WBA NewsroomIt always seemed to me that reporters used jargon for one of two reasons – either they were too lazy to translate it to common English, or they were trying to impress their peers with their knowledge of the arcane jargon of the political class. An RTDNA contributor, veteran reporter, and news writing coach has some thoughts here.
Another reason, some writing coaches say, is that young reporters hear this stuff from newsroom veterans and think that’s the way they’re supposed to write. That’s how we get ridiculous phrases like “transported to a local hospital” (it would be an important factoid only if the victim was taken to a far-away hospital) and “the suspect fled on foot”. And it’s why so many spot news stories are tagged with the same line you’ll find in the police report, “the incident remains under investigation”. It would be news if the cops said they really aren’t sure what happened or if a crime was committed but they’re just dropping the case.
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Posted by Tim Morrissey