Why precise language matters in a crisis

In a crisis, one wrong word can shape the story.

Chris Chiames, former chief communications officer of Carnival Cruise Line, said crisis communicators need to pay attention to small word choices because people form impressions from the language in a headline, alerts or early statements.

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Chiames gave the example of a “man overboard” alert, known internally as a MOB alert. When he first joined Carnival, he said he didn’t know what the term meant. But he quickly learned that the way those incidents are described can shape public perception of cruise safety.

“The verb the industry tends to use is that a guest ‘went’ overboard,” Chiames said.

But “went overboard” can sound vague or like there was a safety issue.

“You can’t just be walking along and fall off the ship,” Chiames said. “When you hear ‘went’ and people aren’t familiar with a cruise ship, there’s the perception that you can fall off.”

If confirmed facts, such as video or witness accounts, show the person jumped or climbed somewhere they should not have been, Chiames said the company has to be clear about it from the beginning.