Is Your Audience Left Out?

You tune in to a show in the middle of a story and hear the host say, “ She  said she’d like to tour again, but  he  said  she’d  be safer and more productive spending time in the studio and doing virtual concerts.”

The host wraps up by saying something like, “We’ll find out next month what  they  decided to do.” The listeners think, “Who the hell are they talking about?” Then switches stations.

When covering a story, minimize pronouns and emphasize proper nouns. Rather than assume the audience has been listening from the setup of the story, simply replace pronouns with character names to provide context for listeners joining mid-story.

“ Beyonce  said she’d like to tour again, but  Jay-Z  said she’d be safer and more productive spending time in the studio and doing virtual concerts.”
Radio shows maintain and increase time-spent-listening with inclusive language.

Can pronouns ever be inclusive?

Yes. In personal stories, the  You Technique  is a subtle yet powerful way to make listeners feel included in the story.

Which opening sounds more inclusive?

• “I was on the edge of my seat last night watching the Lakers lose to the Suns.”
• “Did  you  see the Lakers game last night? Were  you  on the edge of  your  seat, too?”

Reserve the word “you” to speak directly to the audience.

On ensemble shows, refer to one another by name rather than “you” so the audience knows which character you are talking to, and it increases character identity.

• “You didn’t like that movie?”
• “Katie, you didn’t like that movie?”

Resetting and reintroductions

• Reintroduce a guest every few minutes to avoid listener frustration.
• Topics need to be reset every few minutes during segments and at the end of segments for listeners just joining the show.

Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash