On air and in print
Plain language
The international movement for plain language continues to gain momentum. We discuss some highlights.
Politics and government
Politicians and bureaucrats are some of the worst offenders when it comes to using complex language and obscuring meaning.
Worst Word of the Year
Each December, we announce our Worst Word of the Year. These words may be evasive, misleading, or just plain ugly. Past winners include 'Brangelexit', 'conscious uncoupling' and 'fugitive emissions'.
A facelift for workplace writing
From staff policies to consumer fact sheets, there are very few workplace documents that plain English cannot improve.
We help writers lift their documents, no matter the genre or the likely readership.
The options
Our training caters for everyone, from ministerial advisers to marketing assistants. In just one organisation, we have run workshops that cover:
- technical reports
- ministerial briefs and board papers
- web pages
- letters and emails
- policies and procedures
- general communications.
The effects
After several years of training and editorial support, this client has seen a dramatic improvement in its writing culture. Focus and analysis are up, while officialese and jargon are down.
In a study of board papers alone, it found:
- the average document was 50% shorter
- the editorial workload of senior managers had fallen by 40%.