Transcript The “Dreaded” Interview

AFGE 2009 Editors Association
Grammar/Style Tips
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Writing Copy
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Use the inverted pyramid when writing an article to help structure your article
so you get the most out of your words.
The most important information goes first and then so on down the line.
Your first, or in some cases first two paragraphs should cover the basic
who, what, where, when, why and how. You don’t have to go into detail
here, but make sure the information is there.
Even if readers only read the first paragraph, you’ve given them the most
important information and familiarized them with the topic.
As you go on in the article, information gets less important. Here’s where
you can go into greater detail about your lead.
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Write telling headlines and a strong lead
Your goal here is to grab the readers’ attention and entice them to keep
reading more. Most people don’t read every article, they scan the
headlines to see what peaks their interest so it’s important to have
creative, catchy headlines. At the same time, don’t go overboard trying to
come up with something. Indicate the purpose of the article in the
headline. When it’s feasible, try to include a verb in the headline; it gives
the sense of accomplishment. For example, instead of “large attendance
at rally” try “workers converge on mall for rally against contracting out”
Get a grip on grammar
Get an AP Style book.
There are tons of grammar books on the market. Check out the
bookstores or online shops.
You can even do a search on the web for many grammatical questions.
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Articles should be easy to read and understand
You don’t need to be a professional writer to do a newsletter, but you do
need to make sure that your articles are understandable.
Translate jargon
Do not assume that your readers know what certain acronyms or terms
mean. New members especially will be confused and turned off if they do
not understand what you are writing about. Spell out all acronyms on the
first mention. Explain any terms that the lay person would not understand.
Use subheads to break up long articles
Although not as common in newsletters, some articles may be fairly long.
To keep readers enticed, use subheads to break up the monotony of type.
If a reader sees one, long continuous article, he or she may be inclined to
skip it. But, if they see one article broken up into smaller pieces, it may
seem more doable.
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Don’t stray from the facts
You are the authority here. However, although you are offering your
opinion (or that of your local), the content should be factual. An exception
would be a president’s letter or an editorial piece where opinion is the
basis of the material.
Have sufficient contact information
There is nothing more frustrating for someone looking for more
information than not being given a contact number. You should have a
masthead, which is basically a “contact us” box. In your newsletters, this
probably will include a list of your local’s e-board, your name as editor and
your local contact information.
Don’t plagiarize
It is ok to borrow material from other websites or media, but don’t
plagiarize. It’s very easy to get permission to reprint something. Take the
time to do so and you’ll avoid a headache in the long run. Not to mention
that it’s unethical and illegal.
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Newsletter Style and Font Tips
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Always typewritten
Use less than three fonts
When we read, too many fonts in a small space subconsciously confuses
us. Try to stick to one or two fonts, three at the most.
Stick with simple graphics
Unless you are a professional graphic designer, or have one working for
you, don’t try to make something fancy out of a basic image.
Keep clip art/photos to a minimum
Unless you are doing a photo spread, don’t use too many photos. Many
newsletter editors use clip art to fill empty space. Too much clip art makes
the newsletter look amateurish.
Use italics sparingly
Italics often are hard to read
Only one space in between sentences.
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Leave room for a mailing label
You’ll either do mailing labels on your own or use a printing/mailing
company. Either way, be sure to leave a white space where the label will
go. You don’t want the label to cover up important information.
Subheads, darker print, larger size help identify key information
Use subheads to break up copy. A few words in bold or larger size help
identify new information and make it easier to read. The key here is the
word “few”. If you start bolding everything, it will all just blend together.
Editors often use frames and boxes to identify important information. Use
these sparingly as well. If everything is in boxes, it loses ability to stand
out.
Watch out for jumps
A jump is when an article continues on another page. Readers generally
don’t respond well to jumps. They are sometimes necessary, so don’t fret
over doing one. But if you do, keep it to one jump and make sure you
include jump lines at the end of the first page and the beginning of the
second page.
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Keep white space but fill pages
White space is good for helping the newsletter look less cluttered but you
don’t want it to look empty. The key here is finding a happy medium.
Use common sense
If something doesn’t look good, don’t use it. It’s that simple.
Clarity is key
Where format and style is concerned, above all else, what matters most is
clarity. Can you read the print? Are photos blurry? A great design won’t
matter if members can’t read what’s written.
Be consistent
Use grids for page to page consistency when doing the layout and use
templates and styles for consistent formatting.
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Common Grammar Mistakes
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A/AN: Use a before words that start with a consonant sound and an before
words that start with a vowel sound.
Example: Joe wants to work as a missionary. John wants to get an MBA.
Example: Jane teaches a history class. It is an honor to meet you.
*Many pronunciation differences exist between British and American English.
For example “historic” is pronounced with the “h” in the U.S., but may be
pronounced “istoric” in England. In these cases, use the form that will be
expected by your readers.
ADMINISTRATION: The word administration always is lowercased.
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ADVERB OR ADJECTIVE: An adverb modifies a verb; an adjective modifies a
noun.
Example: I feel bad. I feel badly.
In “I feel bad,” bad is an adjective, which modifies the noun (“I”), so you’re
saying that you are regretful or sad. In “I feel badly,” badly is an adverb that
modifies the verb “feel”, so you’re saying that there’s something wrong with
your sense of touch.
The confusion here is that after verbs such as “feel,” “smell,” and “am,” you
would use an adjective such as “bad,” but with most verbs, it is correct to use
the adverb.
Example: If a child threw a fit, you would say, “she behaved badly.”
A general rule is that adjectives follow linking verbs and adverbs modify action
verbs. (Linking verbs are words such as is, was, were, appear and seem,
which more describe a state of being as opposed to an action.)
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APOSTROPHE: For plural nouns not ending in “s,” add an apostrophe
followed by an “s.” For plural nouns ending in “s,” add only an apostrophe.
Example: Women’s rights is important to me. The horses’ trailer is full.
For singular nouns not ending in “s,” add an apostrophe. For singular nouns
ending in “s,” add an apostrophe UNLESS the next word begins with “s”
Example: That horse’s food is in the stable. The horses’ stable is next
door.
For proper names ending in “s” use only an apostrophe.
Example: That is Christina’s book. That is Jules’ book.
CAPITAL/CAPITOL: Capitol refers to state capitol buildings or the U.S.
Capitol. Capital is the city where a seat of government is located.
CONGRESS: Capitalize when referring to the U.S. Senate or House.
CONGRESSIONAL: Lowercase, unless part of a proper name.
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DEPARTMENT: Capitalize when part of a formal name. Lowercase
“department” in plural (keep proper name capitalized)
Example: AFGE sued the Department of Defense over NSPS and the
Department of Homeland Security over MaxHR. AFGE has sued the
departments of Defense and Homeland Security
FORMAL TITLES: In general, formal titles only are capitalized when used
before a name, otherwise, lowercase
Incorrect: John Gage, President of AFGE
Correct: John Gage, president of AFGE
Correct: AFGE President John Gage
If the name and title are separated by a comma, lowercase the title
Correct: The AFGE president, John Gage, will appear before Congress.
ITS/IT’S:
Its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun.
Example: AFGE counts DHS workers among its members.
It’s is a contraction for it is or it has.
Example: It’s up to you. It’s been a long time.
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LEGISLATIVE TITLES
Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. before the name in a first reference.
Do not use legislative titles before a second reference
MORE THAN/OVER: Over refers to special difference like height or distance.
Use more than in all other cases.
Example: AFGE represents more than 600,000 federal workers. The
building is over 10 stories high.
NUMERALS: Spell out numbers one through nine; use the figure for 10 and
higher. Additionally, spell out any numbers that begin a sentence (but the better
option is to reword) unless that number identifies a calendar year.
PARTY AFFILIATION: In any documents, when you are including party
affiliation after the name of a congressman, do not use zip code abbreviations.
The correct form is to use the state abbreviation.
Incorrect: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Correct: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
As with state abbreviations, do not shorten Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine,
Ohio, Texas or Utah.
Example: Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
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QUOTATION PUNCTUATION:
The period and comma always go inside the quotation marks. Question marks
and exclamation marks go inside quotation marks IF they are part of the
quoted material. Question marks and exclamation points go outside if they are
not part of the quoted material.
If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that continues
the quote, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraph, but
do put open-quote marks at the start of the second paragraph.
Example: Gage said, “AFGE needs your help.
“We need you to call your congressman.”
A quote within a quote gets a single quotation mark. If it falls at the end of a
sentence, use the single and double marks together.
Example: Gage said, “Obama said that he ‘supports collective
bargaining.’”
Use a comma to introduce a one-sentence, complete quotation in a paragraph.
Do not use a comma before an indirect or partial quote.
Example: Gage said AFGE would “fight for the employees.” Gage said,
“AFGE will fight for the employees.”
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THAT/WHICH: Use that and which when referring to inanimate objects. Use
that for an essential clause; use which for a nonessential clause (in other
words, if you can drop the clause, use which). In these cases, which ALWAYS
is preceded by a comma.
Example: The bill is one that will block privatization. The bill, which will
block privatization, passed in the Senate.
THAT/WHO: Use that when talking about an object. Use who when talking
about a person.
THEN/THAN: Then has an element of time. Than conveys a comparison.
Example: I have a meeting then I can go to lunch. I’d rather go to lunch
than go to my meeting.
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Edit, Edit, Edit
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You must edit your newsletter, Web site, etc. Even better would be for you to
edit and then have someone else look at it,.
Computer grammar and spell checks pick up many errors but it’s not perfect.
Always reread your work.
Read your work out loud. This forces you to read each word individually and
increases the chance you’ll pick up any errors.
And don’t just check the spelling. You need to check every detail. In a
newsletter, make sure the page numbers are correct. If you have a jump, make
sure the article continues where it says. If you have a table of contents, make
sure the articles appear on the correct pages. On a Web site, check that all
links work.
Editing errors get by the best of us. All you can do is do your best to ensure
that you are putting out the best publication you can. Web errors can be fixed
immediately but a newsletter error may call for a correction in the next issue.
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Resources
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Groups/Associations
Most of these groups are member-based, but their Web sites have lots of great
free information
•Association of Newspaper Editors
•National Press Club
•Society of Professional Journalists
•Writers Guild of America
Books
•Associated Press Stylebook
•The AP Stylebook is the go-to source for style and editorial information. It
is available at bookstores and online.
•Common Errors in English Usage by Paul Brians
•Garner’s Modern American Usage by Brian Garner
•Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty
•The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage by R.W. Burchfield
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Web sites
•AP Stylebook “Ask the Editor”
http://www.apstylebook.com/ask_editor.php
•Double-Tongued Dictionary
http://www.doubletongued.org
•Grammar Girl online
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
•Guide to Grammar and Style
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/index.html
•Learning English: Grammar and Vocabulary
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar
•Merriam-Webster dictionary online
http://www.merriam-webster.com
•News University
NewsU.org is a training Web site. Registration is free. It offers both paid
and free online classes on editing, writing and reporting.
•NLRB Style Manual
http://www.nlrb.gov/publications/manuals/style_manual.aspx
•Web Grammar
http://www.webgrammar.com/
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