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Becoming the MessengerHenriette Lowisch, School of Journalism

Engage your Audience

Speak the language of your audience

Say why it matters

Use examples to help people understand

Tell stories to appeal to people’s emotions.

+Say Why It Matters

How is your work relevant, not only to those directly affected, but to the entire country or even the world?

How can your knowledge help the public make informed choices?

Who benefits? So what?

+The Big Picture

How is what you do relevant to your country and the world?

After the discussion, please adjust the So What? and Benefits sections of your message box.

+Avoid Jargon and Acronyms

Chances are your audience knows little about your area of expertise.

People will stop listening to you while they're trying to look up acronyms on Google.

Jargon and acronyms sound professional in grant proposals and official reports.

But the general public has no idea what you’re talking about.

The Jargon Buster Video

+How to Use Numbers

Use numbers sparingly

Don’t use decimals like 1,77636

But in small doses, numbers can be effective to get your point across

+Arm Yourself with Examples

Vivid examples are great to get your point across.

Examples make dry topics come alive.

Examples help people understand abstract issues.

A story about one person can say more than a thousand words about a big topic.

Sometimes, your personal story is the best example to illustrate your point.

+Complete Your Message Boxes

Find one good example for a solution to the problem you’re working on.

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Thank You!