universe, it is gravitation that keeps the cosmos in equilibrium. This paragraph is obviously too difficult for an adult with  a  12-year-old  reading  level.  Yet  the  adult  mind could   grasp   the   idea   involved   if   we   translate   the paragraph into simple English such as follows: All bodies attract each other. This is true no matter how small or far apart they may be. The heavier two objects are, the more they pull on each other. The farther apart they are, the weaker this  force  becomes.  In  measuring  the pull,  distance  is  particularly  important, for if you double the distance, the force is   cut   to   one-fourth   of   its   former strength.   This   force   is   called gravitation.  Because  of  it,  the  earth, sun,  moon  and  stars  all  pull  against each  other.  The  forces  balance,  and everything stays in its proper place. Almost any idea, no matter how complicated, can be expressed in simple language. As a Navy journalist, you may have to explain some fairly technical ideas to readers who are not familiar with military life. You will have to do it in language they will understand. It is up to  you  to  do  the  work  of  simplification,   not  your readers.  If they find your writing is over their heads, they will skip your piece and goon to something that is easier to read. If this happens, you are not doing your job. Also  remember  —  the  story  you  write  for  the general news media will probably be read by someone with a Ph.D. How do you satisfy both? A good writer can present the information so that the less educated can understand  and  so  that  the  more  intelligent  will  not become bored. THE ABCs OF JOURNALISM Some  principles  of  newswriting  you  must  apply every time you attempt to put words on paper include accuracy,  brevity,  clarity,  coherence,  emphasis, objectivity  and  unity. ACCURACY If a writer has to pick one principle that should never be violated, this should be the one. To fall down in this area is to discredit your entire writing effort. As a JO, you will be working with facts. These facts will involve persons,  places  and  things.  They  will  involve  names, ages, titles, rank or ratings, addresses and descriptions. You  will  work  with  facts  that  are  both  familiar  and unfamiliar  to  you. You cannot afford to be casual in your approach to facts. Your readers will often judge the Navy on what you say and how you say it. An easy way to lose the public’s respect and cofidence is by being careless in your  handling  of  facts.  When  you  send  a  story  to  a newspaper, the editor depends on you for accuracy in every  fact. The  Navy  news  release  heading  that  appears  on every  story  you  distribute  means  the  information  it contains is reliable and has been approved officially by the Navy. A mistake in a news story implies that the Navy  is  careless  and  undependable.  Datelines  tell  when and where the story is written and should appear on all stories written for release. In the text of the story, when and where may refer to the dateline. Attribution  relates to accuracy. It means that you name the person who makes any statement that may be challenged. Good quotations liven a story, give it color and aid in development of coherence. Attribution also ensures that the reader does not get the impression the statement  is  the  writer’s  personal  opinion.  However, attribution  should  never  be  used  in  a  story  merely  to flatter a person by publicizing his or her name. BREVITY The question is often asked, “Should I be brief in my writing or complete?” By all means, be brief, but not at the expense of completeness. The key is to boil down your writing and eliminate garbage. A compact piece of writing is frequently much stronger than a lengthy story. An  example  is  Lincoln’s  Gettysburg  Address.  This speech has outlived a flock of long harangues by later statesmen.  One  of  the  reasons  for  its  survival  is  its brevity. CLARITY Nothing   is   more   discouraging   than   reading   an article and then realizing that you do not know what you read. A similar frustration arises when you are trying to follow directions on assembling a toy, particularly when the  instructions  read,  “...even  a  5-year-old  can  assemble this toy,” and you cannot do it, because the directions read  as  if  they  were  written  in  a  foreign  language. Assume that if there is any chance of misunderstanding, readers  will  misunderstand.  Reread  what  you  have written  looking  for  points  that  could  lead  to  readers’ misunderstanding. 2-7