From editing a wedding film to editing a blog post, the value of proficient editing skills cannot be overstated.

In particular, the latter kind of editing is now more than ever indispensable in the corporate world where clear and compelling communication is often the difference between admired professionalism and barely concealed condescension.

Whether you’re drafting marketing proposals, crafting reports, or even communicating with clients and colleagues via email, a strong editing skill means you get to convey your ideas with precision and impact.

So here are 3 tips.

Strong Grammar and Language Skills

You want to focus primarily on honing your grammar and language skills. This way, you’ll know that your business documents are free from language-related errors, for clarity.

How? Invest in grammar resources like style guides, grammar books, or online tools. Then, practice your own writing to reinforce these skills. It’s also a good idea to use online grammar checkers.

The result? Imagine you’re editing a marketing proposal, and you come across a sentence that reads: “Their services is the best in the industry.” The error here is a subject-verb agreement issue. It should be corrected to say, “Their services are the best in the industry,” an error you’ll definitely catch if you’re studious enough about grammar.

Attention to Detail

Paying attention to detail is vital for effective editing because it’s how you ensure that your business materials are free from encompassing errors – and so it means meticulously scrutinizing the document for typos, spelling errors, and inconsistencies in formatting and style.

Consider a business report with inconsistent capitalization in headings – some in title case and some in sentence case. This inconsistency will likely detract from the document’s overall quality.

There are many hacks for this. For example, create a style guide for your business or adhere to a recognized one; this way, you maintain consistency in formatting, punctuation, and writing style.

When proofreading, read the document multiple times, focusing on different elements with each pass. It’s even a good idea to enlist colleagues or fellow editors; this way, fresh eyes can help identify issues you might have missed.

Your Audience and Purpose

Understanding your audience and purpose is more than just fixing errors; it’s about tailoring content to suit their needs and expectations. Often, this means your edits should align with the communication goals of the business.

Suppose you’re editing a user manual for a software product. If the primary audience is non-technical users, you want to avoid jargon and complex technical terms.

Analyze your audience thoroughly to understand things like background, knowledge, and preferences. Then define a document’s purpose clearly, whether it’s to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.

You don’t want to be known as the one who can’t edit at work – enough people have been setback by such a tag that it’s a good idea to continually polish up on your editing skills.

 

Roundup, the famous glyphosate-based herbicide, is among the world’s top weed killers. It became commercially available in 1974 and quickly gained traction due to its high efficacy rate in blocking growth proteins in a variety of plants.

Over the decades, speculations have circulated that Roundup causes major health issues, the most prominent of which is cancer. From third-generation farmers to amateur gardeners at home, Roundup has been a go-to aspect of their plantation efforts.

The Guardian conducted an interview with a Californian man, John Barton, who was a third-generation farmer. Barton had sprayed hundreds of thousands of gallons of Roundup throughout the course of 30 years. He mentioned that there had never really been any regulation (besides the need for hazmat suits) regarding the use of Roundup.

In fact, there was no protection offered during the initial years as Monsanto (Roundup’s producer, later acquired by Bayer) claimed it was perfectly safe. Today, the company is facing thousands of lawsuits, with more pouring in as the months go by.

2016: The Year When It All Began

One major reason why Roundup was considered safe during the initial years was that it inhibits growth proteins in plants through an enzyme pathway not present in humans. Hence, even genetically-modified food crops or GMOs were introduced during the mid-1990s, and Roundup was used in large quantities by farmers across the US and the UK.

It is only in the last two decades that glyphosate’s real face has come to light. Back in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considered Roundup weed killer to be “probably carcinogenic.” Around this time, Monsanto was still claiming that Roundup was perfectly safe for humans.

In 2016, Dewayne Lee Johnson filed a Roundup lawsuit against Monsanto, alleging that the product was responsible for his Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis. Dewayne stated that he did not have a family history of cancer and had been using Roundup as a farmer for decades.

Johnson was particularly afraid that he may have exposed his sons to the disease too (who are also farmers). Given his failing condition, Dewayne’s case was the first-ever Roundup lawsuit to proceed to trial, during which a California jury demanded that Monsanto pay $289 million in damages.

Dewayne’s case reached a settlement in August 2018. Just a year later, a Mutation Research report released by multiple universities found that frequent exposure to high amounts of glyphosate increased the risk of developing cancer, endocrine disruption, and genetic alterations. It was around this time that the seventh edition of the ‘March against Monsanto’ took place in full force across the world but primarily in the US and France.

Since then, study after study has only confirmed that Monsanto (now Bayer) significantly downplayed the dangers of Roundup.

Lawsuits and Settlements Over the Years

After Dewayne’s Roundup trial, several plaintiffs filed a Roundup lawsuit over the years. Two high-profile cases in the Federal Court included a plaintiff who claimed they developed cancer after using Roundup for over three decades. The jury initially awarded the plaintiff $2 billion in damages, but the amount was later considered to be excessive and reduced to $86.7 million.

A similar situation occurred with another plaintiff who was awarded $75 million in punitive damages alone but later received only $20 million. To date, Monsanto and Bayer have settled nearly 100,000 Roundup lawsuit cases, with 30,000 still awaiting settlement or trial as of 2022.

Most cases received a positive verdict from the jury and relevant settlement, but Bayer has had its fair share of victories too. For instance – A child was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma allegedly due to Roundup, but the California Court did not find any such link. The verdict fell in favor of the defendant as no substantial cause for the diagnosis could be proved.

The latest update on the Roundup lawsuit (as of May 2023) is that nearly 4000 cases are pending in Federal multi-district litigation in California. New cases are still coming in as lawyers accept claims for negotiations or trials.

Reasons for Fast Claims Settlement

In effect, Roundup lawsuits have received settlements at a fast pace. Initially, Monsanto was willing to make a $45 million class-action settlement for false advertising claims, but this was turned down by the California jury.

The class-action settlement did not account for the personal injury claims of individual plaintiffs. However, the considerably high number of cases made it impracticable to go through each case individually. The interesting fact is that Roundup lawsuits were handled both through class-action settlements and multi-district litigations.

A class-action settlement was used in cases:

• Where two or more plaintiffs shared commonalities
• The defenses and claims of the representative parties were similar to the defenses and claims of the class
• The representatives were vested in protecting the interests of the class

A multi-district litigation was used when:

• Individual circumstances were so vastly different (in the context of the injuries suffered) that a class action was deemed challenging.
• The way people purchased and used Roundup was different and needed individual attention

This played a key role in accelerating settlements for over 100,000 cases through the years.

Importance of Attorney Intervention

In most cases of speedy settlements, attorney intervention played a major role. The best lawyer for a Roundup lawsuit is the one qualified to win cases against well-resourced defendants like Monsanto and Bayer across all 50 US states.

The lawsuit may be filed by any person who was exposed to Roundup for years and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer (especially Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma). However, only a qualified attorney can confirm eligibility on a case-to-case basis.

According to TorHoerman Law, the plaintiff needs to produce evidence in court that they were exposed to Roundup for years, including receipts, bills of purchase, medical and employment records, etc. They are only eligible to file a lawsuit if they meet the statute of limitations, which is a maximum of three years from the day of diagnosis (but may vary among states).

Since the defendant is a multinational corporation with limitless resources, it would not be wise to proceed with a Roundup lawsuit without a qualified attorney.

Final Thoughts

Today, the evidence against Monsanto/Bayer’s initial claims is overwhelming. This evidence is further confirmed by Bayer’s personal statement that it would take down Roundup from the shelves starting in 2023. This is a major leap on the company’s part to avoid further lawsuits.

However, Bayer has also stated that this move is exclusively made to avoid further litigation risks and has nothing to do with the product’s health concerns. As such, it plans to let commercial farmers have access to Roundup’s original formula.

While Bayer implements its five-point plan to reduce future litigation risks, Roundup lawsuits still continue to pile up in the US California Federal Court.

Movies have always been a popular form of entertainment, and a successful film can bring in millions of dollars in revenue. However, not every movie is a blockbuster hit, and many fail to generate enough income to cover their production costs. So, what can movie producers and studios do to maximize their movie income and boost their box office success? Here are some strategies to consider.

Develop a Strong Marketing Campaign

A strong marketing campaign is crucial in generating buzz and excitement for a movie while playing Australian mobile casinos . This includes creating eye-catching posters and trailers, partnering with influential brands and personalities, and leveraging social media platforms to reach a wider audience. A well-executed marketing campaign can help a movie stand out among the sea of releases and create a sense of anticipation among audiences.

Release at the Right Time

Choosing the right release date can make a significant difference in a movie’s success. A crowded release schedule can make it challenging for a movie to stand out, so producers should aim to release their films during a less competitive time. Holidays and weekends tend to be popular times for movie releases, but it can also be beneficial to choose a release date that aligns with a specific event or celebration.

Utilize Streaming Services

In recent years, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have become increasingly popular. These platforms offer movie producers and studios a new avenue to generate revenue, as they can sell the distribution rights to their films for a substantial sum. Additionally, streaming services can help movies reach a wider audience, as they are available to watch anytime, anywhere.

Focus on International Markets

The global box office is becoming increasingly important, as international markets now make up a significant portion of movie income. Producers and studios should consider tailoring their movies to international audiences, such as by featuring international actors or incorporating themes that resonate with specific cultures. Additionally, releasing movies in multiple languages can help them reach a broader audience – at lot like what we see being done in the real money casinos industry.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, maximizing movie income requires a multi-faceted approach that includes a strong marketing campaign, strategic release timing, the utilization of streaming services, a focus on international markets, and consideration of merchandising opportunities. By employing these strategies, movie producers and studios can increase their chances of box office success and generate substantial revenue from their films.