One of the best news writers and news writing coaches in the country is Roy Peter Clark, a frequent contributor to Poynter.
This piece explains why he has used both his first and middle name for decades.
And it might make you think about simply parroting a police report which includes some person’s middle name.
Did anyone ever really call him John Wayne Gacy before he was arrested? Or Lee Harvey Oswald?
Do you write “officer-involved shooting” or “police shooting”? Does your story end with “the incident remains under investigation”?
Are you writing the news, or simply transcribing police reports?
Posted by Timothy Jameson Morrissey