Why you should use the dash (even if AI uses it too)
By Dan Kaufman on May 12, 202500The dash is a crucial punctuation mark, which is why AI uses it – and so should you.
Professional-sounding words such as outcomes, engagement and stakeholder are awful – and here’s why:
By Dan Kaufman on January 14, 2025Business writing is filled with abstract words such as stakeholder and outcomes – so much so, we now take them for granted. The problem is, they’re so vague they don’t paint a specific picture. Here’s what you should do instead:
Five words and phrases you can (usually) delete from your writing
By Dan Kaufman on October 5, 2024Less is often more – especially when it comes to writing. Here are five easy ways you can tighten your copy without losing any meaning:
5 media law issues you ought to know in Australia
By Dan Kaufman on June 25, 2024An editor once told me you’re not a real journalist until you get your first lawsuit. That was 20 years ago and although he was (probably) joking, I perversely liked the sentiment. After all, great journalism is all about keeping the bastards honest – and it’s hard to do that without ruffling feathers. The fact that a defamation suit turns your life to hell was a detail that escaped me in my youth.
These days I’m older, possibly wiser, and certainly more wary. After all …
There are three ways you can use a comma – but only one is recommended
By Dan Kaufman on May 10, 2024Commas should be easy to use – and yet everywhere I look they’re being horribly abused. Sometimes they’re in places they have no business in; other times they’re missing. This plain English guide says everything I wish my school teachers had explained to me:
