WRITING STYLE

Here's a comment from a reader, Sandra, on the Guardian's writing style.

"Can someone at the Guardian Newspaper explain why so many of the introductions of its stories start off with an assertion/opinion by the interviewees or hosts of news conferences?

"In the Sunday 4th Guardian (Peter Balroop) introduces his story this way:

"The Government intends to victimise cane farmers in T&T by not making any moves to access $360 million that the European Union (EU) is offering them to cushion the winding down of the sugar industry here.
This is the only conclusion the Opposition UNC-A says it can arrive at in the wake of a stunning response by Agriculture Minister Arnold Piggott to a question raised on the issue at Friday’s sitting of the Lower House.

"Then the lead story written by another reporter (Shaliza Hassanali), is introduced this way:

"University of T&T (UTT) is broke. This is how president of University of T&T (UTT) Prof Ken Julien describes the country’s newest learning institution established by the State.

"And there is another same: By Yvonne Baboolal

"It will cost approximately $140 million to make the two-acre farms allotted to 7,800 former Caroni workers viable for crop cultivation.
"“And that’s not counting the cost of irrigation,” a Ministry of Agriculture employee disclosed.

"And yet another: By Shaliza Hassanali

"If a severe earthquake or hurricane hits Tobago, the towering walls built around the periphery of the new Scarborough Regional Hospital will collapse. That’s the word from executive chairman of NH International Caribbean Ltd (NHIC) Emile Elias,...

"Now these reporters would not know they all had the same approach to their story, so are the editors sleeping on the job? Stupes!

"And Shaliza while it is not clear if one of your stories were written a day apart and did not make it into the papers for lack of space, you may still want to take note that two of your stories were tackled the same way.

"However the editors must take full responsibility for these consistencies that could very well make your reading audience dwindle further. After all this kind of insipid writing style does make uninteresting reading.

"Unless the bottomline thinkers in your organisation believes those jejune type articles keeps a much needed audience and yes the dollars and cents that keep flowing in, keeping mediocrity alive and well in your well established organisation.

"Now you guys are not alone in this but I find the case of the Guardian Newspaper to be worthy of note because that's the stuff you fed your audience over the last couple of days."