\nMembers of the public can praise a paragon of clarity or put forward a perplexing paper in the People\u2019s Choice category of the Plain English Awards.<\/p>\n

You can enter documents and websites for two awards:<\/p>\n

\n
• Best Plain English Communication \u2014 for the most outstanding example of a plain English document or webpage nominated by a member of the public<\/li>\n
• Worst \u2018Brainstrain\u2019 Communication \u2014 for a publicly available or widely used document or website that causes problems for many people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  How a Brainstrain award can help<\/h3>\n

  The Brainstrain typically gets a lot of publicity. But even the winners of this category can turn the event into something positive. By shining a spotlight on entries in this category, awards organisers hope the entries will be rewritten in beautifully plain English.<\/p>\n

  <\/a>

  You, the public, call the shots in the People’s Choice awards. Image<\/a> by Jon Tyson<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

  Winners are welcome to blow their own trumpet<\/h3>\n

  The winners of the Best Plain English Communication can share news of their win. They receive a logo to display on the winning publication and their email footer. They\u2019ll also often have people blowing their trumpet for them \u2014 take a look at what stuff.co.nz had to say about last year’s winner, the Wellington City Council<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  Entries come from everywhere<\/h3>\n

  People nominate documents from likely and unlikely places.<\/p>\n

  The Wellington City Council\u2019s newsletter Our Wellington T<\/em>\u014d T<\/em>\u0101tou P<\/em>\u014dneke<\/em> won the \u2018best\u2019 award in 2017. Judges said vibrant design and friendly language made the document appealing. \u2018Successfully combines drier council initiatives with more exciting information on events.\u2019<\/p>\n

  In 2016, a paper from researchers NZIER with the forbidding title ISDS and Sovereignty<\/em> won. It succinctly explained a key point of contention in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It was \u2018a breath of fresh air to readers used to struggling through lengthy, jargon-filled advisory documents,\u2019 said the judges.<\/p>\n

  KiwiSaver documents have won both the \u2018Best\u2019 and ‘Brainstrain’ awards.<\/p>\n

  How you can enter<\/h3>\n

  You have until 3 September to enter a website or document. You need to submit an electronic copy of the entry \u2014 so if you\u2019re entering a printed document, you\u2019ll need to scan it.<\/p>\n

  Entries must:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • be whole documents or webpages, not extracts<\/li>\n
  • be in current use for business purposes<\/li>\n
  • be owned by an organisation that operates in New Zealand<\/li>\n
  • not be owned by the organisation you work for<\/li>\n
  • not be a book, or an extract from a book.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Your identity will not be revealed to the organisations you nominate, or to the judges.<\/p>\n

    Enter the People’s Choice \u2014 Best Plain English Communication<\/a><\/p>\n

    Enter the People’s Choice \u2014 Worst ‘Brainstrain’ Communication<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Members of the public can praise a paragon of clarity or put forward a perplexing paper in the People\u2019s Choice category of the Plain English Awards. You can enter documents and websites for two awards: Best Plain English Communication \u2014 for the most outstanding example of a plain English document or webpage nominated by a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[45,55],"tags":[47,24,20,25],"yoast_head":"\n