Politically Incorrect Language

Beyond avoidance of stereotypes, there is an ongoing controversy about what constitutes "politically correct" (commonly called "PC") language. In today's world of diversity at all levels of national life, there is increased sensitivity about what words are used to describe minorities and other groups of people.

Such concern has merit, and writers should be sensitive to words that may offend individuals or groups. However, critics charge that a flood of euphemisms can cause a loss of clarity and may result in a kind of political censorship that is not healthy for freedom of expression. For example, some groups think the word "civilization" is polit­ically incorrect because it infers that some people are not civilized. Still others object to the word "disabled" and want to substitute "physically challenged" or "differently abled". Is a person an "alcoholic" or just "suffering from substance abuse"? Even the old term "Dutch treat" is under attack because it implies that Dutch people are cheap.

On another level, however, some suggestions seem quite logical. For example, in a global economy, American companies now refer to "international" sales because "for­eign" sounds ethnocentric. Writers are using terms like "Asian-American" instead of the now pejorative "Oriental". And currently, there is some argument as to whether "African-American" is more politically correct than "black"; both terms have their supporters.

Language, and its connotations, is constantly changing. The professional public relations writer must be aware of the changes and must make decisions on the basis of such factors as sensitivity to the audience, accuracy, and clarity of communication.

Persuasive Writing

Your purpose is to persuade your target audience. Your message may be delivered in one way, a few ways, or many different ways. As you work on message content, however, you should keep in mind the concepts of audience analysis; source credibility; appeal to self-interest; clarity of the message; timing and context; symbols, slogans, and acronyms, semantics; suggestions for action; and content and structure.

Audience Analysis

A message must be compatible with group values and beliefs. Taxpayers, for exam­ple, get more interested in recycling when the message points out that trash collection costs millions of tax dollars annually or that recycling will generate revenues to keep taxes down.

Tapping a group's attitudes and values in order to structure a meaningful message is called channeling. It is the technique of recognizing a general audience's beliefs and suggesting a specific course of action related to audience members' self-interests. In this example, the incentive to participate in recycling programs is given a strong push by the prospect of tax savings.

It must be remembered, however, that taxpayers are only one target audience. A message to members of hiking clubs might emphasize that overflowing landfills and mountains of trash are despoiling scenic areas. You should always keep in mind that the more you can segment various audiences, the more you can tailor your message to specific group attitudes.