Errors Can Be Destructive

As a longtime editor, it saddens me to see standards decline as news outlets cut back on staff. Today, readers can find errors everywhere, from newspapers to online accounts to new books.

It’s especially glaring when errors involve simple things. For example, not long ago the newspaper I was long associated with ran a map showing a westside location that was actually on the eastside – and that location was across the street from the newspaper.

Errors like these undermine any news outlet’s most precious commodity – trust. If readers come to doubt the trustworthiness of an outlet’s news, they will look elsewhere for accurate accounts. And that leads to further decline for that news outlet. By the time the outlet’s executives realize the damage, it may be too late.

There’s just no substitute for good editing.

Too Many Words Spoil the Broth

Too many writers make the mistake of using too many words and take too long to get to the point.

Making your reader wade through unnecessary words runs the risk of losing that reader, maybe before he or she gets to the second paragraph.

Good writing is simple and to the point. State what you want to say with a minimum of words, and unless you're writing a novel, start with a lead designed to draw the reader in and give the most important news first. Then add more information in an upside-down pyramid style, with the second-most-important news, then the  third, and so on.

And if you are writing a novel, removing unnecessary words is even more important to add momentum and encourage the reader to continue.