Meaning of Journalese | Babel Free

Definitions

A style of writing used in some newspapers and magazines, characterized by cliché, hyperbolic language, use of some vocabulary items that are mostly confined to this genre, and clipped syntax.

countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“We write journalese out of habit, sometimes from misguided training, and to sound urgent, authoritative and, well, journalistic. But it doesn't do any of that.”

“The veteran newspaper columnist, Keith Waterhouse, identifies two versions of this journalese. The first is officialese. It can be found everywhere […] The second version, which he calls tabloidese, is characterised by bolted-together monosyllables and sensationalism. Both types of journalese have this in common: people don't speak like that.”

CEFR level