Imagine every day your newspaper had on its front page a little box labeled “Know News.” In that box, you’d find a single timely word, term or name with a simple definition. Could be old: Arraignment. Concerto. Insurgency. Or relatively new: Stem cells. Keylogging. Podcast.
Finish with a quick teaser or page number to a story that uses the term. The aim is to create a more educated audience — clue more readers in on more kinds of stories. When feasible, add an intriguing fact so everybody could learn something. The “definition” could also be a picture, chart or map. Scoffers (it’s “dumb” or “insulting”) might be surprised how often they’ll find themselves thinking, “Oh, I assumed it meant …”