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Tired words for tired minds...
Journalese is a language we use in place of real words when we are too rushed or too tired to care. These stock, off-the-shelf words and phrases bring a sameness to even the most dramatic of stories and stultify the minds of readers and listeners. Spend an extra second or two thinking of the right word, the honest phrase, instead of dipping into the cliché-pot. A whole dictionary of journalese could be compiled, featuring words and expressions beloved of reporters but seldom heard in actual conversation. A few examples (feel free to add your own below):
Tragic incident (any incident, really - just say what happened)
Amid (especially, amid speculation)
Dawn-to-dusk (as in curfew)
Was in collision with
Bottom line
Going forward
Currently (now). (Favoured in police ‘plod-speak’: “There was an incident and at least one person is currently dead.”
Issue/issues (as in ‘He has an issue about that’)
Voiced concern
Spawned (other than tadpoles)
In the wake of (after)
Oil-rich
Gale-lashed/storm-tossed
Price hike (rise/increase)
The list can go on and on. Much better to tell the story in real language, as though you were telling it to a friend.
(Credit for some of the above is due to John Rains, writing coach at The Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina, USA)
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