This memo was written by Gary Lautens in 1983, to all staff at the Toronto Star where he was managing editor, and is still good advice 40 years later.

Source: Paul Berton on Twitter

9 February 1983
To: All Staff
CC: B. H. Honderich, R. Timson, J. Miller, P. McLeod, G. Chapman, G. Barker

The chief criticism of The Star is that it’s hard to read. Some stories sparkle and dash. Too many are long winded and leaden.

Here are a few directions:

  • Get into the story fast. Don’t bury the lead in the fifth paragraph. Readers don’t have the time.
  • Have focus. Understand why the story is important, what is new about the story, before writing it. Get an angle, an approach — then develop. Don’t wander.
  • Be brief. Twice as long, half as many readers.
  • When you’re writing a story isn’t nearly as important as when the reader will read it. Will the story be interesting 24 hours later? Keep time in mind.
  • Don’t combine too many elements in a sentence. Keep it simple. Remember complex sentences are easy to write, simple sentences hard. With reading, it’s the opposite.
  • Use short Anglo Saxon words rather than Romance words. Start is better than commence. Show is better than demonstrate.
  • Readers want to laugh, get mad, cry, be surprised. Appeal to the emotions. Challenge. Provoke. Amuse. Boredom is a hanging offence in journalism.
  • Remember the old cliche of this business: Anyone who wants his name in the paper isn’t a story. Or not a very good one.
  • Don’t just take notes at a meeting. Stenographers can do that. Look for a quote afterward. Use the meetings as a tip for the more interesting stuff waiting to be dug up.
  • Give editors a break. Tight copy with punch makes editors smile.
  • The Star is put out for average people with average educations and average interests. Don’t show off for Bay Street traders, theatre directors, hockey coaches, CBC producers, university professors. They ain’t our audience.
  • When finished with a story, look it over and see how many words you can drop without affecting the pace and sense of the article.
  • Use quotes. People read about people and what people say is still the best insight into their character and thinking.
  • Don’t be afraid to take a chance on a story. Go for the offbeat.
  • A little salt may cause high blood pressure but it sure doesn’t hurt a newspaper’s circulation.
  • There may be more interesting topics for a newspaper than sex, money, conflict, death and Harold Ballard, but I don’t know of them.
  • Be exciting. Be excited.

 

[signed]
Gary Lautens