Perhaps it is pedantic but I cannot understand why so many broadsheet newspaper reports are so long as to be boring.When I was reporting many years ago the order was, keep it short. Today, it could be let it ramble.
I have commented before on papers devoting ten or more pages every day to the crisis, most of it written by journalists with little or no knowledge of any of the subjects.They are following, embellishing, statements or reports, admittedly often complicated, by health and statistical experts, plus the inevitable long winded jargon loaded speeches of the politicians.A typical example in yesterday's Times was a story thousands of words long spread across nine columns, two pages, headed TRACING PROMISED BY END OF NEXT WEEK... BUT APP IS HELD, It needs explanation, obviously, but that length?
Today's headlines are much longer and more informative than in my day, and much bolder (often what we would call 'war declared, intended to make you read the full story. Now they tend to tell the story.
Just one simple example; also from the Times.Written and by-lined by the policy editor, no less, it tells us we may be able to have a drink at some pubs with large gardens from July. After a long intro reminding us how we have missed it, he goes on to quote at length George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, that 'it may be possible for them (pubs) to reopen. However, any opening is likely to be heavily restricted and limited at first to large venues with access to outside garden'.
We are then told by the minister,' We are already working with the hospitality industry', adding this gem: 'As the prime minister has outlined, we intend that the hospitality sector, including pubs,would be able tentatively to start gradually opening hopefully during ther month of July - subjecr to the epidemiology supporting such a move'.Another few hundred words is spent telling us the trade welcomes the move. Phew!
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