Books that are difficult to read win literary prizes. But if you want everyone to read your work, don’t make it longer than it needs to be. Unnecessary words are being cleaned off a counter top. Illustration by News Decoder. Writers love words. But for every...
Journalism seems old school. But the skills needed to be a good journalist are what many companies want for today’s jobs. A hiring director asks a job candidate if she has experience working with people. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced...
So many news stories put people to sleep. To wake readers up, tell them a little story about one person’s experience. A grandfather telling a story to children. (Photo by Blue Cutler/Getty Images Signature) Has this happened to you? A parent or teacher started...
For our 11th birthday we brought together people from across the world, young and old, to explore the power of journalism and education to amplify voices. Video replay of the Decoder Dialogue, “Writing to Be Heard” on 9 June 2026. In an age defined by...
To inform people you need to first get their attention. In journalism that’s the job of “the lead.” But crafting it is difficult. A man gasps reading a newspaper. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels Journalists are obsessed with leads. That was my...