Make It Short and Sweet

It's no secret that I'm not a former reporter who has moved into publicity/PR consulting...I am very much still an active journalist. I consider that a bonus for my clients because I still very much have my finger on the pulse of the industry -- which is important when we consider how we can get their news in the news.

Currently, I cover criminal court cases and I was reporting on a case recently where many media outlets were getting the charges against one woman wrong. Just as an example, let's just say the charge was forgetting to take out the garbage (which by the way, if that were a crime, I would be in so much trouble, but imagine with me here).

However, reporters and editors often have to shorten things and summarize them to either make them more understandable for their audiences or simply to make room for them in their headlines.

So, even though the charge was forgetting to take out the garbage, let's just say the reporters wrote something like "charged with keeping trash." Why? It's shorter, it gets to the point and let's face it: it packs a little more punch.

Keep in mind that's a journalist job in many cases: shorten, sweeten it and pack a little more punch. We have talked about not using too much jargon in another post and now we're just going a step further. If you have something long or complicated to include or explain in your story, consider these tips to avoid getting an abbreviation that you would rather not have:

• Give them the full statement regarding the facts you're speaking about, but offer a comparison to make it easier to understand. Say, "Well, it's a molecular sweeper of miniscule particles, but it's like a miniature vacuum." Then your headline becomes "Guy Invents Mini-Vac" and it's not wrong.
• Reiterate if there is a common mistake made with the facts. Say, "People actually commonly mistake the molecular sweeper as a high powered broom, but it's more of a vaccum."
• Be ready to offer an official abbreviation or nickname if there is one for your story. Don't leave it up to the reporter to shorten it if you can help it.

The moral of the story? Shortening and summarizing is a vital part of a reporter's job. They will thank you if you can assist with that.

Bridgette Outten is a journalist and media relations consultant with The Write Vision Group, Inc. With a background in print media, she has written thousands of articles for newspapers and online publications. At The Write Vision Group, Bridgette consults with nonprofits and small businesses about how to get their programs and efforts in the news. Meanwhile, she blogs on all things journalism.