Showing off your vocabulary in articles...yay or nay?

The TV equivalent...

I wrote a script about a bridge collapse. It led to this uncomfortable exchange with my anchor:

Anchor: "What's this word?"
Me: "Girder."
Anchor: "Do you really think our viewers know what a 'girder' is?"
Me: "Yes, Sally, I think just about everyone knows what a girder is."

 

Well, I guess it all determines on what you're actually writing on.

For example, what caused me to create this thread was after viewing an article on a high school feature. To me, using that kind of language in a HS gamer/feature--when the large majority of your readers are the kids themselves--doesn't make sense.

I don't think there are too many high school kids who could define "ostensibly", let alone spell it out.

 

Why assume HS features are written solely (or even primarily) for HS kids?

 

Prove what?

 

No.
A writer should have a sizeable vocabulary.
Word choice is everything in the game.
Pick the right ones.

 

When did I say solely or primarily? But in my honest belief, I think the majority of readers are high school kids.

The High School I attended happened to be very successful in many sports in my state. Many of the teams contended for state titles year in and year out.

What I remember is that a lot of the kids would pass around the papers amongst one another. I don't know if this was unusual, but we even had newspaper stands in the lunch room.

Maybe my experience is unusual, but that's what I expected. My apologies if I'm wrong.

 

I have been in a war with one of our writers on this very issue for the entire time he has been here. I have heard complaints from the community that he is sounding like an ass using big words that nobody understands.
His rationale, "Well, they should get a dictionary and learn them. They should want to better themselves."
I say he's an asshole and alienating readers.

 

What's a girder?

 

An undergarment for Asian ladies.

 

Back when I was an intern, I was told to avoid being too flowery. So I think it's best to be straight forward and don't get too cute. There's exceptions, especially with features. But for the most part, I feel like showing off your vocabulary can weaken your writing by making it seem too all over the place.

 

I cannot let that one pass without a politically incorrect tip of the cap.

 

Yeah, but what's a bridge?