5 elements of journalistic writing to incorporate into your comms

Communications writing can get a bad rap.

It’s often accused of being overly fluffy, but also dense. Of saying little, but also being too long.

Whether or not these are true, we can debate all day. But there is one solution that can hit back and help the writing we do in both internal and external communications be clearer, tighter and more compelling:

Write like a journalist.

In a recent explainer on Ragan Training, Keisha-Gaye Anderson, the former VP of the Jed Foundation, shared just how a journalistic writing style can help communicators.

“Because the journalistic format, which has been around for hundreds of years, is in our collective consciousness, it’s something that we’re used to,” Anderson said. “Unlike academic writing, which is heavily analytical and dense, journalistic writing is more accessible. And it’s meant to reach a broad audience quickly and efficiently.”

The most important elements of journalistic writing to incorporate into your comms practice are: