And the 3 questions to ask before publishing.
Crisis messages sometimes fail when they sound clear inside an organization but become harder to understand externally.
Jess Zafarris, editor at large at Ragan, said it’s critical to write with clarity under pressure. Crisis communication has to work the first time someone sees it, hears it or repeats it, she said, speaking at Ragan’s Crisis Communications Virtual Conference.
Click here to watch the full presentation and learn more about Ragan Training.
“Messages that you might feel are clear and professional when written in a document often become harder to follow when the average person reads it on a phone screen, hears it on TV or on the radio, or learns it secondhand from someone else,” Zafarris said.
To mitigate this, put the most important information first, use plain language and test whether people can actually understand what they need to do, she said.
Here’s a five-point crisis writing checklist you team can rely on to make sure your message translates outside your organization:
- Start with the most important information: Titles and opening lines should tell people what is happening and whether it applies to them. Zafarris compared the statement “notice regarding municipal water conditions” with “boil water advisory for East River neighborhood.” The second version tells people what they need to know right away, which is exactly what you want, she said.
- Use a predictable structure: Zafarris said an anchor phrase helps keep messages on track. For example: “Here’s what we know right now.” A crisis message structure should quickly explain what happened, what is being done and what this means for people, she said.
- Replace jargon with everyday words: Keep language simple and easily understandable. If there is a power outage, call it a power outage. If the water is cloudy, say the water is cloudy. Zafarris said phrases like “grid disruption event” can sound vague or even alarming. Say things as plainly and clearly as possible to avoid misunderstandings or panic, she said.
- Use active voice and clear action words: Active voice helps people see who is doing what. “Police closed Main Street” is clearer than “Main Street has been closed,” she said. Speaking or writing this way lets people know you’re in control, Zafarris said. “We have actors, we have trust, we have authority,” she said.
- Test the message with someone outside the team: Before releasing a crisis statement, Zafarris said communicators should ask someone who doesn’t speak in comms or legal language to read it and answer three questions: “What does this mean? What should I do? And what is the main point?” If that person or group clearly understands, then the message is ready to be deployed.
“The goal here is to ensure that your writing holds up under stress and reaches people the first time they see it or hear it, no matter the stakes,” Zafarris said.
Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at courtneyb@ragan.com.
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