Good writing is important to journalists, but it is especially important to BBC writers. Along with our commitment to accuracy, impartiality and fairness, it is part of our contract with the license fee payer. A listener, Dr D.S. King, wrote from Essex:
The BBC is listened to throughout the world and should be a beacon of correct English.
Listeners and viewers look to the BBC to maintain high standards.
It is a responsibility that should be welcomed by a public service broadcaster, and it is a role the BBC has acknowledged since its creation.
There is a good reason for this. Well written English is easier to understand than poorly written English.
It is our job to communicate clearly and effectively, to be understood without difficulty, and to offer viewers and listeners an intelligent use of language which they can enjoy. Good writing is not a luxury; it is an obligation.
Our use, or perceived misuse, of English produces a greater response from our audiences than anything else. It is in nobody’s interest to confuse, annoy, dismay, alienate or exasperate them.
