How has the Internet changed the way we communicate information on the World Wide Web? How have we evolved from the old ways of journalism to embrace a new culture of nontraditional ways to write articles? How is the Internet language, a new form of both speech and writing, being used around the world. I will show where journalistic English has come from, how the Internet has impacted communication, and where English is evolving to. My analysis of the language of journalistic English and the Internet will help inform my readers about how online communication – grammar – writing - and spelling are contributing to the redefinition of the English language.
Good English is essential to journalism. English is complex, so learning the rules will prevent errors in composing. Putting the pen to paper requires diligence and education. Journalistic grammar, writing, and spelling are somewhat different from what English courses teach. To be a good journalist requires that you understand these things, but journalism has its own subset of rules that are followed.
Historically, journalistic grammar has followed English rules, but has put emphasis on some rules more than others. Journalists need to write clear and concise stories so that they can easily be read by others. Sentences that vary in length, in the story, help to improve the rhythm. The use of pronouns is encouraged, because it helps prevent repetition by substitution. Pronouns, however, should accurately represent what they replace to avoid confusion. Active voice should be used instead of passive, because it uses fewer words and is more succinct.
Historically, journalistic writing is the art of putting one word after another, so that the reader gets the message. The audience may consist of many different readers, so the writer needs to be clear and concise. The main purpose of a story is to clearly, quickly inform, entertain, or persuade an audience. Short sentences, simple understandable words, and...