ? У ВАС УЖЕ ПОЛУЧИЛОСЬ!» Обсуждая последние показательные убийства в Киеве экс-депутата Верховной РадыОлега Калашникова и писателя-публициста Олеся Бузины, блогеры обратили внимание на странное «совпадение». За пару дней до расстрелов персональная информация погибших (с указанием домашних адресов) была размещена на сайте, цинично названным «Миротворец» - своеобразном расстрельном списке неугодных киевским властям. Есть в нем и пятеро сотрудников «Комсомольской правды». Любопытно, что писать доносы на «террористов-сепаратистов» на этот сайт открыто призывали украинские силовики. - Слов нет... Все на поверхности: построено тоталитарное государство лжи, в котором уже не садят, а просто убивают людей за их мнение, - прокомментировал в своем видеоблоге громкие убийства известный украинский журналист Анатолий Шарий, вынужденный жить за границами своей страны. - При этом представители силовых ведомств сразу же рассказывают про «руку Москвы». И это, понятно, будет единственной линией следствия, а в лучшем случае найдут каких-то алкоголиков, надают им по печени, и они расскажут, что их наняла ФСБ, чтобы убить Олеся. А теперь смотрите: вот этот сайт пиарили представители МВД, СБУ, поддержку ему оказывают, сайт был распиарен в украинских СМИ. Вчера на нем появилась анкета Олеся... А вот официальный Twitter сайта, который поддерживается спецслужбами Украины...
6. An element of a shared symbolic system which serves as a criterion or standard for selection among the alternatives of orientation which are intrinsically open in a situation may be called a value. But from this motivational orientation aspect of the totality of action it is, in view of the role of symbolic systems, necessary to distinguish a “value orientation” aspect. This aspect concerns, not the meaning of the expected state of affairs to the actor in terms of his gratification-deprivation balance but the content of the selective standards themselves. The concept of value-orientations in this sense is thus the logical device for formulating one central aspect of the articulation of cultural traditions in the action system.
7. The history of readability
9. The 1830s
10. What changed?
11. What changed?  Vocabulary
12. What changed?  Vocabulary  Writing style
13. What changed?  Vocabulary  Writing style  News topics
14. And that is still the basis of readability
15. And now?
16. Readability has never been more important Readers’ expectations Attention span Media competition
17. How do you improve your readability?
18. The good news: The key is technique, not talent Your newspaper can become more readable
19. So let’s get started
20. First, two foundational principles Principle No. 1: There is an implied contract with newspaper readers, one that does not exist with other types of writing.
21. The issue may not be writing Principle No. 2: Sometimes, ineffective writing can’t be “fixed” because it is based on incomplete reporting.
22. Write short.
23. Sentence length average is more important than the length of any one sentence. Vary sentence lengths to avoid tedium, but a safe average is 20 to 25 words.
24. One way you can make a sentence longer is to include an effective bulleted list.
25. And what about paragraphs?
26. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed semper, nibh ut dignissim placerat, risus odio volutpat nisi, laoreet sodales sapien dolor sit amet sem. Sed nunc libero, malesuada et sem eget, molestie tempor lacus. Maecenas eget dui mauris. Nulla aliquet leo ac ligula sagittis dapibus. Nam tincidunt, dui at elementum luctus, enim erat consectetur turpis, et dignissim tortor lorem in magna. Aliquam odio libero, porta ac augue ut, tristique fermentum odio. Aliquam et ligula nisi. Vestibulum consequat quis nunc vitae ornare. Vivamus urna felis, varius et ultricies et, laoreet sit amet mi. Donec molestie massa velit, non ornare velit eleifend ut. Aliquam erat volutpat. Proin sollicitudin lorem ac purus mattis mollis. Aliquam egestas elit dictum magna volutpat aliquam. Curabitur sit amet metus gravida, gravida dui quis, venenatis nibh. Pellentesque gravida enim eget lacus bibendum fermentum. Mauris convallis molestie augue sed porta. Aliquam vel orci gravida, blandit dui eget, rutrum mauris. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Sed id urna vel nisl euismod tempor non ut nisi. Donec ac lobortis neque, id convallis enim. Sed arcu neque, convallis maximus neque non, suscipit auctor purus. Nunc sed lacus ut arcu blandit tincidunt in vitae dui. Etiam tellus nisi, vulputate pharetra nisl quis, semper porttitor ante. Fusce molestie tincidunt vestibulum. Nulla facilisi. Donec at mauris sagittis, mollis purus nec, consectetur tortor. Morbi eu dignissim turpis. Praesent sed commodo risus, ut molestie tortor.
27. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed semper, nibh ut dignissim placerat, risus odio volutpat nisi, laoreet sodales sapien dolor sit amet sem. Sed nunc libero, malesuada et sem eget, molestie tempor lacus. Maecenas eget dui mauris. Nulla aliquet leo ac ligula sagittis dapibus. Nam tincidunt, dui at elementum luctus, enim erat consectetur turpis, et dignissim tortor lorem in magna. Aliquam odio libero, porta ac augue ut, tristique fermentum odio. Aliquam et ligula nisi. Vestibulum consequat quis nunc vitae ornare. Vivamus urna felis, varius et ultricies et, laoreet sit amet mi. Donec molestie massa velit, non ornare velit eleifend ut. Aliquam erat volutpat. Proin sollicitudin lorem ac purus mattis mollis. Aliquam egestas elit dictum magna volutpat aliquam. Curabitur sit amet metus gravida, gravida dui quis, venenatis nibh. Pellentesque gravida enim eget lacus bibendum fermentum. Mauris convallis molestie augue sed porta. Aliquam vel orci gravida, blandit dui eget, rutrum mauris. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Sed id urna vel nisl euismod tempor non ut nisi. Donec ac lobortis neque, id convallis enim. Sed arcu neque, convallis maximus neque non, suscipit auctor purus. Nunc sed lacus ut arcu blandit tincidunt in vitae dui.
28. Don’t put too much info in any one sentence.
29. Forget what your high school Engish teacher told you about sentence construction
30. The keyword: Propositions
31. Having appealed to Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and the City Council with a letter aimed at ending carriage rides in the historic district, Minnie Cosby, president of PETA and the originator of the letter-writing campaign, told members of her organization that she would “work tirelessly” to end the use of horses on cobblestone streets.
32. Having appealed to Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and the City Council with a letter aimed at ending carriage rides in the historic district, Minnie Cosby, president of PETA and the originator of the letter-writing campaign, told members of her organization that she would “work tirelessly” to end the use of horses on cobblestone streets.
33. Having appealed to Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and the City Council with a letter aimed at ending carriage rides in the historic district, Minnie Cosby, president of PETA and the originator of the letter-writing campaign, told members of her organization that she would “work tirelessly” to end the use of horses on cobblestone streets. PETA president Minnie Cosby wrote a letter to the City Council asking for an end to downtown carriage rides. Cosby later told PETA members that she would “work tirelessly” to end the use of horses on the cobblestone streets of the historic district.
34. Others said they absolutely would not volunteer at a library operated by a for-profit company, and, believing much of the community would respond the same way, pointed out how this would compound the issue with lack of service if the library’s operations were outsourced.
35. Pay attention to sentence structure.
36. Backing in Begin sentences – especially leads – with nouns, not dependent clauses or strings of prepositional phrases
37. As they did in the summer of 2006, proponents of a Community Block Development Grant to improve Highway 93 in front of the TransAmerica truck stop near Interstate 20 ran into a hornets’ nest of opposition at a public hearing Wednesday night.
38. Those who want a state grant to fix the road in front of a truck stop on Highway 93 found few who liked the plan Wednesday night.
39. Prompted in part by a new anti-smog law that is boosting business’ demand for better service, a major reassessment that could lead to big changes in the county’s public transportation system is beginning.
40. Prompted in part by a new anti-smog law that is boosting business’ demand for better service, a major reassessment that could lead to big changes in the county’s public transportation system is beginning. Backing in
41. Prompted in part by a new anti-smog law that is boosting business’ demand for better service, a major reassessment that could lead to big changes in the county’s public transportation system is beginning. Backing in
42. Prompted in part by a new anti-smog law that is boosting business’ demand for better service, a major reassessment that could lead to big changes in the county’s public transportation system is beginning. Backing in
43. Local leaders want to make it easier for county residents to get around without their cars.
44. Keep subjects and verbs together Don’t separate subjects and verbs with long phrases or clauses.
45. Eighteen Prairie Creek residents accused in a civil suit of an alleged loan fraud against the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development might settle the case before it goes to trial, according to federal court documents.
46. Eighteen Prairie Creek residents accused in a civil suit of an alleged loan fraud against the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development might settle the case before it goes to trial, according to federal court documents.
47. Eighteen Prairie Creek residents might cut a deal on the charge that they lied to get federally backed home loans.
48. Don’t do sex changes on perfectly good verbs
49. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards.
50. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report.
51. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change.
52. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change. The professor is influential on many chemistry majors.
53. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change. The professor is influential on many chemistry majors.
54. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change. The professor is influential on many chemistry majors. The rule is applicable to working reporters.
55. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change. The professor is influential on many chemistry majors. The rule is applicable to working reporters. The committee conducted an interview of the top candidate.
56. The EPA said the company is in violation of clean air standards. The chairman was supportive of the committee report. He said students are benefitted by the policy change. The professor is influential on many chemistry majors. The rule is applicable to working reporters. The committee conducted an interview of the top candidate. The committee conducted an investigation of the senator.
57. Caesar’s dead. Avoid Latinized constructions. Anglo-Saxon Latin Rise Ascend Ask Interrogate Fire Conflagration Fear Trepidation Near Adjacent Fair Equitable Thrifty Parsimonious Find out ascertain Dead deceased
58. Avoid jargon and gobbledygook.
59. Watch out for...
60. Jones, CEO of Acme Widgets, said financial exigencies made it necessary for the company to implement budgetary measures to minimize expenditures. Jones said the company had to cut costs.
61. And avoid coptalk… Cops don’t get out of a car – they exit the vehicle Cops don’t go places – they proceed there Criminals don’t carry guns – they display weapons
62. Flee on foot or run away? Apprehended or caught? Physical altercation or fight? High rate of speed or speeding?
63. Make stories reader- friendly. Before you start to write…
64. Reader-friendliness is a function of…
65. Reader-friendliness is a function of… Good reporting that avoids abstractions
66. Reader-friendliness is a function of… Good reporting that avoids abstractions Focus on what matters to readers
67. Reader-friendliness is a function of… Good reporting that avoids abstractions Focus on what matters to readers Writing for readers, not news sources
68. Although he opened the meeting with a statement that the purpose of the meeting was not to convince the public that this measure was the best option, some of the speakers questioned the proposal in the strongest of terms, attacking other county programs and expenditures they felt should be sacrificed, instead. This can’t be fixed!
69. Although he opened the meeting with a statement that the purpose of the meeting was not to convince the public that this measure was the best option, some of the speakers questioned the proposal in the strongest of terms, attacking other county programs and expenditures they felt should be sacrificed, instead.
70. Jones said the goal of the meeting was to examine all options for library funding. Several speakers said the current level of library funding should be maintained, even if it meant sacrificing other items on the county budget. “This is our kids and our future we’re talking about,” said Sam Smith, who described himself as a regular user of library services. “Why can’t we cut the budget for travel instead, or even close the county greenhouse? Are new tulips on the courthouse lawn really more important than our children?”
71. Pay attention to conventions.
72. The value of conventions: Consistency
73. How can you improve your paper’s use of style and correct grammar?
74. So what’s the bottom line for newspapers?
75. Easy reading is damn hard writing. --Nathaniel Hawthorne