The Importance of Being Concise
"He instantly knew he wanted to be a part of The Collective one day back in his freshman year where he knew he wanted to be 'a part of the band that played at lunch.'"
"He instantly knew he wanted to be a part of The Collective one day back in his freshman year where he knew he wanted to be 'a part of the band that played at lunch.'"
-Veronica Longoria, Former Writer on The Muse
Attention spans are decreasing rapidly, and keeping a reader's attention is a crucial part of a journalist's job. Conciseness is imperative. Wordy sentences, especially confusing ones, should be reworded for clarification and brevity. This edit was important to me because I love to help improve the quality of our articles. Editing gives me the platform to help the writers learn from their mistakes and refine their skills. Feedback as a journalist is conducive to growth, and I invite staffers to critique my editing techniques as well.
In newsmagazine format, there is no option to rewind or replay what was said. Readers do not stop and ponder the meaning of a sentence past their first read. It is important for them to understand what the writer means the first time around.
Using the AP Stylebook as a guide across all of our content creates a sense of uniformity, and we know this style is correct.
The structure of a publication allows people to create a final product together. Each section has a role, and staffers within those sections have roles. After working in one position, I decided to try working in a different one.
Editors have a responsibility to support and teach their staffers.
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