Use bullet points to highlight information.In some sports this is unavoidable, so if you must use jargon try to convey its meaning through the context. For example, say “Jane has a 41% shooting percentage” instead of “Jane is a great shooter.” Concrete words are better than abstract ones. Sometimes it helps to set a goal of cutting 25 or 50 words or staying under a certain word count. Edit each sentence to get rid of excess words.(Example: “Bob walked the dog” not “The dog was walked by Bob.”) Use headings, short sections and short sentences to make your writing easy to digest.Here are some simple ways to make your writing meet plain language standards: Once you know your audience, use both the content of your article and its structure to deliver your message. How much detail do they want? Are they busy or will they be browsing your article for pleasure? How much knowledge do they have about your sport and/or your subject matter? It avoids jargon and delivers its message simply but effectively so that the reader gets the message as quickly as possible.Ībove all, however, plain language is about meeting your readers’ needs, so you need to identify what you know about them. You might not get a grant if you can’t communicate your organization’s purpose in an effective manner.Īccording to communications scholar Richard Wydick, plain language is “clear, concise and correct” communication. News outlets might not read a news release if they can’t easily find the hook. An unclear article about a program or league might lead to a decrease in registration. While your writing will likely never turn deadly, poor communication can be costly to your organization. Many scholars believe that poorly written memos were partially responsible for the 1986 Challenger disaster, and that unclear writing has led to several dangerous automotive defects. In the next module, we’ll narrow our focus to writing for the web.īut first…did you know that bad writing kills? This module will teach you the nuts and bolts of writing an effective article, whether it will be published in a newsletter, on a website or in a media kit. (If you’re having trouble, identifying newsworthy stories, check out module 3 to learn more.) The bulk of your organization’s news, however, will never reach a journalist. Some of these will end up in newspapers or on television. Your sports organization is filled with powerful stories.
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