Web Writing Basics: Just the Facts

Many issues arise in writing “text,” i.e., non-broadcast copy, that may not come up when you’re writing for the radio.

First, it endures: Google will continue to refer people to your post long after you’ve forgotten writing it.

Second, it’s a magnet: It’s a version of the story that, unlike your ephemeral broadcast stories, our audience can pore over and comment upon.

The upshot is: It needs to be right.

Some basic resources:
•The Associated Press Stylebook (Twitter: @APStylebook)
•KQED Online Style Guide
•Webster’s New World Dictionary
•NPR’s “Sound Reporting”
•Gudde’s “California Place Names”
•The World Wide Web
•Google calculator

Most important points:
•Make sure that every personal name you use in a story is spelled correctly. Double-check or triple-check if necessary. (No one can remember them all).
•Make sure that every place name is correctly spelled. (No one can remember them all.)
•Using dates in your story? Make sure they’re right.
•Make sure your links are correct and specific. For instance, if we’re referencing a specific report from the city and county of San Francisco, don’t use a link that only goes to the sfgov.org website.
•Study the numbers. Do they make sense?