Jargon is the enemy of good writing. It should be banished from news stories. To see how to eliminate jargon from your articles, let's start by defining the term.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines jargon as "Confused unintelligible language." In other words, it's the opposite of what we want to accomplish in newswriting - sentences that are clear and easily understood.
There are two kinds of jargon. Professional jargon is the specialized vocabulary used by professionals such as doctors, lawyers and academics.
Then there's what I call bad-writing jargon. This occurs when a writer wants to make his story sound more important and official-sounding. Instead of striving for clarity he mucks up his prose with lots of pompous phrases and longwinded sentences. Beginning writers often do this.
Whatever kind of jargon you're dealing with, it's your job as a reporter to translate jargon into terms anyone can understand. Remember, as a journalist you're writing for a mass audience - everyone from the fifth-grader to the brain surgeon.
So how do you cut jargon from your news stories? Here are some tips:
Recognize it: To eliminate jargon you first have to recognize it. Anytime you're doing an interview or reading a press release and a phrase pops out that you don't easily understand, chances are it's jargon. At this point, alarm bells should go off in your head.
Understand it: Next you must understand what the jargon actually means. So if you're interviewing a physician about a new medical procedure and she lapses into doctor jargon, simply ask, "could you explain that more clearly, please?" Or if a press release contains some jargony gobbledygook, call the person who put out the release to see what they meant. If necessary, do some research to make sure you understand what's being said.
Translate it: Once you understand what the jargon is supposed to mean, translate it into simple, plain English in your story.
Paraphrase When Necessary: If an interviewee gives you a jargon-filled quote, you can try to get then to restate what they've said in simpler terms. But if the "simplified" quote is still a bit longwinded, don't be afraid to paraphrase it. A clear and succinct paraphrase is better than a confusing quote.
Also read: Jargon-Cutting Exercises
