SJC-style-and-production-guide-2012

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has taken it further. Context should be succinct. Say what is necessary so the audience is notasking questions about who, what, where, why, when and how.The way you introduce a story will often determine whether it succeeds. Write the link or introfirst. This forces you to pinpoint the main interest of your story. Adopt crisp, direct speech thatappeals to the imagination. Emphasise key information, build a context, and tease other facts thatwill come later in the body of the story.Use the continuous present tense wherever possible. Write “company executives say”, ratherthan “said”. But be consistent. Switching back and forth between present and past tense within asentence is wrong. Stay in the same tense right through a story if possible.Our job does not end with the accurate setting down of essential facts. From that beginning, weshould aim to give the news a meaning and an interest that are essential to capture the attentionof the audience and enable the story to be properly understood.Our objective is to give warmth, colour and life to all our stories where this is possible.Words that are clear and plain are not in themselves dull. Short words usually do the job betterthan long ones. Stick to words and phrases that are simple and well understood.Poor grammar signifies that an idea has not been properly thought through. Cliches are the firstrefuge of the thoughtless. Be creative, clear and specific.Always write for meaning. Break your prose into separate sentences if that’s the safest way ofensuring clarity and avoiding ambiguity.A first draft is the form of a story you read through and check for factual errors, awkwardphrasing or literals, before offering it for use in a bulletin. Don’t submit copy expectingproducers to do your writing for you.Always re-read your scripts before you file them. And if you have time, read them again. Checkyour scripts for factual errors, awkward phrasing or literals, before offering them for use.No matter how experienced we are, it’s likely our writing can be improved. Rarely should a storybe broadcast without first being checked by someone else. A sharp editor or producer can makegood writing even better.There are alternatives for many words that obscure our meaning, rely on bureaucratic jargon, arearchaic, easily misunderstood, or are gender biased.On the left below are words you should avoid altogether or which are overused or usedinappropriately. On the right are words that will help the audience better understand yourmeaning.Avoidabatedaccessedacquiredadmitsairlifteda large proportion ofall-time highUseeasedgotgotsaysflownmany, mostrecord/new highUQ SJC STYLEBOOK 2012 – PAGE 80
ambulance menamongstan horrificanticipateappeal (a decision)apprehendedarmed gunmenas a resultascertainat aboutat largeat the present timeat this point in timeback-to-back victoriesbailedbiggest everblack banbundled outcall a haltcarry outcentre aroundchairpersonchopperedcleaning ladyclaimscommencedconcedesconstructed ofconsult withcontinue to remaincurrentlycutbacksdaylight savings(the) deceaseddefiantdetermined (yet to be)due to the fact thatembankmentambulance officersamonga horrificexpectappeal against (a decision)caughtgunmenbecausefind out/discoverat OR about (not both)freenownowconsecutive victoriesgranted bailbiggestbaneliminated/beatenstopdocentre onchairman/chairwomantaken (by helicopter)cleanersaysstarted/begansaysmade ofconsultstaynow (if necessary at all)cutsdaylight savingthe dead man/womanSee: EditorialisingdecidedbecausebankPAGE 81 – 2012UQ SJC STYLEBOOK
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School of Journalism & Communicatio
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ContentsQuick reference - page 6Sty
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Quick referenceDates ‘March 26 20
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StyleGRAMMAR AND SYNTAXOur business
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(In these cases, the subjects are S
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correct position. For imperious emp
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Almost all singular words ending in
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clear: a dark-skinned pickled-herri
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not change the official spelling of
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olly.) This also avoids the minor r
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have been cases where identifying c
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admissible notice -ibleadviser not
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house’, ‘the Albert-Rosses’ g
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Bbaby Mothers don’t give birth to
Page 30 and 31: Ccache/cachet are often confused.
Page 32 and 33: Avoid ‘like the plague’ the hun
Page 34 and 35: on an organisation’s image and re
Page 36 and 37: diagnosis/prognosis are sometimes c
Page 38 and 39: Eearlier, later It is a tautology t
Page 40 and 41: flyer not flier.forbear is to refra
Page 42 and 43: Writers make the mistake of general
Page 44 and 45: of rights.infamous vile or shameful
Page 46 and 47: judgment Only one ‘e’.junta som
Page 48 and 49: merino, merinosmetal processed mine
Page 50 and 51: Oobliged/obligated both are verb fo
Page 52 and 53: individual.phenomenon is the singul
Page 54 and 55: An example of (iii) is in identifyi
Page 56 and 57: chambers called carbon sinks.sewage
Page 58 and 59: eservoir, restaurant, riesling.sepa
Page 60 and 61: See also numbers.time shifting is t
Page 62 and 63: Vversus This Latin preposition is u
Page 64 and 65: JACdigital v3.1Style and production
Page 66 and 67: Meet JACWelcome to the new JACdigit
Page 68 and 69: • Image• main body• Excerpt
Page 70 and 71: SizeChoose Full Size or MediumFeatu
Page 72 and 73: Multiple pagesYou can create multip
Page 74 and 75: Audio files still need an image. It
Page 76 and 77: If you have a PollDaddy account, yo
Page 78 and 79: CopyrightYour stories will be visib
Page 82 and 83: embattledexceeding speed limiteye w
Page 84 and 85: efuses to saywon’t say(on a ) reg
Page 86 and 87: JACradio News Style GuideRadio news
Page 88 and 89: 14. Vary throw lines. Examples: ‘
Page 90: ReferencesFowler, H.W. (1965) A Dic
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