The Journalistic Style: How to Use It in Your Content

The Journalistic Style: How to Use It in Your Content

For firms in the government contracting or B2B sectors, a journalistic approach to written communications can inspire confidence in your expertise and industry leadership, and position you as a credible authority in your field. This style of writing is also ideal for webpages and other forms of online content, where users often quickly scan rather than read in depth.

But what exactly do we mean by a journalistic style, and how can you incorporate it consistently into your company’s written content?

Defining the Journalistic Style

The journalistic style has traditionally meant streamlined, factual writing. Here are some hallmarks of this style and tips on how to apply them.

The 5Ws of journalism traditionally referred to the five questions that a reporter should answer in the lead paragraph of a news story: When, What, Where, Why and Who. Addressing the 5Ws helps you focus on informative content—no reader should come away with unanswered questions.
Brevity. Eliminate roundabout phrases for cleaner, uncluttered writing. For example, you can easily replace “due to the fact that” with “because.”
Straightforward, fact-based writing, free of overly opinionated or emotional language, persuades readers by presenting yourself as a trustworthy source of information.
Active voice. Whenever possible, rephrase sentences to be active, not passive. “We developed the software” appears stronger and more assured than “The software was developed by the company.” A stronger phrasing reinforces credibility in what you are saying.

And here a few things to avoid.

Informal or chatty tone. An informal writing style has its place, depending on the audience. B2C (business to consumer) content, for example, can strike a less formal tone. However, if you strive for a professional, journalistic tone, err on the side of formality.
Over-reliance on jargon. Your level of technical terminology needs to be appropriate for your audience.
Clichés or slang. Next time you’re tempted to think outside the box, build from the ground up, or stay on fleek, reconsider. Tired clichés make your content sound tired; expired slang makes your content sound dated and strained.

Storytelling: The Secret to Journalism

Journalism does not mean dry, uninteresting writing, however. What interesting or intriguing stories have you read in the news lately? Why did they stick with you? The answer is storytelling.

Storytelling is a critical part of effective online content today. At first glance, the term “storytelling” seems to apply to creative writing more than your company’s public-facing written content. However, storytelling is a critical component to branding in today’s environment, and your written content should always support your brand. Journalists are trained to craft facts into compelling stories; similarly, your content should tell a story.

How can you use this concept? Think about telling your clients’ stories, not your own. For example, how have your products or services solved their problems?

Maintaining a Consistent Style

Developing and applying consistent guidelines for grammar, spelling and punctuation can help maintain your journalistic style across the board. This takes a commitment to detail, but the effort is well worth the time. Well-edited, polished writing builds credibility; inconsistent, mistake-ridden copy does the opposite.

Some large companies may have the staff and time to develop an internal style guide of their own. Most businesses, however, can use the leading industry standard styles. The AP Style Guide is the well-known “bible” for journalists and editors in the United States; for those in the government contracting sector, the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual is appropriate.

Using the Journalistic Style in Your Content

Once you have established your journalistic tone, the next critical step is to include it in your public-facing content.

Press releases. The 5Ws are crucial here for reaching out with newsworthy information. Again, no question should be left unanswered.
Website content and blog posts. Website content should be brief, clear, informative, and above all, easy to read. Your blog needs to follow the same rules. Also, keep in mind that much of today’s online content is accessed on mobile devices; a concise style is more mobile-friendly.
Email campaigns or newsletters. Emails, like website content, need to be quickly scanned. Succinct content with a snappy headline (your subject line) is mobile-friendly and is more likely to be opened and read.
Brochures and other printed marketing collateral. Keep your journalistic voice consistent in all of your public-facing materials: factual, accurate and readable.
Other long-form content. This includes white papers, case studies and ebooks, all useful content that positions your company’s expertise and brand.

Thinking about your company’s content in terms of journalism helps you maintain a consistent focus on excellent writing in all of your content. By applying the concepts of the journalistic style, you ensure that your target audience will never lose sight of your company’s 5Ws.