Getting Our Language and Messaging Right
This webinar is for individuals who engage in public communication, including but not limited to, public health professionals, researchers, and communicators. It is designed for those who need to effectively communicate with the public, policymakers, the media, and colleagues on controversial or stigmatizing topics.
Talking with the public, policymakers, the media, and even our colleagues is rarely easy; poorly chosen words at the wrong time can derail our messages and credibility.
In this webinar, Dr. Kelly Socia offers ideas for how we can use the right language to avoid landmines. He discusses strategies for addressing controversial and stigmatizing topics, aiming to ensure that the intended message is clearly understood.
Through real-life examples, Dr. Socia highlights successful and unsuccessful interactions, and shares best practices for communicating with individuals who may be resistant to the message.
Who's Presenting
Kelly M. Socia, PhD
Dr. Socia is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies and a Fellow for the Center for Public Opinion at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His research has been published in journals such as Criminology & Public Policy, Crime & Delinquency, Sex Abuse, and Justice Quarterly. He has experience consulting on court cases involving the housing impacts of sex offender residency restrictions. His research interests include the sex offender registry and associated public policies, reentry and recidivism, public opinion and policy-making, and spatial analyses. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany, State University of New York, in 2011.