The Economist has an online style book for their journalists. Things like how to use metahors, avoiding to use unnecessary words and using active words are important for writing a simple yet easy to understand article. For instance:

Short words: Use them. They are often Anglo-Saxon rather than Latin in origin. They are easy to spell and easy to understand. Thus prefer about to approximately, after to following, let to permit, but to however, use to utilise, make to manufacture, plant to facility, take part to participate, set up to establish, enough to sufficient, show to demonstrate and so on…

Topics include:

Research Tools Style Guide – [Economist.com]