“Bailout” or “Rescue”?

Add comment October 8th, 2008

Do you think the public would have been swayed by a plan Hank Paulson labeled a “rescue” package instead of a “Wall Street bailout”? Despite the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments by financial talking heads on TV, if they were talking about an economic rescue instead of a bailout of uber-capitalists, I think it probably would have made a difference in the public’s reaction.

It might seem silly but the words you use in your public relations campaigns have a huge - often disproportional - impact on the announcement’s success in the public discourse. So when you’re talking with the media or prepping a news release or news conference, take a close look at your language. Some things to consider that will help you with your PR writing and talking points:

1. Keep it concise. Your overall message should fit into a sentence or two.

2. Consider ditching the news release. Can you use an “infographic” that illustrates your message or perhaps a short, well-written podcast or video news release instead? They may seem like radical ideas, but in newsrooms’ glut of information, a forced CEO quote about “how excited” he is to “create synergy” is pretty old-school.

3. Write well. Well-written pieces - even emails - that use correct grammar and spelling are still considered the industry standard, despite the decline in our skills in these areas. Read widely: poetry, the New York Times, good novels, insightful columnists. Reading more and often will improve your writing.

4. Use the right word. If you don’t know for sure what a word means, don’t use it. Look it up, or, better still, use a different word that you do know.

5. Be creative but not showy. This is a fine line. Crisp, descriptive prose in your media materials will illuminate your message. However, if you’re not sure, don’t embellish just for the sake of embellishment.