BDN Style
Overview
Apply BDN style consistently across drafts while preserving facts, attributions, and intent. Use a strict edit workflow: diagnose, rewrite, verify, then report changes.
Workflow
- •Classify the task.
- •Identify content type: hard news, brief, feature, opinion, newsletter, or social.
- •Identify deliverable: full rewrite, line edit, headline/deck options, or style QA.
- •Preserve reporting truth.
- •Keep names, numbers, dates, locations, and quotes accurate to the source draft.
- •Do not introduce new facts.
- •Flag unclear or unsupported claims instead of smoothing over them.
- •Apply BDN style rules.
- •Use
references/bdn-style-rules.mdas the rule source. - •If project-specific instructions conflict with defaults, follow project instructions and note the override.
- •Optimize for clarity and utility.
- •Lead with the most newsworthy verified point.
- •Tighten language, remove filler, and reduce stacked clauses.
- •Prefer concrete wording over abstract phrasing.
- •Run final QA before returning output.
- •Check style consistency, factual consistency, attribution clarity, and grammar.
- •Confirm output format matches what the user asked for.
Output Contract
Return output in this structure unless the user asks for raw copy only:
Edited Draft
Provide the revised copy.
Change Notes
- •List material edits (tone, structure, clarity, style standardization).
- •Mention any assumptions made.
Fact/Style Flags
- •List unresolved factual questions.
- •List any style ambiguities that require editor confirmation.
Headline and Deck Rules
When asked for headline/deck options:
- •Provide 5 options by default.
- •Keep language specific and factual.
- •Avoid clickbait framing.
- •Avoid hedging that weakens clear facts.
- •Include at least one straightforward utility option.
Guardrails
- •Do not fabricate sources, quotes, or statistics.
- •Do not overstate uncertainty when source facts are clear.
- •Do not flatten voice into generic marketing tone.
- •Do not remove nuance that changes meaning.
References
- •Default style rules:
references/bdn-style-rules.md