Words matter - choose them carefully

Teaching journalism has unique challenges that aren't always obvious

A couple of years ago the good and talented folks at the Pew Research Center asked if I would participate in a "Survey of Journalists" that included everything from my shoe size to my IQ.

In my case, fortunately, those two numbers are the same, so I had to submit only one answer.

"Your participation is very important to make sure that your voice is heard."

Actually, Pew folks, that sentence would have had more punch if you eliminated the word "very."

It has long been my opinion that "very" is one of those weasel words we use to make our argument sound even more significant than it is. Kind of like an exclamation point, actually.

And, as I've said many times before, if your words don't exclaim something all by themselves, no amount of punctuation can save you.

Let's suppose you're in an airplane, about to make your first jump with a bunch of skydivers and the instructor says "This is important, so listen closely."

Would you listen any more closely if you were told "This is very important, so listen very closely."

I doubt it.