The most recent issue of Public Relations Tactics, the trade publication of the Public Relations Association of America, contains a bit about writing that I emphatically agree with.
Tactics' "PR blotter" notes that among today's teens, e-mail is as old school as a mullet. Young people today rely almost exclusively on instant messaging, text messaging and alerts on Facebook and MySpace.
These quick and abbreviated communications media may be trendy, but they have a monumental drawback -- they don't force users to communicate in grammatically correct sentences or even in complete, complex thoughts. Instead they're electronic versions of a caveman's grunts and gestures.
The PR Blotter piece correctly points out, though, that while e-mail may be passe among teens, it still rules the workplace. That means that in the professional world, you must be able to communicate effectively with the written word, a skill that young people entering the workforce will have a hard time mastering after spending their teens texting.
So, how do you combat modern society's hi-tech assault on grammatically correct, comprehensive written communication? That's a good question. Maybe it starts with placing the same emphasis on writing in grade school and high school that's now being placed on math and science.
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Norm, The New York Times reported last year that nearly half of entry-level workers today lack writing skills, where only five percent of recent college grads lack computer or technology skills. So we have a new crop of workers who are unable to put their thoughts clearly into written words other than, perhaps, the shorthand of text messaging.
It certainly is a serious problem that needs to be addressed at the grammar school level and onward. In the p.r. industry, we're seeing you people coming in who just don't know how to write.
I had posted about it a while ago and it might be of interest, at http://reichcomm.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/u-nd-2-improve-.html
I agree -- we have a real problem with writing that is being made worse by texting protocol. More emphasis on writing in school is needed, as you said, and also it should be a part of the job interview process when companies are looking to hire. PR firms and PR departments, especially, should make a brief writing test part of the interview process.
I wrote about this a while back at my 2 cents -- http://reichcomm.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/u-nd-2-improve-.html
David,
I agree, particularly about the writing test for applicants at PR and ad agencies, etc. In fact, some outfits are already doing this. Newspapers have tested applicants for years. I repeatedly warn the students in my university writing class that they'll face these exams. In doing so, I hope to impress on them the importance of learning grammar, usage, punctuation and the basics of sound writing.
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