Is clarity importing in media writing? here are my thoughts.

1. Editing for Brevity and Clarity
The text tells us that when you edit for brevity you also edit for clarity. Condensing and
clarifying stories in a limited time serves the interest and needs of an audience with changing
habits with little to no error. Major events containing important issues become small stories and
often referred to as briefs. There are certain skills that an editor must acquire to maintain the
integrity of a story in short summaries and protecting the original writer’s work. These skills
include the correct usage of quotes, context, providing smart details, and warding off repetition.
Shortening news accounts is the main goal in this editing process. This is done by skillful
trimming. This tool is used within the editing process.
The main focus is the length of a story and the time available to present it. “Editors in every
medium must deliver more news more efficiently than ever before. They must make that news
appeal to an audience that has less time and more news choices.” (Friend, Challenger, McAdams,
2005) By thinking a story through, from start to finish and providing information to readers who
have a demand for news, the process allows editors to focus on tone while maintaining the facts.
Sometimes cutting paragraphs by compressing the length may cause a margin of error due to the
changes but brevity can limit these errors. Tips for editing for brevity include the use of
shorthand, deleted narratives, the use of one sentence quotes, and a limited use of history or
background information.
Reference:
Reference:
Friend, C., Challenger, D. & McAdams, K. (2005).Contemporary editing. New York: McGraw-
Hill. ISBN: 0072853980