Sign in

Joanne Mason

@jmasoneditor.bsky.social
258 followers 181 following 218 posts

Freelance health content editor with interests in health literacy and plain language | New Englander | Fan of Alternative Oldies

PostsRepliesMedia
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
What makes you trust a health message or messenger? What makes you distrust a health message or messenger? #PublicHealth #HealthLiteracy
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
A crossword puzzle clue has stuck this #XTC song in my head this morning. No complaints! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDNu...
youtube.com
XTC - Jason and the Argonauts
YouTube video by HamptonInjuryLawyer
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Having trouble understanding medicalese? This resource from the Medical Library Association can help! @medlibassn.bsky.social #HealthLiteracy #PlainLanguage www.mlanet.org/resources/in...
mlanet.org
What Did My Doctor Say?
The special words doctors and nurses use can be hard to understand. You may see or hear these words at your doctor’s office, on the web, on the radio or TV, or other sources. We call these words…
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I like this! Introduce yourself with 10 acts you’ve seen live. The Ramones Violent Femmes The Smiths David Byrne Psychedelic Furs A Flock of Seagulls Missing Persons Paul McCartney R.E.M. U2 (pre-Joshua-Tree)
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Rest in peace, Dolly Parton. She will always be remembered for her music, of course. But there was also her Imagination Library, which brought books to millions of children and helped them develop a love of reading.
020
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
It was a beautiful, if not quite autumnal, day to drop off my primary ballot.
A red, white, and blue banner directs voters to a box where they can drop off their primary ballots.  Text on the banner reads “vote here.”
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I think it's a positive sign when a grammar post puts the theme to "Gilligan's Island" in your head. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3HF...
youtube.com
Gilligan's Island intro season 2
YouTube video by SweetCandy2424
100
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I’m trying to read more at night. Tonight it’s Afterlife by Julia Alvarez. Really enjoying it so far. #books #fiction
030
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
It amuses me that I just used the phrase "hold the presses" to pause the release of a digital newsletter. 🙂
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Helpful tips here! I'm often checking to see how long produce will keep. My most recent question was about green and yellow summer squash.
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
What does chocolate have to do with business #writing? www.joannemason.com/post/are-you... #amediting
joannemason.com
Are Your Sentences Too Long?
Shorter sentences can be easier to read, follow, and understand. Putting them in one paragraph still keeps the details together, but in easier chunks for readers’ brains to process.
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Verify your age I put a nickel on the record player needle arm when my 45s skipped.
020
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Judy Stone @drjudystone.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Villages or supportive communities as an option for single older folks. www.npr.org/2026/07/09/n...
npr.org
'Solo agers' are a growing group. Changes that would help them could help everyone
Many older adults navigate aging on their own — without children or a spouse. An expert says this is "a reality to be supported" rather than a crisis to be solved.
1126
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Trying to get back to some semblance of normal after breaking my foot last week. Easier said than done, but I’m getting there.
010
Reposted by Joanne Mason
STAT @statnews.com · 12/06/2026
“Failing to engage religious and traditional leaders in meaningful ways was a grave misstep in previous Ebola outbreaks,” researchers write. www.statnews.com/2026/06/12/e...
statnews.com
Ebola outbreak response requires engaging with religious traditions and leaders
“Failing to engage religious and traditional leaders in meaningful ways was a grave misstep in previous Ebola outbreaks,” researchers write.
0148
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I listened to this episode this morning. It was excellent!
010
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 08/06/2026
💉 Where can you find accurate information on vaccines❓ ✅ American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/AAP-... ✅ Medical societies: cmss.org/programs-and... ✅ CIDRAP for in-depth evidence review: vaxintegrity.cidrap.umn.edu/evidence-rev...
313561
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Finally removed addictive puzzle apps from my phone. And now I’m at a car appointment brainstorming ideas for a plain language blog I’d like to start. 14 so far!
120
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
#SpellingBee spell off! Holy cow!
020
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Finally got myself connected to watch the #spellingbee! Hooray! I look forward to this every year!
110
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
When I was a college student on Long Island, I heard L-I-R-R or "the train" most of the time.
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Quiet afternoon working through the exercises in the EFA's (@efafreelancers.bsky.social) medicolegal editing course. Hoping to expand in this direction soon!
020
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR) @hcrichardson.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
A good copy editor is worth their weight in gold. Mine is the freaking best. I just wrote something that is incredibly well known in my field and got back: "Got a source for this?" I do... but boy is it superb to be held to account every single time. #copyeditorsareprobablygods #katyaespecially
553517285
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
One of the biggest hazards of #freelance life, at least for me, is the temptation to try every path under the sun. Distraction is powerful. When I stay in my lane (editing and proofreading health materials), I tend to feel more grounded.
010
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Accessibility Awareness @a11yawareness.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
You might personally choose not to use AI, but you might not have a choice as to whether your team or office uses it. If your organization is using AI to write alt text, always review it to make sure it's accurate and appropriate. AI won't necessarily understand how or why an image is being used.
1278
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Just borrowed a bucket of garden tools from my local library. 🙂👩‍🌾🪴
030
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
On my after-dinner #stetwalk, I saw a purple truck marked "Central Oil - The Purple People Heaters." I have no idea if purple modified "people" or "heaters," but it was entertaining nonetheless. (It whizzed by too quickly for me to snap a photo.)
030
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Today I joined the National Association of Memoir Writers with thoughts of adding a family history layer to my editorial business. I'm looking forward to learning more. But in the meantime, I'm thinking of this family getting ready for a camping trip around 1934. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory
Two toddler girls sit by the door of their family car around 1934. Their father is securing tents and other camping equipment to the roof and back of the car.
420
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I have always wondered this! Eventually, I figured out that "troops" meant individual people, but when I was younger, I thought of "troop" like my Girl Scout troop one rainy weekend at Camp Bonnie Brae.
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Such an interesting article and video on the research behind this important work. #genealogy news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
news.harvard.edu
Harvard releases information on 1,613 enslaved individuals — Harvard Gazette
Public database advances research on University’s ties to slavery, bolsters effort to help descendants recover family histories.
000
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Seen during an after-dinner walk in the neighborhood: A white convertible with a skeleton in the back seat. The skeleton was wearing a black top hat and bow tie.
120
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
I have a wonderful memory of the time my mother called just to tell me she saw an indigo bunting at her bird feeder. I'm looking forward to reading this for a nonfiction book group next month. #birds #birdwatching
Cover of The Backyard Bird Chronicles, written an illustrated by Amy Tan. Foreword by David Allen Sibley. It shows four drawings of birds on branches. The birds are generally brown and green. The book has a tan background.
020
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
I'm not sure how visible this is, but when I'm feeling frustrated, this duck offering coffee never fails to make me smile. ☕🦆😊 www.instagram.com/p/DVWRXTFkcZM/
instagram.com
docscarvings on Instagram: "ANY TAKERS? ☕️ 🦆 #ducks #funnyanimals #coffee #funny #birds@vicdibitetto making us all smile per usual 🙂View all 10,027 comments"
ANY TAKERS? ☕️ 🦆 #ducks #funnyanimals #coffee #funny #birds@vicdibitetto making us all smile per usual 🙂View all 10,027 comments
000
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Carolina VonKampen 📚 Freelance Editor @carolinavonkampen.com · 12/05/2026
A Swedish scientist made up a fake skin condition and then uploaded two fake studies about it to a preprint server in early 2024. The fake papers were then cited in peer-reviewed literature. This aligns with my experience #editing content, especially in the past year www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real
Bixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. So why did AI chatbots warn people about this fictional illness?
365
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
Whenever I do a sudoku puzzle, I get the #Beatles version of “Kansas City” stuck in my head. “It’s just a-123456789.”
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
A new indie bookstore is opening in my area next weekend! And another opened last fall. Hooray!
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Another great reminder to consider your audience!
031
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Today, I saw my first ice cream truck of the season and proudly called it a ding dong cart, in true Western Massachusetts fashion.
020
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
This little sign in the #Massachusetts #Berkshires made me smile.
Sign in a window shows a purple butterfly.  The text reads "We, the Berkshires, stand with immigrants."
020
Reposted by Joanne Mason
WHO @who.int · 21/04/2026
You’ve all heard of biopsy. But what happens after? Biomedical Scientist Yolly takes us inside a lab, where science turns cells into answers. Together for health. #StandWithScience
517047
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Iva Cheung @ivacheung.com · 16/04/2026
global.penguinrandomhouse.com/announcement...
global.penguinrandomhouse.com
Penguin Random House Sends Letter to Congress Urging Opposition to H.R. 7661
Penguin Random House Sends Letter to Congress Urging Opposition to H.R. 7661 #TeamPRH
031
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Accessibility Awareness @a11yawareness.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
People should be able to understand content the first time they read or hear it. No one should need a legal background or a Latin dictionary to understand a website. Users should be able to absorb content and instructions without needing to make sense of stuffy, stilted language.
2137
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Have you used AI tools for health advice?
010
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Local news archives have been incredibly helpful for my family history research. Still trying to find coverage of my ancestor who was arrested for swearing though.
120
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
“Your clients aren’t just hiring a set of skills. They’re trusting you with work that matters to them.” Excellent post for understanding content marketing for your own freelance business.
030
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
It's #NationalPublicHealthWeek, and I had this in mind when choosing library books yesterday: A History of the World in Six Plagues by Edna Bonhomme The Masters of Medicine by Andrew Lam, MD Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell What are you reading these days?
Three library books are stacked with their spines showing. The books are: 

A History of the World in Six Plagues by Edna Bonhomme

The Masters of Medicine by Andrew Lam, MD

Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell
020
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
"Within weeks ... major artificial-intelligence systems began repeating the invented condition ... The fake papers were then cited in peer-reviewed literature. Osmanovic Thunström says this suggests that some researchers are relying on AI-generated references without reading the underlying papers."
nature.com
Scientists invented a fake disease. AI told people it was real
Bixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. So why did AI chatbots warn people about this fictional illness?
67845
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
The Campanile in Springfield, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite buildings. On Saturday, I was pleased to gather nearby with other No Kings folks. It's the same place my Mom and her family joined with neighbors to celebrate the end of World War II.
The Campanile in Springfield, MA. It is a tall stone clock tower with two balconies and a bell tower on top. It is shown in March 2026 against a vivid blue sky.
020
Joanne Mason @jmasoneditor.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Let's ideate on this and circle back.
010
Reposted by Joanne Mason
Accessibility Awareness @a11yawareness.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
For screen readers to recognize headings, heading text can't just be body text or normal text that's been made to look bigger and bolder. It must be formatted as a heading. In Microsoft Word and Google Docs, this can be done in the styles box. In HTML, use the tags h1 through h6.
03114