Foundational Writing Skills
Before students begin working on their writing for digital media, it is necessary that they have a complete understanding of basic writing skills. The qualities found on Dr. Gerald Lucas' foundational writing rubric outline all the requirements of an acceptable understanding of writing for digital or print media. College bloggers must demonstrate these skills in every facet of their writing online or they risk losing readers and credibility.
Active
Passive voice should be avoided when writing for a blog or any website. Active voice is when the subject of the sentence directly performs the action.
Example of active voice:
- Sally finished her blog entry.
Example of passive voice:
- The blog entry was finished by Sally.
To change a passive sentence to an active sentence, follow these steps[1]:
- Move the passive sentence's subject into the active sentence's direct object slot.
- Remove the auxiliary verb be from the main verb and change main verb's form if needed.
- Place the passive sentence's object of the preposition by into the subject slot.
Appropriate
Appropriateness hinges on the writer's ability to address the needs of the user. Audience plays a key role in this category. Dr. Steven Hale suggests that "writing with a specific audience in mind will also give your [writing] more unity of purpose and style and will involve your reader more directly in your argument[2]."
Aware
When writing with awareness you should do the following:
- Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability
- Never plagiarize.
- Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
- Examine your own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
- Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, or social status.
- Know your Audience
For more information on writing with awareness and the ethics of writing, whether it be for a blog, newspaper, or any other source of media, check out the (Society of Professional Journalist) SPJ Code of Ethics.
Brief and Concise
In writing for any sort of media, brevity is encouraged. Danny Rubin, a national news consultant and former television news reporter, explains, "You don't need to write a lot or use big words to sound smart[3]." Cutting excess words, phrases, an unnecessary elements of your writing allows you to remain concise.
Concrete
If a blog is to meet the Concrete requirements it should have strong supporting evidence that is creditable and appropriate to the topic at hand.
The Society of Professional Journalists suggests the following to help maintain strong supporting evidence when writing:
- Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error.
- Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
If your unsure of how to evaluate the credibility of a source then you should review the following wiki while on your quest to find credible sources: Evaluate the Credibility of a Source
Consistent
The writing should be consistent meaning that sentences are balanced and free from variation; same structure throughout. Consistent writing makes it easy to follow and read a blog without difficultly.
- Use the same sentence structure throughout.
- Follow a format.
Imaginative
Imaginative writing shows creativity and inventiveness. Figurative language is used when appropriate. Imaginative writing will set your blog apart and make it unique.
- Avoid cliches and business-ese.
- Be creative.
Precise and Direct
Often times writers use vocabulary that is inflated or commonly used. Unfortunately, this creates the opportunity for misuse. A writer should be fully aware of the context and desired message. Using too many words or the wrong words to communicate is detrimental to a blogger's credibility and purpose. The use of precision ensures that your article conveys the correct message without confusing or overwhelming the audience.
Utilize a thesaurus and dictionary to achieve correct vocabulary for blog entries.
Example
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to X, Y, or Z charity.
In light of the recent mistakes in the media, we've decided to withhold the names of suspects until identities are confirmed.
Here, in lieu of means instead of or in absence of. In light of means due to or because of. The two are not interchangeable. Unfortunately this mistake is often made with common phrases and words. As a blogger, be diligent in checking for precision in your writing. Lack of precision negates the act of fact checking.
Presentable
In order to make your writing presentable, you must follow the guidelines of each assignment. Peter Giblett explains, "Being presentable is largely about being effective as a writer, but there is also an element of visual impact[4]." Pay close attention to the visual appeal of your writing and focus on inspiring interest from your audience.
Notes
References
- Active/Passive Voice. Townson University's Online Writing Support. Web. 1 May 2013.
- Carroll, Brian. (2010). Writing for Digital Media. New York: Routledge. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- How to Evaluate the Credibility of a Source. Wikihow. Web. 1 May 2013.
- Giblett, Peter. Making Your Writing Presentable and Cogent. Web. 30 April 2013.
- Hale, Steven. Choosing and Writing for an Audience. Web. 30 April 2013.
- Rubin, Danny. Write Less, Say More: The Power of Brevity. Web. 30 April 2013.
- SPJ Code of Ethics. Society of Professional Journalist. Web. 1 May 2013.