CAMPUS JOURNALISM

Panpacific University North Philippines

Urdaneta City

College of Teacher Education

Discussant         : DELIZO, Lorelie M.

Course                : BSE – 4 English

Subject               : Campus Journalism

SCIENCE WRITING

- is the latest form of Philippine Journalism.

Ø  A science writer should be able to communicate clearly and effectively so that he can popularize and translate scientific reports into stories.

Science News Writing Covers:

1.) Science News

2.) Science Editorial

3.) Science Feature

4.) Science Column Writing

Science News Reporting

Ø   Is science writing by a scientist or by a non-scientist for mass consumption.

Ø  His report is written for mass understanding.

Ø  He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader may understand and appreciate it because it is written in layman’s language.

Ø  He writes his story in such a way that the science un-oriented reader may understand and appreciate it because it is written in layman’s language.

Technical Writing vs. Non-technical Writing:

•       the objective of technical writing is to emphasize hand information

•      The main aim of journalistic writing is to inform, interpret, entertain, and to educate.

•      Purpose of Technical Writing

-          The main purpose of technical writing is to inform and persuade by providing facts and opinion based on facts that help readers answer question, solve a problem, make a decision, or perform a task.

•      Characteristics of Technical Writing:

1. It contains only factual information presented objectively.
2. All data could be verified and would not change unless new findings are made.
3. The writing depends on the author’s treatment of the subject and by the reader’s need to useful information.
4. Technical subject is specialized and usually mechanical or scientific.

•      Specific Uses of Technical Writing Skills:

-          Modern society is becoming highly technical

-          Police and fire personnel write detailed incidents or investigation report that must be clear enough to serve as evidence in court.

-          Nurses and medical technicians keep daily records that are crucial to patients’ welfare particularly as bases for litigations

-          Secretaries must write clear and precise memos, letters, minutes, and reports.

-          Managers write memos, personal evaluation, requisitions, and instructions.

•      Writing for Readers:

1. To define something – as to insurance costumer who wants to know what variable annuity means.
2. To explain something – as to a fellow teacher on how to write a news story.
3. To describe something – as to an architectural client who wants to know what a new addition to her home look s like.
4. To persuade someone – like to an adviser of a school paper to change page format.

* Do’s and Don’ts in Technical writing

1. Omit no key words
2. Avoid ambiguous phrases – in technical writing, a sentence should have one meaning only.
3. Avoid over-stuffing – a sentence that crams so many ideas, forces readers to struggle in order to get what is meant.
4. Avoid un-stacked modifiers – too many nouns stacked up as modifiers in front of another noun make for hard reading.
5. Rearrange word order – just as any paragraph has a key sentence, any sentence has a key word or phrase. For emphasis, place the key word or phrase at the beginning or end of the sentence.
6. Use the active voice
7. Make sentences concise (brief) – a concise sentence is brief but informative. It gets right to the point w/o clutter.
8. Eliminate redundancy – avoid using phrase when a word will do.
9. Avoid needless repetition
10. Avoid “there” sentence openers – save words and improve your emphasis by avoiding “there is” and “there are” at the beginning of the sentences.

11.    Avoid certain “it” sentence openers – eliminate any ”It” that does not refer to somerthing specific.

12.   Delete needless “to be” construction – forms of the verb “to be” (is, was, are) often add clutter w/o adding meaning.

13.   Avoid excessive prepositions

14.   Use “that and “which” sparingly

15.   Fight noun addiction – excessive nouns make sentences awkward and wordy

16.   Make negative positive – save words and get to the point by eliminating negative construction.

17.   Clear out the clutter words

18.   Delete needless preface – get to the point. Deliver to the point w/o a long wind-up.

19.   Avoid triteness

20.  Avoid over-statement

21.   Avoid sweeping generalization

22.  Use specific, concrete language.