RIP journalistic writing!
If you get this headline the first time you read it- coffee is on me!
And be honest!
The falling standards of writing is more appalling when they happen in the national newspaper!
This is a direct indictment of our education system and how little emphasis is given to basic skills
And with the younger generation entering the workforce, the glaring gaps in their skills are there for everyone to see!
I shudder to think of what writing standards will be when today’s social media generation gets into the media business! Although I think we can already see the deterioration with the generation Z.
What surprises me is editors, who are seniors, in the system let this happen.
The writer is just the first link! There is always editorial staff to proofread manually. And now we also have tools to check for clarity and concision.
But I guess nothing makes up for the lack of basic foundations in important skills!
Academics apart, I don’t think one can bank on schools and colleges to develop these skills on a deeper level. And that’s where the rot really starts leading to a life long struggle with communication.
And yes, adults have been trying to make following grammar so uncool because apparently writing like a spastic is the new “cool”! ?
READ: 8 principles of good writing that you should master
I don’t have a problem with Prez and secy as long as they are legit ones. But rules of a headline are shot out of the park here!
The job of a good headline is to be concise while making people want to read the report. This seems like some kid’s precis writing homework – in the national newspaper!!
Yeah! I think we can safely stop recommending newspapers as reading material to people who are learning English.
I think a big reason for this is that people don’t read anymore. Schools don’t promote that and kids don’t read on their own.
A lot of reading in schools is recommended but with no follow-up, there is no follow-through. Why read something that one doesn’t get tested on. And a lot of parents also focus on what’s assessed in exams and don’t bother with the rest.
When I think about it, it’s a complex combination of different stakeholders who. aren’t holding up their end of the bargain. Math and science are given importance even today – not realising that going through all the textbooks will need reading skills.
Being able to articulate your ideas will need speaking and writing skills. And without these skills, no matter how great your content, you will never be able to convey it effectively to your audience.
What do you think about this?
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