Words matter:
What they mean and how they're used.
Of course, English - like every other language - changes. New words come in, old ones change their meaning; usages change; syntax changes.
Also, our media have opened up more than ever before the many different language registers that were once confined to particular groups. Now everyone - whatever the form of language they use themselves - hears daily formal language, street language, slang, jargon ... probably rap language, US English and so on. And the cross-fertilisation of these registers probably - probably - accelerates the pace of change.
It's easy to persuade yourself that, within all of this, more or less any and every usage is OK. That you don't need to worry about the distinction between 'fewer' and 'less'; or 'expect' and 'anticipate'; or 'scale' and 'enormity'. Or whether 'committee' takes a plural or singular verb. Whether the plural of 'referendum' is 'referendums' (correct) or 'referenda' (hideous).
Wrong.
As a journalist, you're usually aiming to communicate with as many people in your audience as possible. Accurately, clearly, concisely. To do that, your language is as special a form of English as any other and one of its defining features is ... precision.
You want your audience to trust you; to respect the authority that comes from you having checked your facts and chosen exactly the right words to communicate them.
You lose that authority when you misuse (or misspell) a word. When you use slang or jargon that many in your audience don't understand.
If you're at all uncertain, you really should make sure you have a good style guide or journalist's glossary by your side when you write.
You can check how well you can spot some common errors with these quizzes.
