In journalism, ‘objective’ is a good word with a noble history. But let’s consider ‘distance from neutrality.’ Just because journalists choose to be neutral about some things does not mean they have to be neutral in all things. April 21, 2022 Roy Peter Clark
How the ‘first rough draft of history’ can be revised and reimagined What we can learn about the evolution of Three Little Words, a 25-year-old serial narrative about the AIDS epidemic. February 21, 2022 Roy Peter Clark
From Babel to Pentecost, ancient lessons for public writers What writers can learn from two Bible stories — retold not to evangelize, but to draw energy and inspiration. February 1, 2022 Roy Peter Clark
What writers can learn from at-home COVID test instructions. Yes, really. Want to see what civic clarity looks like? Read the directions for Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 self-test. January 20, 2022 Roy Peter Clark
Why you should learn the ‘classic style’ of public writing The language of guides, museum labels and anything informative — you wouldn’t think a writing style called ‘classic’ might be versatile, but it is. October 13, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
The freedoms and responsibilities of all public writers ‘A Free and Responsible Press’ — a mirror of our times from 1947 — offers a blueprint of requirements for responsible communication with the public. September 29, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
Want to be a better public writer? Celebrate the versatility of the question mark. From the question that sparks the advice column to the ones that clinch a cross-examination, the question is a writing tool that rules. September 24, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
Who is the best public writer in America on the pandemic? Maybe an Iowa doctor should get the prize. August 24, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
How to write with honesty in the plain style It’s a middle ground between an ornate high style and a low style that gravitates toward slang. Write in it when you want your audience to comprehend. July 27, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
What makes a story good? Lessons for all public writers The question becomes increasingly important in an age of pandemic, social unrest, economic decline, insurrection and disinformation. June 29, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
There’s no such thing as a former journalist Journalists who change professions are met with judgment and half-jokes about joining the Dark Side. How sad, how narrow, how counterproductive. June 4, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
What buzzards on a branch can teach us about not being timid writers A look back at the best anecdote ever in memory of great storyteller Larry McMurtry April 6, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
When the topic is tough, frame it as a ‘mystery’ to be solved It’s a ‘secret’ that all good public writers know. Call it clickbait for nerds. March 9, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
How and why writers should avoid ‘the curse of knowledge’ As writers, we know what we know, but often find it difficult to imagine what it’s like not to know what we know — to the detriment of the reader. March 5, 2021 Roy Peter Clark
20 questions toward achieving civic clarity in your writing As the pandemic progresses with no end in sight, the goal for journalists and all public writers should be to lead the reader toward understanding. September 10, 2020 Roy Peter Clark
