Right as Rain

Note: For topics not covered here, Right as Rain follows the Associated Press Stylebook (AP). It can be purchased at bookstores or viewed online. UW Libraries also provides limited AP Stylebook access for employees with NET IDs.

Section 1: Voice and Tone

Right as Rain by UW Medicine is a website and magazine designed to inspire readers to make healthier lifestyle choices and more informed healthcare decisions.

Voice and tone

Friendly and conversational. It’s like getting together with your friends or chatting with your next-door neighbor ─ the neighbor who takes care of your dog when you’re out of town.
Humorous when it counts. Sometimes our experiences with health need to be looked at with light-hearted humor. Healthcare can bring experiences that make us laugh together.
Accessible. Our content is easy to understand and a delight to read. We break things down, but don’t dumb them down. Our experts live where you live and understand what it’s like to be a resident of the Pacific Northwest.
Authentic. Our stories come from the heart. Real people, real stories. Experts share in their own words and voice. No one should feel like we’re just trying to sell them a service.
Hip. We aim to make health and wellness cool. We’re not a health library, and our writing tone reflects that.
Expert, but not academic. We are the source for health and wellness information coming from in-demand UW Medicine and University of Washington experts. We inform without talking down to our readers or using medical jargon.
Supportive. It’s important that our readers feel like we have their backs.

Best practices for writing Right as Rain content

Headlines: Ensure headlines are engaging, catchy and informative. They should not intentionally withhold crucial information to generate clicks (avoid click-baiting).
Article Structure: Articles should have a clear introduction and be divided into easy-to-digest sections with subheadings. Keep paragraphs short for easy skimming.
Point of View: Second person is the preferred point of view. However, the article can be written in first person when appropriate. The first-person approach must be approved before drafting the article.
Actionable Takeaways: Always include at least one actionable takeaway for readers, except in patient stories, which will be determined case by case.
Relevance to the Pacific Northwest: To make sure the article resonates with readers in the Pacific Northwest, include elements that reflect the region’s unique culture, natural beauty and lifestyle. For example, “Whether you’re preparing for a weekend hike in the Cascades or planning a relaxing day at Cannon Beach, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and stay active.”
Subject-Matter Experts: All articles that quote a subject-matter expert should feature someone affiliated with UW Medicine. It is acceptable to interview other UW-affiliated sources, but a UW Medicine source must also be included. Exceptions can be made with approval.
Linking to Studies: When including studies, link to the full text if it is publicly available. If not, link to a PubMed abstract. Do not link to press releases or articles discussing the study. In some cases, linking to the UW Medicine Newsroom may be appropriate.
Caveats for Non-Evidence-Based Claims: If a subject-matter expert is quoted on something that is not evidence-based or standard of care, include a caveat indicating that data may or may not support this idea. For example, use phrases like “there’s little science to support,” “more research needs to be done,” or “the scientific jury is still out.”
Providing Useful Information: Provide readers with as much useful information as possible. Linking to other resources can be beneficial. When mentioning facts, such as “half of women are at risk of developing skin cancer,” or pop culture references, like “Amazon gives away thousands of bananas each year,” those are opportunities to link to articles or pages from reputable sources (e.g., major news outlets; avoid Wikipedia, WebMD, magazines, or other healthcare organizations).

Section 2: Usage Guidelines

Headlines

Use AP Title Case (titlecase.com is helpful).
Numbers in headlines (H1) should use numerals and not be spelled out.
Subheads (H2) should be in sentence case, styled without periods.

Attributions

Clinicians
- Follow the clinician’s name with any relevant credentials separated by commas, including: MD, PhD, RN, MPH, MHA, ARNP, CRNA, MSW, PA
  - Do not use periods in degrees.
  - The name should not be preceded by “Dr.” or another title when using credentials.
- Limit credentials to two.
- Do not include board-certification acronyms like FAAFP or CDCES. In general, readers don’t know these acronyms. Instead, you may spell out when necessary: Jane Doe, RN, is a certified diabetes care and education specialist.
- Include any expertise the clinician or researcher has that’s relevant to the article.
  - Example: Christopher Damman, MD, a gastroenterologist at UW Medicine and an expert in the microbiome and its relationship to the body.
  - Example: Joseph Ihm, MD, a specialist in physical medicine, rehabilitation and sports medicine at the Spine Center at Harborview Medical Center and a former personal trainer.
- Link to the expert’s UW Medicine bio page. Do not link to academic department websites or personal web pages.
  - Example: Adewunmi Nuga, MD, PhD, a primary care doctor at UW Medicine Primary Care – Kirkland
  - Example: Shelley Wiechman, PhD, a psychologist at the Pediatric Primary Care Clinic at Harborview Medical Center. Or Dr. Jane Doe, a family medicine physician at UW Medicine Primary Care in Woodinville.
- Second Reference: Follow AP Style, Wiechman or Doe.
Clinicians practicing at Fred Hutch
- Link to the expert’s Fred Hutch bio page.
- Example: Christina Baik, MD, MPH, an oncologist with Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
- It may also be appropriate to recognize an expert’s role at UW Medicine:
  Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, chair of dermatology at the UW School of Medicine and director of the Skin Oncology Clinical Program at Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
- In addition, include a link to Fred Hutch in the Take the Next Step section:
  - Discover how science meets care at Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
  - Did you know that Fred Hutch serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program? Learn more.
  - Fred Hutch now serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program. Learn more about the program’s enhanced care coordination.
  - If you’re interested in care or a second opinion at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, request an appointment.
Patients
- First reference: include their full name, e.g., Jane Doe
- Second reference: use their first name, e.g., Jane

Article format

Break quotes into their own paragraphs.
“As told to” stories written in the first person will carry the writer’s byline. A summary section explaining the story should be the lede paragraph and italicized. This sentence should be included in bold at the end of the summary section: This is her story, as told to [writer’s name].
Republished content should include this note in italics at the end of the article: Editor’s note: This article was originally published [Date]. It has been reviewed and updated with current information.
Repurposed/revised Newsroom articles:
- Author: Right as Rain
- At the bottom of the article: [Newsroom Author] and [Right as Rain Author] contributed to this article. A version of this story originally appeared on the UW Medicine Newsroom [link].

Website links

Hyperlinks: Use descriptive words rather than a URL to link text whenever possible.
External links should open in new tab, internal (Right as Rain) links open in the same tab.
If the URL needs to be written out, do not include http:// or www.
Do not use ambiguous phrases to indicate website links:
- click here
- more
- read more
- find out more
- click for details

Other usage notes

Healthcare instead of health care.
When quoting someone, use “says,” not “said.”
Use doctor instead of provider.
Photo/graphic credit for UW Medicine employees: UW Medicine/FirstName LastName