Hi Don

FAO plans to release a branding guide later this month re the IYM logo. So what you have prepared could definitely be part of this and your timing is excellent. I expect your detail sells the point and they could develop a short guide on the use of the word/s.

One suggestion is:
  1. You write a few dot points with examples that FAO could use in the IYM branding guide and then the full document becomes the backup justification and explanation.
  2. Then you could share this and I can send it on to FAO with an introduction to you as the author that they can follow up with directly if they wish.
Or you might like a different approach....
Cheers
Joanna
From: Don Osborn <donosborn@protonmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 6, 2022 10:46 AM
To: Joanna Kane-Potaka <joanna.kanepotaka@outlook.com>
Cc: collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Subject: Re: [Collab] Articles that mix "millet" & "millets" to the point of confusion
 
Thanks, Joanna. 

I'm thinking that a good place to make that style recommendation would be in a guide for press. Am not aware offhand of press guides for international years, but I believe that on launch of a year, there are usually descriptive materials.

In the case of International Year of Millets, the subject is a bit complicated, being a group of cereal (& forage) plants that few know all of, and many know little to nothing about. So, some sort of explainer that includes the plural issue would be helpful.

Are you aware of anything FAO is planning to publish about IYM or about millets during IYM? One assumes there will be various books and compilations. (And probably many more than there were for IY Quinoa https://www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/publications/en/ )

I have suggested that NAMA produce a press guide for this region (with specifics relevant to the contexts here), and it would be ideal to build on and complement whatever FAO might produce.

The examples in the ppt I shared are mainly to show what kind of problems there can be when terms aren't clear or consistent. And that to underscore the need for attention to usage of plural vs singular by writers & editors.

Don



------- Original Message -------
On Friday, August 5th, 2022 at 6:22 PM, Joanna Kane-Potaka <joanna.kanepotaka@outlook.com> wrote:

Hi Don

I fully agree with your analysis and recommendation that "millets" need to be the default usage when talking about all the millets in general, and "millet" used when referring to one of the millets.

Regards
Joanna
From: Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Don Osborn via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Sent: Saturday, August 6, 2022 3:45 AM
To: collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Subject: [Collab] Articles that mix "millet" & "millets" to the point of confusion
 
One of several things I've been thinking about is a kind of press package about the International Year of Millets. There are several considerations in preparing press packages, but one theme I think will be useful for any guidelines for journalists writing in English will be encouragement to use the plural "millets" when referring to the generic category, and not the singular form "millet." The latter form may of course be appropriate when referring to specific crops / foods, so clarity on what one is writing about, and how it might be (mis)read is central.

In support of this process, I began a couple of months ago to put together some "data" on articles which infortuitously mix the plural and singular forms in ways that can't but be confusing to general readership.

A first attempt at presenting the latter, with comments, is in the form  of a PowerPoint presentation, which is attached, in ppt & pdf formats.

Your feedback will be helpful and appreciated.

Thank you in advance, and best to all,

DO, EL, MI, US