Intern reporter at the Boston Globe. Florida International University Alumna.
There's a word I run into frequently when I edit at Caplin News that I almost always take out: Educate. "Adults who attended the event were educated on how to plant trees." How does this sound to you? To me, it sounds condescending. It implies that there was a superior group and an inferior group; those who do the educating and those who were educated. What if I'm a reader who doesn't know how to plant trees? How would reading this make me feel? I'd feel insulted by the reporter and the outlet. I don't need to be patronized. One of the things I learned in my internship at the Miami Herald is to put the audience first. One of the last things I want to do is insult readers. So, what do I do as an editor? I opt for "teach" and "learn." "Event organizers taught participants how to plant trees" or "people who attended the event learned how to plant trees." Hear the difference? While "educate" might've been factually correct because it was, technically, an educational activity, writers have to be mindful of tone as well. Word choice goes a long way. What do you think? Do you agree? Or am I being picky?
