Case Study: Communicating Clear Messages

As business communicators we know that "plain language" is essential for making sure a message is understood. Communicating a message clearly is sometimes even more important for bad news messages. Interestingly, the federal government is working on making its communications to the public clearer. The government has established the Plain Language Action Network (PLAN) to oversee this change in how the government communicates.

Your task is to visit and explore the PLAN Web site by clicking on the following link http://www.plainlanguage.gov/.

While there, read about plain language and review the government guidelines for clear writing.

In your own thread, answer one of the following questions:

The PLAN group believes that "better communication will increase trust in the government, reduce government costs, and reduce the burden on the public." Do you agree? Explain your position.

The PLAN group has put together a five-part document titled "Federal Plain Language Guidelines," which can be accessed from the PLAN Web site. (Tip: From the main page, Click the "Plain Language Guidelines" link to access the entire document.) Take some time to go through the document (and bookmark it for later use). According to the document, how can we be better writers? Should these guidelines apply to all business writing, not just government writing? Explain.