The words to use
- Intelligent layperson's view
- The Medical Schools Council's phrase for what panels expect: an accurate, informed grasp of health stories in the news, without expert detail.
- Primary source
- The original report, court ruling, statistics or official statement, rather than coverage of it. Check moving facts there before you repeat them.
- Date-stamping
- Anchoring a moving fact to when it was true: "As of October 2026...". It keeps you accurate if the story changes before your interview.
- Steelmanning
- Stating the other side's strongest argument fairly before you disagree with it. The opposite of attacking a weak version, a straw man.
- Live case
- A matter still before a court, review body or inquiry. Say what has been decided and when, and never predict the outcome.
