…as previously posted here. Along the way, I’ll post some tidbits about its milieu, the world of television production.

The first thing word people forget about TV is how word-dependent TV really is. No scripted program works without a decent script. And that includes the news. Evidence: The official BBC Style Guide. In 92 brisk pages, it gently instructs how to write copy with the authoritative yet understandable BBC house style:

“It is our job to communicate clearly and effectively, to be understood without difficulty, and to offer viewers and listeners an intelligent use of language which they can enjoy. Good writing is not a luxury; it is an obligation. Our use, or perceived misuse, of English produces a greater response from our audiences than anything else.

“It is in nobody’s interest to confuse, annoy, dismay, alienate or exasperate them.”