If the above image is loading slowly, move your mouse over it.
Seriously, if you’re having problems getting people to pay attention to your “issue” or your “problem,” try telling them about a “trend” instead. According to the excellent Making Communictions Connections Toolkit, published the Annie E. Casey Foundation (Disclosure: client of Beaconfire Consulting, my employer), the word “trend” helps listeners and readers focus on the need for public intervention to address a social shortcoming. The word “issue” or “problem” focuses listeners and readers on individual responsibility to address the situation.
How do you substantiate your claims that something is a trend? Provide three recent examples.
Photo courtesy USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Text addition by yours truly.
One Water Words viewer wrote me yesterday to report she was having trouble pulling up the site at the official address for this blog (http://waterwordsthatwork.com — without the www). She couldn’t get it at this address, but she could get it if she added the www in front of waterwordsthatwork.com
Is anybody else having this problem? If so, post to the comments and let me know.
About six out of ten Americans report that they drink tapwater, at least some of the time, and there’s no evidence that suggests that the bottled water trend has eroded their concern about clean streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
In fact, a 1999 study found that bottled water drinkers want more action to protect water bodies than tapwater drinkers. And when given a choice, participants tell pollsters that both clean water inside and clean water outside are very high on their list.
That’s all very interesting, but a key point is that you can’t count on most people to know the natural source of their tapwater. When your community doesn’t react to a threat to their water supply, it’s probably not complacency. It’s probably that they’re overlooking this important connection.
Citations for this episode
Download this episode to your computer or video iPod
Americans have clear feelings about the environment and their health, but not so clear feelings about the environment and their money. Plus, what people really need to hear from you to take action.
Citations for today’s episode.
Download this episode to your computer or video iPod
