An important challenge for medical health reporters is to turn scientific and technical language (jargon) into words that everyone can understand. Few newspaper readers, television viewers or radio listeners will bother to turn to the dictionary to decipher technical terms - they'll just "switch off" to the story and find something more digestible.
We all want our work to be understood, yet far too many reporters sprinkle their stories with language that confuses. Sometimes it is done to impress, but more often it means that the reporter is not sure what it means. There is nothing to be ashamed of in asking sources to explain what they mean in simple everyday language. Don't hesitate to say: "I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand what you meant by that. Can we go over it again to make sure I've got it? " Or,you could repeat your translation back to the source. If you have got it wrong they can put you straight. Some jargon cannot be avoided. A term might have such a specialised meaning or be in such common use that a reporter has no choice but to use it. In that case, the term must be defined.
The reporter’s best friend in these circumstances is a glossary of terms and a medical dictionary. As new terms creep in – H5N1 for Avian Influenza (bird ‘flu), for instance – add them to the list. You might find it useful to go a step further and create your own reference guide, writing down and storing explanations of technical terms that can be inserted into stories whenever needed - a personal glossary that will save you time and effort.
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