Choosing the right word is important in every communication, not just in PR writing, and you would think even more so in media communication – newspapers, newswires, new programmes. Why do we bother to use words interchangeably when one word is correct and in itself suffices – it can only lead to ambiguity and – if we not careful – can be inflammatory!

Take for example the reporting around the tragedy of the Italian cruise disaster. It highlights very well the importance of precise language. Not just the newsreaders, reporters, commentators and official bodies, but the spokespersons themselves are all insisting on using interchangeably the words culpable, responsible and accountable with no regard for their different meanings. This is bad enough in itself but has worse implications when you use them to refer to a person under house arrest. This is exactly the kind of attention to detail that should never be allowed to slip through a PR agency’s net.

Culpable implies blame and is related to criminality; responsible has several meanings but the closest it comes to this context is being the cause of something; accountable is being answerable to someone or something – none of them mean the same thing. It is incumbent upon people like PR writers and other media communicators to get it right, otherwise, what chance does everyone else have?

Words have jobs – don’t make them redundant!