Words and Phrases that Generally Should Not Appear
in Your News Stories and Newscasts
A comprehensive guide to eliminate clichés, redundancies, and journalese from your writing. This resource helps journalists write more clearly and professionally.
400+ Phrases to Avoid
Why This Matters
Strong journalism requires clear, direct writing. This guide identifies common phrases that weaken your stories – from tired clichés to redundant expressions to insider jargon that only journalists use.
The Worst Offenders
These phrases should NEVER appear in your news stories:
- Amid – Never. Always a sign of laziness. The worst: “The news comes amid reports that…” Who uses that construction in real life? Terrible writing.
- Time will tell – One of the worst examples of journalese and lazy writing. You should never use this phrase.
- Take a listen – Never. “Take a look” is acceptable, as is “take a drink,” “listen,” but “take a listen” is something only news anchors say.
Common Problems in News Writing
Journalese
Words no one uses in real conversation:
- Blaze – No. Fire.
- Probe – Never. Investigation.
- Slain – used only by reporters; just say “killed” or “murdered”
- Dubbed – just use “called” or “named.”
- Slammed – just say “criticized”
- Czar – dumb. Use the person’s title.
- Envoy – Never. Diplomat or representative; only the UN and reporters use “envoy.” Stop it.
- Pontiff – Never use; always “pope.”
Cop-Speak & Jargon
Phrases only journalists and police use:
- Fled on foot – this is cop-speak. Just say the man ran away. If he fled in a car say he drove away.
- Discharged his weapon – shot; fired his gun
- Exited the vehicle – got out of the car
- Sustained – More journalese; often, cop-speak. Use “suffered.”
- Authorities / Officials –
Redundancies
Examples that say the same thing twice:
- 8 a.m. in the morning – You already said it was “a.m.,” so there’s no need for “in the morning.”
- Armed gunmen – are there any other kind?
- Completely destroyed – if something is destroyed it is completely destroyed, so this is redundant. If it is not destroyed, it is damaged or even heavily damaged.
- Free gift – if it isn’t free, it isn’t a gift.
Clichés
Tired expressions that make you sound unoriginal:
- Big Apple – No. New York City.
- Windy City – No. Chicago.
- Pain at the pump – The gas-price equivalent of “friendly skies.”
- Friendly skies – It’s as clichéd as can be.
- And the rest, as they say, is history – Yes, they do say that. A lot — enough that you shouldn’t say it.
More Issues to Watch For
Overused Adjectives
- Iconic
- Legendary
- Massive
- Stunning
- Shocking
- Unbelievable
- Extraordinary/remarkable – Few newscasts today, especially on the networks, don’t contain one or both of these two words.
Death & Violence
- Fatally injured – killed
- Gunned down – shot
- Drowned to death – No. To drown is to die. Drowned to death is redundant.
Unnecessary Intensifiers
- Heavily-armed SWAT teams – are there any other kind?
- High alert – is there any other kind?
- Intense manhunt – is there any other kind?
Ready to Improve Your Writing?
Browse the complete list of over 400 phrases to avoid, with explanations for why each one weakens your writing.
This guide is designed to help journalists write more clearly and effectively. Good writing connects with readers by being direct, specific, and free of unnecessary jargon.
