re: "Reporting: Less is more"

The Cookie Pusher ("or, the modern malpractice of diplomacy") has some good advice for those writing State Dept. cables.

Money quote(s):

"Reporter, know thy audience.

I was once asked by a JO how to write a cable, and I told him that I thought it was best to write the cable assuming the only thing anyone would read was the subject line, and that this would true for about 90 percent of your audience. So, make the subject line clear and, if possible, memorable or intriguing.

Then, write the first paragraph like that is the only thing anyone will read, which is true for about 8 percent of the audience. By the time they get to “end summary,” they should know what happened, what you think about it, and why. The last 2 percent are actually willing to read the whole cable, but they have a limited attention span, so keep it as short as functionally possible."

It's all about "feeding the beast."

You FS readers know what I'm talking about.

Know what your audience is interested in, anticipate their questions, and answer them before they're ever asked. It's not mind-reading, but at a distance can look a lot like it.