If you haven’t had a chance to catch up with Ethos CRS October webinar on clear writing, with Kate Wall, Chas Savage, Dr Amanda Laugesen and Chris Hammer, here are 10 key takeaways:

1. The point of writing clearly is to have people focus on the content and not on the language. 

2. Style is all about writing with power and clarity.

3. Clear writing is not about constraining language, but writing more effectively and with more power.

4. Using clear, simple English doesn’t mean you can’t talk about sophisticated ideas.

5. The online environment is exposing us to greater diversity in language. 

6. Even though our attention spans are changing due to the digital environment, our love of complexity has not changed. The question now is how to communicate complex ideas.

7. The new digital edition of the Australian Government Style Manual recognises the rich diversity within the community and the corresponding shift in language use.

8. Using clear, simple English doesn’t mean you can’t talk about sophisticated ideas.

9. Clear writing is a tool that helps organisations make good decisions, at the right time, that result in value. 

10. To be accessible is a very important feature of government writing which should not just be for the elite and well educated.