COMM 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Jargon

• School: Concordia University
• Department: Commerce
• Course: COMM 212
• Professor: Bonnie Feigenbaum

Document Summary

Introduction: negative messages, direct writing plan, 4-part formula, types of negative messages. Negative messages: when given bad news, readers may (ppl shut down, stop reading, experience anger and shock, take the message personally, cut ties with the organization. Delivering bad news: achieving the right tone, do(cid:374)"t plead or (cid:374)a(cid:373)e-call, avoid mixed messages, do(cid:374)"t assu(cid:373)e the reader (cid:449)ill agree. Avoid: being overly apologetic => leads to liability!! Pleading, timid wording, admissions of liability: lack of clarity. Mixed messages, jargon: accusations and assumptions , opinions, subject lines * - try (cid:374)ot to use at all (cid:894)optio(cid:374)al(cid:895) as (cid:449)e"re tryi(cid:374)g to hide it i(cid:374) the middle. Tone in bad news messages, avoid - (cid:272)o(cid:374)t"d: subject lines, optional in a bad news message, normally positive or neutral, negative subject lines command attention, the proper tone is: Set in the subject line of the message, and reinforced by the closing. *the complimentary closing should match the overall tone.