MASTHEAD SYMPOSIUM.Editorial pages and the law -- Bridging the gap Our way of words -- for editorial writers and broadcasters -- and that of the legal profession are often at odds. That can be to our readers' or viewers' detriment. Lawyers use words to construct, building cases syllable syllable Segment of speech usually consisting of a vowel with or without accompanying consonant sounds (e.g., a, I, out, too, cap, snap, check). A syllabic consonant, like the final n sound in button and widen, also constitutes a syllable. by syllable. Journalists, on the other hand, use words to demystify de·mys·ti·fy tr.v. de·mys·ti·fied, de·mys·ti·fy·ing, de·mys·ti·fies To make less mysterious; clarify: an autobiography that demystified the career of an eminent physician. , attempting to bring clarity to confusing syntax and understanding to legalese legalese - Dense, pedantic verbiage in a language description, product specification, or interface standard; text that seems designed to obfuscate and requires a language lawyer to parse it. . Those divergent di·ver·gent adj. 1. Drawing apart from a common point; diverging. 2. Departing from convention. 3. Differing from another: a divergent opinion. 4. goals and methods can lead to misunderstanding and a gulf between the journalist's profession and that of the legal community. On the following pages, we talk about ways to bridge the gap. |
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