EFFECTIVE RHETORIC
This is a news item on why the American bailout package failed. My purpose in sending this is not economics but rhetoric; this writer explains the failure of the "sell" of this package in terms I use in my Composition classes. To read the complete article, which I've edited below, go here.The original (but edited) text is in green; my emphasis is in red; my comments are in blue.
[W]hy, despite all the efforts of all of the country's leaders to fill them with fear of an economic apocalypse, did Americans not see a failure to act as a serious threat to their livelihoods?
Traditionally, human beings are not great at assessing this kind of risk. . . .
[In other words, know your Audience/Reader.]
"The case wasn't made as to why the little guy needs this," says Paul Slovic, author of The Perception of Risk and a psychology professor at the University of Oregon. "The numbers and vague warnings are too abstract."
[Then use proper logic, argumentation, persuasion (the Text part of the Communication Triangle). Make the case! Do not use "vague" ideas.]
The most effective warnings are like the most effective TV ads: easily understood, specific, frequently repeated, personal, accurate, and targeted.
[Note the phrases: "easily understood, specific, repeated, personal, targeted" (in other words, to a specific audience/reader).]
But [the] biggest mistake was a lack of specificity. They never clearly told the American people what might happen if Congress did not act.
[Note: you must be "specific" and "clear."]
Here is what administration and Congressional leaders must do. . . .
Find a face: Human beings are not moved by numbers or by vague predictions of certain doom. They are moved by stories. "It's simple," says Mileti. "You get one family in America. And you paint a picture of what their life is like one year from now. You describe a kid who can't go to college, the house that can't be sold, the inability of anyone to use a credit card."
[Give concrete examples, not abstractions.]
Rebrand the Bill: The phrase "bailout" is a deal-killer. "People feel the breaks are being given to financial institutions and not to the consumer," says Slovic. He recommends "Consumer Protection Act." It may be too late for this change to have much impact, but any change in language that acknowledges real people would be an improvement.
[Find the right words ("rename the bill"). One word means a lot.]
Be Specific: People need to know what will happen if they do nothing - or if they do something.
[Again: be specific!]
"People actually perceive that they are safe." To override that bias, you have to talk to people in a language their brains understand."
[Always consider your audience. You can write the best speech in the world, but if it's not suited for your audience, it's worthless.]
No comments:
Post a Comment