menu szukaj
Weekly Online Magazine
ISSN 2544-5839

new articles each monday
zamknij
Work In Media

1.10.2018 Skills and knowledge

Readability: Tools for Journalists to Enhance Text Clarity

Bartłomiej Dwornik

Even the most substantive content must be presented in an accessible and visually appealing way. First, so the reader can understand it. Second, to be easy on the eyes. In both cases, machines can help. Here are some tools for measuring text readability that every journalist might find useful.

Poczytaj artykuł wydanie polskie w wydaniu polskim

Readability: Tools for Journalists to Enhance Text Clarity

Cleverbot can mimic human conversation. Algorithms can create coherent sports match reports or stock exchange summaries. In early 2016, a computer even wrote a novel and nearly won a literary contest in Japan. Machines are stepping into fields once thought exclusive to humans.

Will they one day replace us in journalism? Let’s hope not. For now, humans have the advantage of imagination and abstract thought, something machines - hopefully - still lack. But they can help humans frame their thoughts in a clear and readable way, as machines can measure and apply readability principles to enhance text coherence and appeal.

In daily journalistic work, we often overlook these readability principles. Yet they are worth applying for several reasons. Content created according to readability rules:

  • is easier for readers to digest,
  • does not strain the eyes,
  • is rated higher by Google’s algorithms and better positioned in search results.

Readability principles include typographic aspects, such as font choice and size, line and paragraph spacing, and color contrast. There are also more content-based principles, which we will focus on here.

SELF PROMOTION. Got a minute? Find out our #59sec REPORT on Youtube

Readability Principles


To make the text user-friendly and easy to understand, keep the following in mind:

  • Use paragraphs and subheadings
    Unformatted text, or a "wall of text," strains the eyes and subconsciously deters readers. Split the content into paragraphs, ideally 4-5 lines each. Use clearly marked subheadings to separate thematic sections.
  • Use bolding and lists
    Statistical data and enumerations are easier to absorb when presented in an organized format, so it’s useful to employ lists in these cases. Additionally, lists make the text more visually appealing. Bold important points to draw readers’ attention. This makes them easier to spot and remember.
  • Avoid overly long sentences
    One readability rule suggests that sentences should not exceed 20 words. Longer sentences can make the text harder to understand, so it’s best to avoid them when possible.
  • Avoid complex words and meanings
    Simply put, the simpler, the better. Of course, within reason, as not all topics can be presented in elementary language.

The last point may seem challenging. How do you gauge when a text is too complex or still accessible? This is where machines can help.

Tools Supporting Readability


Several helpful programs evaluate text complexity. They use algorithms that measure the FOG Index. It’s rated on a scale of 1 to 18+, representing the years of education needed to understand the text. For journalistic texts, a recommended score is around 10.

  • 1-6 is understandable for primary school students,
  • 7-9 is suitable for middle school students,
  • 10-12 is understandable for high school students,
  • 13-17 is suitable for college students,
  • 18 and above is understandable for those with higher education.

Another readability measure is the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES). This index ranges from 100 to 0, with lower scores indicating greater complexity. Journalistic text should aim for around 70 points.

  • 90-100 is suitable for primary school students,
  • 70-90 is suitable for middle school students,
  • 60-70 is suitable for high school students,
  • 30-60 is suitable for college students,
  • 0-30 is suitable for those with higher education.

Both the FOG Index and FRES were initially developed for English, but several tools adapted for Polish can be recommended.

Logios.pl

This app, created by the University of Wrocław’s Plain Polish Lab, uses the FOG-PL index, tailored to the specifics of Polish.

Readability and Text Clarity. Logios.plsource: Logios.pl

Jasnopis.pl


A comprehensive, though still prototypical tool, developed by SWPS University experts. Jasnopis analyzes text complexity using both the FOG Index and a Polish-specific Pisarka index. It provides statistics and suggests improvements.

Readability and Text Clarity. Jasnopis.plsource: Jasnopis.pl

YoastSEO


A WordPress plugin that’s worth installing even if you don’t use CMS otherwise. Developed by Yoast BV, it checks readability according to various parameters and suggests adjustments. While not perfect, it also supports Polish.

Readability and Text Clarity. YoastSEOsource: WordPress/YoastSEO

For English texts, try other tools:

  • Readability Test Tool (webpagefx.com)
  • Hemingway Editor (hemingwayapp.com)
  • Typely (editor.typely.com)
  • Gunning Fox Index (gunning-fog-index.com)

These applications make it easier to create user-friendly, readable content. They also facilitate SEO, as Google’s algorithms favor readable content. Pages with such content, as long as they’re SEO-optimized, will rank higher in search results.

For more on web content creation, SEO, and content marketing, I cover these topics in my trainings. Join us for workshops. If you know other valuable readability tools, share them in the comments!

Share the article:

dodaj na Facebook prześlij przez Messenger dodaj na Twitter dodaj na LinkedIn

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Work In Media

New articles in section Skills and knowledge

Chronemics, or The Language of Time. What Your Watch Says About You

Bartłomiej Dwornik
You walk in on time, glance at your watch, wait five minutes, then leave. Someone else is thirty minutes late and acts like they had to wait for you. Time in communication is a tool, a weapon, and a status marker. Welcome to the world of chronemics. The study of how time affects human relationships.

Preschoolers Expose Hypocrites. Findings from SWPS University

ekr/ bar/
Even preschool children are able to recognize hypocrites, whom they rate worse than other people who break the rules, researchers from SWPS University in Poland demonstrate. Caregivers should therefore pay attention to whether their actions are consistent with their declarations, because children are careful observers of moral integrity.

It's Easier to Lie and Swear in Foreign Language. Here is Scientific Proof

Ewelina Krajczyńska-Wujec
A decision made based on data presented in a learned foreign language may be different than if you made it based on data in your native language. Language changes the intensity of felt emotions, and it affects the ability to analyse problems and choose solutions, according to research by Rafał Muda, PhD.


See articles on a similar topic:

Sarcasm in Communication. A Study by INSEAD Researchers

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Sarcasm can be a valuable tool in interpersonal communication, but its effectiveness depends on the context and the relationship between the sender and the receiver. Researchers at INSEAD have shown that well-utilized sarcasm can be a powerful asset in business language and advertising.

Social Influence of Virtual Avatars. A Study by SWPS University

KF
How confident are we in our judgments, and how well can we defend our own opinions? There’s a good chance that we might change our views under the influence of a group of avatars in virtual reality. Researchers from SWPS University studied human susceptibility to the opinions of others, including virtual characters.

Visual Tricks. How to Influence People with Color, Shape and Composition

Bartłomiej Dwornik
The human brain supposedly processes images up to 60,000 times faster than words. Bright colors catch the eye more - but only under certain conditions. Few people can resist the "Apache Method," and a bearded man sells better. Here are some tricks for graphical-optical mind hacking.

Traditional Media Still Plays a Key Role in PR

Flor Calveiro
The latest trend research from Worldcom PR Group EMEA has shown that, despite the growing importance of social media, the position of "traditional" media remains steadfast and continues to play a key role in public relations activities.

More in the section: Skills and knowledge

community

Facebook LinkedIn X Twitter TikTok Instagram Threads Youtube Google News Blue Sky Social RSS

Reporterzy.info - online media studies magazine. The world of communication from the inside. Media, journalism, PR and marketing. Data, reports, analyses, advice. History and market, law, photography, job offers.


Work in media

United States
New York • Washington DC • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Phoenix • Philadelphia United Kingdom
London • Birmingham • Manchester • Liverpool • Glasgow • Edinburgh Canada
Toronto • Ottawa • Montreal • Calgary Australia
Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • canberra Ireland, New Zealand, India

advertisement

Flying Tiger





Reporter shopping

Reporter shopping

Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
for writing
Digital SLR and compact cameras
Digital SLR and compact cameras
for photographers
Books and e-books about media
Books and e-books about media
for reading
Video drones and flying cameras
Video drones and flying cameras
for pilots
Gimbals for stabilizing video
Gimbals for stabilizing video
for those on the move
Software and apps for creative work
Software and apps for creative work
for digital creators
More occasions

follow us 👉 on Youtube
Watch more 👇
#59sec REPORT SHORTS
Read books and e-books

Read books and e-books

Okładka Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Okładka Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Okładka Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Okładka Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Okładka Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Okładka Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
more books and e-books

Reporterzy.info

More about us

Our tools and services

Contact


© Dwornik.pl Bartłomiej Dwornik 2oo1-2o25