Editing - Style Quotes

“Why seek uniformity? Why try to ‘pin down’as elusive a commodity as language? Styleis a broad attempt to impose order, to standardise meaning just as the rules of spelling and grammar seek to do on a more detailed level. Effective communication requires efficient comprehensionand comprehension is maximised if everyone knows the rules. “

Steve McIlwaneUniversity of QueenslandStyle Guide,2002, p. 31

Style guides are used for giving sub-editors and journalists a framework in which to write and work. They provide a connection between the publication and the reader. 

A poorly conceived style guide or having none at all can: affect readability and create poor or unattractive aesthetics.

Sub-editors expect journalists to be familiar with a publication's style guide and to use that style in writing news stories. 

Although for those that can't adhere to the styler guide it is important that the sub-editor is on top of the style to detect any of the breaches. 

Seven main areas of ‘policing’: - Sub-editors are the 'news police'
Grammar and punctuation, spelling, names, capitalisation, titles, language preferences and design style. Legal issues are also looked at.

Dale and Pilgrim (2005) identify 6 elements for successful editing: Priority - emphasis, community - connection, clarity  - clear and orderly, unity - consistency, contrast - guidelines and beauty - visually pleasing. 

Style guides and PR 

Very important tool as PR aims to present consistent and organised messages. 

Consistency is important in branding, promoting and presenting the message they want to get across.

Politics and election campaigns underscore the importance of these elements (eg Kevin ’07 campaign)