Cut out jargon in advisories to convince, not confuse, the public

For a key government body that communicates with Singaporeans on issues of major public interest on an urgent and regular basis, the Ministry of Health (MOH) ought to do better with its health advisory on the Zika virus (“MOH considering precautionary measures for Zika”; Jan 25).

I am certain that the ministry must have crafted its statement thoughtfully with this information paradox in mind: Balancing the need for widespread dissemination on the one hand with the avoidance of public panic on the other. Regrettably, it may have overdone it with its latest statement on Zika virus, which is infused with officious jargon.

To say it is “actively considering” something is as close to being oxymoronic as one could get. If the ministry intends to be active, it should not be considering. If it is still considering, surely it cannot be all that active?

If MOH has a public communication framework in which labels such as “actively considering” and by extension “non-actively considering” carry different implementation implications that only its specialists and staff are familiar with, it should not simply pass on such bureaucratic speak to stakeholders unfamiliar with them, especially worried pregnant women.

To a lesser extent, the object of what it wants to actively consider — that is, “precautionary measures” — is also quite a tedious term in itself. People take precautions, while governments take measures.

The statement has much to say about what Singaporeans should do but precious little about specific measures beyond saying the ministry has “stepped up the programme in the current situation”. How reassuring can this be to members of the public who do not know any better what it does not know in the first place?

At a time when our political system is heading towards more public accountability and information transparency, government agencies should lead in this noble exercise by cutting down on rhetoric and sharpening up on its public communication. Write to convince the people, not to confuse them.