Word Wise: The Wednesday Word Wise Roundup

January 23, 2008

A few years ago I was assigned to rewrite the employee manual for a Fortune 500 company so that it read as if an actual human being wrote it (so actual human beings could understand it) – a 30,000-word task that took months and ended splendidly. So I was especially interested in this article in the Los Angeles Times Jan. 17 about the Tribune Company’s new employee handbook. Recently bought by real estate mogul Sam Zell, who the Times called “blunt and innovative – some might say abrasive,” the Tribune Company’s new handbook’s includes rules like “If you use or abuse alcohol or drugs and fail to perform the duties required by your job acceptably, you are likely to be terminated. … Coming to work drunk is bad judgment” and “If you do not use or abuse alcohol or drugs and fail to perform the duties required by your job acceptably, you are likely to be terminated." It’s down to earth, compelling, and a great example of not writing down to people.

Two new updates from our friends at AP Style (you can subscribe and it’s worth it):

A new entry on the use of the terms heart attack, heart failure and cardiac arrest: “A heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when one or more arteries supplying blood to the heart becomes blocked. Heart failure is a chronic condition that occurs when a weakened heart can no longer effectively pump blood. Cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac arrest, occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. It can be due to a heart attack, a heart rhythm problem, or as a result of electrocution or other trauma.”
An entry has been added on the spelling for noncombat/noncombatant.

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Why "Word Wise"?

When I started to send out a weekly writing tip to my Chicago colleagues at Edelman (the world's largest privately owned PR firm), little did I know how quickly the list of those receiving it would grow. But word spread, as word is wont to do, and for the past three years about 1,500 of my 2,400 colleagues worldwide have been receiving it. The tips, which are about grammar, usage and style, have a dual purpose – to remind my colleagues in public relations of the power of the written word (I’m lucky to work for a company that not only prizes, but expects, expert communications skills), and, more generally, to support and perpetuate clear, concise, creative, honest, lively, stylish, compelling writing everywhere. With “Word Wise,” I hope you’ll challenge me, challenge other readers, make suggestions, argue minutiae, add commentary, exchange ideas, and help all of us become the best writers we can be.