To get buy-in for cybersecurity initiatives, don’t talk tech — speak simply.
Search Results for: plain language
How a New Bill Would Advance Plain Language in Government
Using complicated language makes it difficult for agencies to communicate effectively with the people they serve, and creates barriers to equity. New federal legislation, however, would require agencies to use plain and clear wording.
Your Plain Language Refresher
If you need a refresher on what plain language looks like in practice, this post offers some quick tips and best practices that you can incorporate into your own writing.
Plain Language and Complicated Egos Don’t Mix
Don’t let ego get in the way of clear communication–yours OR theirs. Writers and editors are subject matter experts, too!
What Government Fiction Can Teach Us About Plain Language – From the Big Short to the West Wing
You may not realize it, but your favorite fiction or shows can also teach us a lot about effective government communications, and more specifically about plain language.
We Say It’s Lingo, They Say It’s Jargon: Using Plain Language to Connect with Our Customers
Simplifying language while preserving the technical underpinnings of a message can be a challenge — especially when you get pushback from your more technically-minded colleagues. Here are some things to emphasize to make sure plain language stays alive and well at your agency.
Customers: Where Usability and Plain Language Intersect
The only way to test if content is usable or plain is to test it. It’s not the writer or editor–or the program manager–who determines whether content is plain or usable; it’s the user.
The Best and Worst at Plain Language in Government
Which federal agencies should you look to as models of plain language? Which ones are getting it wrong and why?
The General’s Red Pen: My Plain Language Beginnings
You know how some people like crossword or jigsaw puzzles? Editing is the same thing.
Just Say It: 3 Easy Tips for Communicating In Plain Language
Ever go back and forth with someone via email three or four times, only to be frustrated that they don’t understand you? So you call them and after listening to just a few sentences they say, “Why didn’t you tell me that! NOW I get it.” Write the way you would talk to the person… Read more »