FROM THE PUBLIC EDITOR'S DESK : Keep it simple to communicate effectively

Tell me if I have written about this before. What I remember is that I keep bringing it up at events where I am invited to share views on “Trends in Journalism in Tanzania.”

It is about language. If you want, it is about writing by using “familiar words and phrases” to deliver your messages in whatever language at work.

The call to use “simple language” is not directed only to trainees at schools of journalism and beginners in newsrooms. It is a permanent diet for all in the communication industry. But how simple is simple language?

Generally, simple language refers to communication by using words that you have not taken pain to search – in a dictionary or Roget’s Thesaurus – with the intent to “bombard your audience.”

It refers to words and explanations you have taken pain to search in order to get the contextual meaning; but without the slightest desire to bloc anyone from getting exactly what you want to communicate.

It refers to application of words and explanations that glue your audience to the messages you put across; and not dissuading them from continued reading, listening or viewing because of the hardness of the words applied.

It is about creating easiness to understand and be understood; about communication that is not punctuated by unfamiliar words that mar the flow of the message and create linguistic convulsive gasps.

But why all this? Three weeks ago, at an event I was invited to share views on “Trends in Journalism in Tanzania,” one of the participants threw a challenge to me as Public Editor.

A young man well below the age of 30 said in front of 15 others, “I don’t read The Citizen. It is hard. You have to have a dictionary near you.”

I read The Citizen. In fact it is my job to read the daily English paper and others published by Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) where I am public editor.

I didn’t immediately jump on the young man for further explanation. I waited until the session was over. This is what I got from him outside the conference room:

Young man: Yes. I have to read the paper with a dictionary. It is hard.

PE: What do you normally read in the paper?

Young man: Mostly feature articles. I am interested in feature articles and opinion columns. I look forward to becoming a feature writer.

PE: Do you normally read every item in the paper?

Young man: Not always; only when there are interesting pieces of information.

PE: To be precise, what is difficult – the English words or the concepts as presented by writers?

Young man: Both.

And both could be hard; could be difficult. Looking at The Citizen, some columns are on specific subjects for specific audiences.

Most of the articles fall under what we can call: generalist journalism and their writers have little to do with figures and evidence as they are highly opinionated, though with substance.

On the other side, feature articles are either general or on specialised subjects like health, education, industry and economy. Normally, such articles are directed to specific audiences.

Therefore, any attempt at turning a specialised article for a specific audience into a generalised article for non-specialised audience, demands that the writer or reviewer do more than the ordinary.

It demands further understanding and internalisation of the subject so as to be able to put it in simpler form for the generalist audience.

This means, every reader of a newspaper, listener of broadcasts and viewer of TV is left with the choice as to what she/he likes and that is exactly what she/he looks for.

Such was the subject of discussion with the young man outside the conference room. But the challenge remains.

Those who aim to reach the generalist readership, have a duty to simplify their work. They need to seek and get from experts explanation of technical terms and issues in order to ease acquisition of information and knowledge.

However, it is all about “good journalism” which requires an “easy command of correct language and style of presentation.” It could be improved on at The Citizen.