2012 awards http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards.html Sat, 21 Jan 2017 15:20:33 +0000 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb Chrissie Maher award http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/chrissie-maher-award.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/chrissie-maher-award.html
  • Liz Sheppard for "Space for Nature", a wonderfully readable, inspiring and enjoyable piece of work.
  • OCBC have shown a real commitment to communicating with their customers in plain English. Obviously banking and mortgage documentation can be very complicated and OCBC have done a lot to clarify this complex area.
  • NTUC Income – the sheer volume of NTUC’s documents which carry the Crystal Mark shows their amazing commitment to plain English. More than any other Asian company, they are leading the way in proving to their customers they care about clarity
  • Ceefax – for putting years of clear and important information into the homes of millions.
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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:23:15 +0100
Foot in Mouth award http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/foot-in-mouth-award.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/foot-in-mouth-award.html

Mitt Romney

This year’s Foot in Mouth award winner is Mitt Romney, who at one point explained that the biggest threat to the United States was Russia, and who was far from complimentary when asked if he thought London was ready for the 2012 Games.

"There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials – that obviously is not something which is encouraging."

Mitt: perhaps a quick ‘yes’ might’ve worked better for you there?

“47% of Americans,” he went on to suggest, “will vote for Obama no matter what because they are dependent on government…they are victims who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them.”

Romney went on to make the moving proclamation that:
"I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that's the America millions of Americans believe in. That's the America I love."

Romney was, as many couldn’t help point out, a gaffe machine who could scarcely get through 24 hours without volunteering another verbal own goal. He was troubled, at one point, about flying, and by what he saw as a really unnecessary and easily corrected aircraft design issue.

"When you have a fire in an aircraft, there's no place to go, exactly, there's no -- and you can't find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft, because the windows don't open. I don't know why they don't do that. It's a real problem."

A very real problem was Romney’s increasingly implausible candidacy as the next President – not, of course, a problem that the last Republican President allowed to bother him much. Romney even seemed unconvinced himself at one point.

"Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan," he encouraged.

But what of Presidential credentials? Did Romney have those? He challenged Obama directly.

"We have a president, who I think is a nice guy, but he spent too much time at Harvard, perhaps."

Well, Romney holds two degrees from Harvard - but such a hapless contradiction was hardly surprising. But forget all this. The gaffes and the glaring mistakes are alarming, maybe, but what of his political conviction? Surely this is what counts. Well.

"We have a potentially volatile situation but we sort of live with it, and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it."

OK then. Has he got the common touch?

"I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."

Or what of his appreciation of the American landscape?

"I love this state. The trees are the right height."

And on and on and on.

"I went to a number of women's groups and said 'Can you help us find folks?' and they brought us whole binders full of women."

This could all be charming, the lovable eccentricities of a local oddball. But here was the man vying for arguably the biggest job in the world. This level of inane waffle was one of the things that blighted George W Bush’s time in office, but with Bush you got the sense he couldn’t’ve cared less how people took him. Romney seems to mean it. Does he?

"I'm not familiar precisely with what I said, but I'll stand by what I said, whatever it was."

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:56:43 +0100
Golden Bull awards http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/golden-bull-awards.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/golden-bull-awards.html

The Golden Bull trophy The Golden Bull trophy The Golden Bull trophy

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:02:17 +0100
Kick in the pants http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/kick-in-the-pants.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/kick-in-the-pants.html

This award draws attention to companies or organisations who need to communicate in plainer English.

The 2012 winner is The 'coalicious' Coalition Government

For ‘Pastygate’.

This year’s winner of the Plain English Campaign’s ‘Kick in the pants’ award is the Coalition Government, for, in particular, ‘Pastygate’, which, apart from being a terribly judged introduction of a tax on hot food, was pretty baffling stuff. As Labour MP John Mann suggested at the time: ‘It is an extraordinarily complex situation when you are having to check with the Meteorological Office on whether or not to add VAT on pasties in Greggs’.

And it’s perhaps worth remembering that an already great Olympics was improved that bit further when George Osborne was booed relentlessly.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:09:29 +0100
Media awards http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/media-awards.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/media-awards.html

These awards are given to the best television programmes, radio shows and newspapers that people have nominated over the year, at a national and regional level. Our judges consider how well entrants have used plain English, and how successfully and passionately they have fought gobbledygook.

The closing date for entries for the 2013 awards is 29 October 2013. We will contact the winners in November.

Below are the winners for 2012.


The International Media Award: The New York Times

The New York Times cemented its reputation in 2012 as the best newspaper outside the UK, offering a fantastic blend of news and culture, business and sport. It’s an inclusive, entertaining and brilliantly written daily source of news, with clear and effective headlines and stories, and always seems to operate without as much of an agenda as its competitors. It’s a thoroughly deserving recipient of this year’s International Media Award.


Best national newspaper: The Guardian

The Guardian is still the standard bearer for capturing and defending the voice of the marginalised and has continued to do that with the best, clearest and most informative coverage.


Best regional newspaper: Worcester News

With a great layout, good writing style and an overall standard of clear, attractive news stories, The Worcester News is a great little paper and is invaluable to a lot of people in the local community.


Best national radio programme: BBC 6 Music

6Music is still simply far and away the best music radio station around, with broad, contemporary content and presenters, Stuart Maconie and Lauren Laverne in particular, that appeal to and are accessible to all ages.


Best regional radio: BBC Humberside (Betty and Beryl)

The Betty & Beryl show consists of two 80+ ladies offering their own brand of down to earth chat, which might sound gimmicky or insubstantial, but is in fact a wonderfully genuine example of a radio show at a time when media seems more and more polished, pre-prepared, insincere and hollow.


Best national television : The BBC (Olympics coverage)

The BBC tend to get things like this right but their coverage of our home Olympics was fantastic, as everyone saw, and included a great opening ceremony from Danny Boyle.


Best regional television programme: BBC Northern Ireland (Newsline)

There was a potentially troubling change for the show with it moving from two to one presenters but the show actually improved and is clearly the best regional news show.

Best Podcast: Sam Tannenhaus/ Jocelyn Gonzalez

Jocelyn Gonzalez and Sam Tannenhaus are the deserved winners for their New York Times Book Review podcast, which offers an unrivalled, stylish and accessible weekly run-down of book releases.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:13:02 +0100
Osborne memorial award http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/osborne-memorial-award.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/osborne-memorial-award.html

We set up this award to honour the memory of Geoffrey Osborne, a benefactor and great supporter of the Campaign. The award goes to an individual or organisation making a major contribution to the plain English cause.

A plain-speaking man

As a voice of the grassroots, Plain English Campaign could not have asked for a more appropriate contributor than Geoffrey Osborne, a plain-speaking man born to a farming family in Dorset. He had no time for gobbledygook or legalese and when illness forced him into a new career, his love of learning and language led him into teaching.

When further illness prevented him from working altogether he kept his mind alert by reading and writing. For all his learning, Geoff was still a sociable and down-to-earth man who loved the English language.

Living alone, but with many neighbours, he loved to debate the correct use and meaning of words. Along with the diaries he kept were a number of dictionaries which he regularly had re-covered as they became worn with constant use.

The memorial award and the research work benefiting from Geoff’s generosity are a true gift to the people he inspired and enlightened with his teachings and opinions. Like Chrissie Maher, the Campaign’s founder, Geoff believed in communicating with straight speaking and a sense of humour.

Osborne Memorial award 2012

This year’s Osborne Memorial award went posthumously to Christopher Hitchens.

For his apolitical railing against both anti-democratic acts and muddled or purposefully obscure communication, and for braving, for publications such as Vanity Fair and Slate, pretty much every dangerous part of the world in the name of uncovering and articulating various worldwide horrors.

His elegant yet accessible essays and books are a peerless guide to deeply confused and confusing times, and he was a vitally important commentator, shedding light on shadowy figures, regimes and geopolitical issues, and bringing extremely complex matters of enormous importance into the public domain. Mr Hitchens shared a lot of principles with Plain English Campaign, though in particular: a demand for fairness, transparency and clarity; a hatred of mumbo-jumbo and jargon; and a deep desire to uncover those perpetrating terrible injustices and lies.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:16:01 +0100
Pat on the back http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/pat-on-the-back.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/pat-on-the-back.html

This award celebrates efforts to communicate clearly

The 2012 winners are:

Professor Brian Cox

Professor Cox is a clear winner in this category for his infectious and easy to understand explorations of the universe and potentially obscure scientific terminology, and his all-round service to bringing within easy reach universal wonders that might otherwise be considerably more difficult to grasp.

In doing this he follows in the legendary footsteps of his hero, Carl Sagan, who wrote and presented the landmark Cosmos, a groundbreaking television production that a young Cox credits with inspiring his own interest in science and the universe, and ‘making sure, after watching it, there was never any chance I’d be doing anything else.’

Clare Balding

Clare Balding was a faultless commentator throughout the excellent BBC Olympics coverage – by far the most reliable, appealing and least confusing guide to the London 2012 games. Making a no doubt daunting task – leading us through such a varied roster of often potentially baffling sporting events – look easy, Balding thoroughly deserves a Plain English Campaign ‘Pat on the Back’.

David Hills

David Hills, with his superb Observer ‘Said and Done’ column – an unmissable weekly expose of waffle, lies, contradictions and jargon in football – has taken those guilty of the worst excesses of gobbledygook and hypocrisy in the game, particularly those at the highest level, to task for years without due recognition. We change that this year with a long overdue award.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:40:11 +0100
Plain English awards http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/plain-english-awards.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/plain-english-awards.html

These awards are for the clearest documents of the year (on any subject).

We do not allow entries for documents that our own staff have worked on. The closing date for entries for the 2013 awards is 29 October. We will contact the winners in November.

Below are the winners for 2012

Dudley Zoological Gardens for 'ZooNooz'.

This is a bright and lively magazine with wide appeal. The articles are short, well illustrated and written in a friendly but informative style.

This magazine just involves the reader in its enthusiasm for the zoo and its inhabitants. It is an excellent example of how language, tone and design can combine to educate and inform in an entertaining and accessible way.


NHS Derby City and NHS Derbyshire County for the Derbyshire Diabetic Eye Screening Service leaflet.

This small leaflet contains well-written, clear instructions for patients who need screening for diabetic retinopathy. The tone is reassuring and the writers avoid medical jargon. There is also an explanation of the follow-up procedure should this be necessary.

We feel the leaflet deserves an award because the standard of writing for a general audience is high and it is well designed with a clear font and good spacing.


Rowallan House for 'Welcome to Rowallan'.

Initially this may seem an unusual choice for a Plain English Award. It is very busy, includes block capitals and passages of italics and has a lively colour scheme. However we feel it is perfect as an introduction to Rowallan for its intended audience – young people who are moving into this small, family style children’s home.

The main text has been written with help from young people to make sure that everyone can understand it and this is reflected in the content. There are also contributions from current residents with their views of the home.


The Scottish Government, Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Division for 'Getting it right for children and families'.

This document explains in clear, unambiguous language how the Scottish Government is making the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child a reality in Scotland.

Under clear headings it explains the work being done and the support being given to ensure all children and young people in Scotland have their rights and views respected.

It explains all this without jargon or government-speak, making sure all parents and those who work with children understand the importance of the skills, knowledge and values (the core skills) they need to support the wellbeing of the next generation.

They manage to do this without resorting to dense language or impenetrable sentences.

The design is bright and attractive and there is plenty of white space to help the readability. There are one or two design issues we wouldn’t recommend such as reversed-out text, but overall there is much to praise in this document.

We see so much public information that excludes the very people it is written for because of the language used. This document proves that it is possible to get over important ideas and information if the writers take the time to consider who they are writing for.


Liverpool Housing Trust for the 'Supported Tenants Handbook'.

This is a well written, well designed handbook which explains to tenants in supported accommodation what services and support they can expect, and it also clearly lays out what tenants can do to make their tenancy run smoothly.

Each page contains information on just one topic (for example, gas safety checks or antisocial behaviour) so the reader doesn’t feel overwhelmed by information as they turn the pages. And the Trust should be congratulated for producing a document without jargon or management speak.


Age UK for five booklets:

  • Staying steady
  • Healthy living
  • Advice for carers
  • Caring for your eyes
  • More money in your pocket

Each booklet is well written, clearly presented, attractive and informative. They address the reader directly and the information is easy to understand. They have good contents pages and the page and section headings are clear. The list of useful organisations at the back of each booklet is arranged in alphabetical order and is an excellent guide to further sources of information.

The language is reassuring because the tone is upbeat. The writers give the impression they are speaking directly to the reader, whether a carer or an older person, and the emphasis is on maintaining and improving health where possible.

Overall we feel these booklets are ideal for Age UK’s target audience. They provide important information and guidance in a tone and style that is neither formal nor patronizing, but which provides help and information in a friendly but informative tone.


Tower Hamlets Homes for:

  • Looking after your new kitchen and bathroom
  • Review of the year
  • Open Door

These are excellent publications which contain important information written in a very accessible style. The review is well written and designed and residents were involved in its production. The guide to kitchens and bathrooms has excellent photographs to supplement the written text, and Open Door is a lively publication for residents that is well written and interesting.

All three publications show a commitment to producing publications for residents that are well written and informative.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:42:14 +0100
Plain English communicators http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/plain-english-communicators.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/plain-english-communicators.html

For clear spoken public communications from an individual or organisation.

The 2012 plain English communicators are:

Arts

Mariella Frostrup (The Book Show, SKY)

For her continuing support and promotion of clear communications.

Mariella Frostrup has, for many years, fronted Sky’s highly successful Book Show. In that time she has remained an intelligent, accessible guide and prompter of interesting, revealing questions on behalf of the reading public, and continues to attract new readers and viewers at a low ebb for book sales.

Business

Richard Quest (Quest Means Business, CNN)

Richard Quest has, for many years now, hosted Quest Means Business on CNN, a show which manages to be a uniquely entertaining and useful guide to the important business stories of the day, brought to the viewer in Quest’s inimitably enthusiastic and engaging manner, making a potentially dry and difficult subject rather more compelling than might have been the case.

Sports

Tony Pulis

Plenty of Premier League managers fail to speak plain English. Many of them speak in tired cliché and skirt – or avoid altogether – potentially controversial matters by waffling inconsequentialities. Tony Pulis, however, is a bit different. He tends to say what he thinks, eloquently and unequivocally. He also demands fair play from his team, and Stoke players under his charge will always mirror his approach.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:43:48 +0100
Website award http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/website-award.html http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/awards/2012-awards/website-award.html

This is an annual award, given to what we consider to be the clearest website of the year.


The 2012 winner is the National Trust for www.nationaltrust.org.uk

The National Trust website is a fine example of an accessible, readable and easily navigable website. It’s user friendly and attractive, with a clearly and cleverly constructed front page which contains well-spaced text and images. The use of colours and fonts is also particularly easy on the eye, and the overall effect is that of a highly professional website that offers a fitting companion to a fine organisation.


Internet Explorer logo
Apple Safari logo
Mozilla Firefox logo

Our judges look for a site that:

  • is written in plain English;
  • is attractive, but not at the expense of clarity;
  • makes it easy for the reader to find their way around; and
  • makes it easy for the reader to get the information they are looking for.

The contest is open to any website except those that Plain English Campaign's editing staff have worked on, or those with our Internet Crystal Mark.

To nominate a site, please e-mail us with the address. You can nominate your own site or somebody else's. The closing date for entries for the 2010 awards is 29 October 2010. We will contact the winners in November.

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admin@plainenglish.co.uk (Barry Soames) 2012 Awards Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:48:23 +0100
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