Plain English Campaign

Description

Plain English Campaign is an independent group that promotes the use of plain English and campaigns against gobbledygook, jargon and misleading public information. It officially began in 1979, after its founder publicly shredded hundreds of official documents in Parliament Square, and its commercial services draw on research and principles developed since the mid-1970s. The Campaign offers editing and training services to help organisations communicate with their intended audiences as clearly as possible, and has worked with thousands of organisations to improve the clarity of their information. In 1990 it launched the Crystal Mark, a seal of approval for the clarity of printed and online documents, now appearing on tens of thousands of documents. It also offers corporate membership and accreditation services, including the Internet Crystal Mark for websites and the "Approved by" accreditation for magazines and newsletters. The Campaign states that everyone should have access to clear and concise information, and has published a position on artificial intelligence in writing and editing, describing AI as best used as a "virtual assistant" kept under human oversight, and warning that overdependence on it can erode the scrutiny that skilled human editors provide.

Currently active

Yes

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

1979

Contact details

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