ABSTRACT
Writing for broadcast can mean throwing away literary conventions, including the rules of grammar, so the words make sense to the ear, rather than the eye. Newspaper readers have one big advantage: without much effort they can glance back at a story and re-read it to make sense of it. Inversions often demand that listeners hold on to information that has no meaning until it is put into context. Plain English is about rat-catchers and road sweepers, never ‘rodent operators’ or ‘highway sanitation operatives’. The fleeting nature of broadcasting means that information tends to be impressionistic, and radio in particular finds it difficult to convey technical details or abstract ideas. Colloquialisms are acceptable for bringing home the meaning of a story, but in-words and slang that have grown stale through overuse will irritate listeners and should be avoided. The goings-on in parliament or Congress and the workings of local government are important areas, which traditionally turn off a mass audience.
