FROM THE SENIOR ADViSOR
"From The Senior Advisor" is a periodic column authored by RDML Craig Quigley, USN (Ret). This column presents information pertinent to the MPACOMVC mission, which is to provide public affairs and communication support among MOAA affiliates across all media platforms.
From the MPACOMVC Senior Advisor
The Power of Quality Writing
July 2026
I have noticed a disturbing trend lately as I read print articles from various publications. These publications range from major daily newspapers to magazines and everything in between. The quality of writing is declining.
In most cases, the writer has managed to convey their point, but the errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization and often missing words are becoming more numerous. I believe it’s fair to point the finger squarely at our ever-growing use of texting as our primary method of written communication. We love emojis, short hand and brevity in our texts and maybe that’s OK. But then turning around and creating a written product that is intended for reading by hundreds or thousands of people calls for a higher standard of quality.
Maybe I’m showing my age here (73), but I think those details matter, and they say a lot about the writer. A quality point paper, editorial, resume – particularly a resume! – stands up to the closest scrutiny and passes the test. A sharp-eyed reader who sees writing errors can have any of several different reactions. Does the writer not care about quality? Does the writer not even recognize the errors they’ve made? If the writer is this sloppy in their resume, how will they perform if I hire them? On the other hand, a quality piece of writing not only most accurately conveys the subject that the writer intended, but it leaves a positive impression of attention to detail and professionalism that reflects very well on the writer - and the organization to which they belong. There are many online tools that can help you check your work; take the time to proofread what you write. Ask someone else to read it and check it for errors. You’ll be glad that you did.
Which impression do you want to convey to your readers?
Stay tuned; future columns will offer Council and Chapter leaders some tips on quality writing in different formats – newsletters, web sites, magazine articles, press releases, etc. Each format calls for a slightly different writing style in order to be effective, and we’ll discuss each in turn.
I have noticed a disturbing trend lately as I read print articles from various publications. These publications range from major daily newspapers to magazines and everything in between. The quality of writing is declining.
In most cases, the writer has managed to convey their point, but the errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization and often missing words are becoming more numerous. I believe it’s fair to point the finger squarely at our ever-growing use of texting as our primary method of written communication. We love emojis, short hand and brevity in our texts and maybe that’s OK. But then turning around and creating a written product that is intended for reading by hundreds or thousands of people calls for a higher standard of quality.
Maybe I’m showing my age here (73), but I think those details matter, and they say a lot about the writer. A quality point paper, editorial, resume – particularly a resume! – stands up to the closest scrutiny and passes the test. A sharp-eyed reader who sees writing errors can have any of several different reactions. Does the writer not care about quality? Does the writer not even recognize the errors they’ve made? If the writer is this sloppy in their resume, how will they perform if I hire them? On the other hand, a quality piece of writing not only most accurately conveys the subject that the writer intended, but it leaves a positive impression of attention to detail and professionalism that reflects very well on the writer - and the organization to which they belong. There are many online tools that can help you check your work; take the time to proofread what you write. Ask someone else to read it and check it for errors. You’ll be glad that you did.
Which impression do you want to convey to your readers?
Stay tuned; future columns will offer Council and Chapter leaders some tips on quality writing in different formats – newsletters, web sites, magazine articles, press releases, etc. Each format calls for a slightly different writing style in order to be effective, and we’ll discuss each in turn.
The Power of Imagery in Telling Your Story
April 2026
We’ve all heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and the phrase stays popular because it’s true! Whether it’s still photography, video or even an artist’s sketch, imagery is a powerful tool in helping you tell your story.
If you look at any major newspaper from the early 1900’s, there are veryfew images used. These newspapers were almost exclusively text, with only anoccasional image or sketch used. Indeed, the ads included in the paper used more imagery than the news stories themselves! But as we moved further intothe 20th century, photographs, charts of all kinds and other forms of imagerybecame more and more prevalent in daily newspapers across the world. ThinkUSA Today! Fast forward to 2026 and it’s inconceivable to think of a major newsstory in any medium without heavy use of imagery. TV exists at all because of imagery. Any web-based news outlet uses imagery extensively. But why is this so powerful?
Because imagery “takes you there.” Just try describing a house fire onlocal TV news without the use of video. A car show? Can’t do it. Explaininghow an internal combustion engine works? Nope. You get the idea. Knowing this, how can imagery help you tell the story of the good works done by yourChapter? You will want the community to know about your help to veterans,about your support of military families, about any sort of community service that your Chapter takes on. By all means you need the printed word to be a centerpiece of your efforts, but adding photos or video to the text helps convey the impact of what you’ve just done. Imagery adds a human touch to everything and amplifies the impact of your Chapter’s efforts.
Pulitzer-level photography or video skills aren’t necessary; today’s smart phones are of sufficient quality to provide superb still images and “good enough” video to support your web site and perhaps local news outlets. You impact those pictured in the imagery, Chapter members who can take pride in their Chapter’s good works, and community leaders who appreciate what you’ve done for their fellow citizens.
So the next time your Chapter does something noteworthy, make sure somebody is grabbing their smart phone and capturing imagery to record the event. The impact will be much greater!
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