A Comparison of the Readability of Newspaper Columns Written by National Journalism Award Winners
Minna Rollins, Stephen D. Lewis · Journal of organizational culture, communication and conflict · 2013
ABSTRACTMultiple factors contribute to readability of printed documents. Although font size and style, formatting/layout, and writing style may affect reader comprehension, readability formulas typically use other more measureable factors such as sentence length and number of multi-syllable words to determine reading grade levels needed to understand a document.The purpose of this research was to compare readability of newspaper columns written by National Journalism Award recipients. Specifically, articles by writers who received awards for commentary were compared to articles written by business/economics reporters.Significant differences were found between two groups. Business/economics writers' columns on average were written at about 2.5 grade levels above columns written those who wrote commentaries. Readability grade levels ranged from 3.9 to 13.8 for commentary writers; for business/economics writers range was 5.6 to 14.4.INTRODUCTIONCommunication technology improvements introduced in recent years have opened up media outlets to global audiences. Individuals in countries around globe have Internet access to news media throughout world, including U.S. Thus, readership for a U.S. newspaper may extend well beyond country's borders. With likely increase in online newspaper readership, factors previously considered in measuring readability in print newspapers may not be sufficient (TxReadability, n.d.). The New York Times and Microsoft Corporation collaborated on a program to aid individuals in reading newspaper online and with mobile devices (Microsoft News Center, 2006). Called Times Reader, it . . provides increased functionality of Web, including continuous updates, multimedia and hyperlinks (p. 1).In addition to technology advancements, inexpensive and efficient transportation systems have made global travel affordable. Further, flexible immigration rules make U.S. one of most diversely populated countries in world. Ponder, too, that the concept of readability also is becoming an important aspect to consider in Web accessibility for individuals with disabilities (p. 1). When all of these factors are considered, one can readily see that literacy and reading abilities vary tremendously throughout populous.Do U.S. newspaper columnists consider diversity of their readership when composing their columns? Do they account for reading capabilities of their potential audience, including readers whose second language is English? Evidence exists that suggests that writers in other areas may not always be cognizant of their readers' competencies. One research study showed that 88% of privacy policy statements issued by banks were written at twelfth-grade level or higher (Lewis, Colvard, & Adams, 2008). Another study analyzed printed descriptions for museum exhibits. Of 20 international museums listed, most of which were located in U.S., only one had exhibit descriptions written below grade level 12; and this despite fact that surveys show that half adult population reads below 9th-level (Plain Language at Work Newsletter, May 11, 201 1).This study examined readability of newspaper columns written by winners of national journalism awards.READABILITY EXPLAINEDWikipedia defines readability as . .the ease in which text can be read and understood (Readability [1], n.d.). Multiple readability formulas have been developed to aid writers in developing documents that meet needs of their readers. Most formulas produce numbers that show grade level at which one would have to read to comprehend material. Factors used to determine readability include sentence length and syllabic intensity, with reading difficulty positively correlated with longer sentences and multi-syllable words. Other items, such as writing style, layout, font size and style, also affect readability; however, impact of these items is difficult if even possible to measure. …