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4.5 Style Considerations

How you write an NWEM is nearly as important as what you write. Poorly written warnings can undermine both understanding and believing.

Writing an NWEM presents special challenges in that a) the message must be very concise, b) preparation time may be very short, and c) the NWEM is intended to be both read (text products) and heard (audio products, i.e., NOAA Weather Radio and EAS Broadcast).

"Style" refers to how you write. This lesson describes style elements that research has identified as being significant for warnings, and concludes with some general considerations.

Style Elements

  1. Be Specific
    1. If the message is not specific enough about the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?, the public will spend more time seeking specific information in the confirming step of the response process.
    1. If necessary, be specific about what is or is not known about the hazard.
  1. Be Consistent
    1. An NWEM should be internally consistent, that is, one part of the message should not contradict another part.
    1. An NWEM should be consistent with messages that are distributed via other channels.
    1. To the extent possible, NWEMs should be consistent from event to event, to the degree that the hazard is similar.
  1. Be Certain
    1. Avoid conveying a sense of uncertainty, either in content or in tone.
    1. Confine the message to what is known, or if necessary, describe what is unknown in certain terms. Do not guess or speculate.
  1. Be Clear
    1. Use common words that can easily be understood. Do not use technical terminology or jargon.
    1. If protective instructions are precautionary, state so clearly.
    1. Make it clear if protective instructions pertain to particular at risk populations, (e.g., elderly).
    1. If the probability of occurrence of the hazard event is less than 100%, try to convey in simple terms what the likelihood of occurrence is.
  1. Be Accurate
    1. Do not overstate or understate the facts.
    1. Do not omit important information.
    1. Show respect for the intelligence and judgement of your public. Research belies the commonly accepted notion that the general public will react with panic in a hazard situation.
General Considerations
  1. Check Your Work
    1. Your NWEM authoring software most likely will provide a spell checking tool; however, a spell checker will not catch when you have erroneously included a word that is spelled correctly, but is the wrong word!
    1. Once composed, read the message aloud, preferably to another individual, to evaluate whether the message is understandable in audio form.
  1. Use Templates

    The use of NWEM templates, tailored to those hazards likely in your warning area, can help prevent errors or omissions that can occur in moments of urgency. By using pre-designed templates, you also have the opportunity to review for suitable style in advance.

    Using templates is addressed in the next lesson; however, if you do utilize templates, make sure they are customized for NWEM/EAS messages. Using a template that was designed for a media release would be inappropriate, for example.
Check your knowledge via the self-assessment quiz on the next page.
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