1. A New Perspective on Responsibility: How Small Words Can Have Big Impacts
By Avery Portland
Here at Reingold, we routinely address sensitive topics in our work for high-profile clients,
including on projects for preventing suicide, mental illness, and child neglect. We have a
responsibility to use language with care and thought for its potential impact.
While our expert teams excel in presenting complex issues in a thoughtful manner, this is not
always the case elsewhere. I have seen firsthand the importance of taking a step back to
appreciate once more the power of communications to change the way that people think — and
the consequences of this power if handled carelessly.
A Journalistic Failure
During my second year at the University of Virginia, our “Grounds” were rattled by the
publication of the Rolling Stone article, “A Rape on Campus.” Although the article was later
retracted and dubbed “a journalistic failure,” its original purpose was to draw attention to the
inadequacies of college campus administrations in dealing with sexual assault cases.
In an attempt to be sensationalistic, author Sabrina
Rubin Ederly overlooked her basic responsibility to
fact-check her sources and sought to confirm her own
biases. This error not only caused her to fail in
achieving her intended goal for the article but also
unintentionally created a stigma that rape victims may
be lying or even seeking publicity. As a result, Ederly’s
work actually made it more difficult for rape victims to
feel comfortable sharing their story and seeking justice.
A Big Impact
At U.Va., every single student felt the impact of the
article. Ederly’s words created unnecessary stigmas
against the entire community: Greek life was
completely shut down for a two-month period; the Phi
Sigma Kappa fraternity was vandalized to such an
extent that its residents were forced to move out; and
the university itself was overtaken with media looking
to capitalize on the scandal and its students were
forced to reconsider their trust in the administration
and their sense of safety on Grounds.

2. This experience has given me a unique and deep appreciation for Reingold’s passion and
intention to shape language for the better. Whether obvious or not, much of our work is in an
effort to dispel or recast unfairly placed stigmas.
Changing the Conversation
I spoke with Sarah Johnson, Caroline Laurin, Connor McKoy, and Maddie Dolan at Reingold,
members of three campaigns on sensitive issues that demonstrate our ability to change the
conversation — one word at a time.
Five years ago, they explained, Reingold took on a large
research project for the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) Make the Connection campaign, whose
biggest barrier to its goal of connecting veterans with
needed services was the stigma around mental health
challenges in the military community. Veterans were less
likely to use the resources that VA provided because of
the perception that admitting to depressive thoughts
makes them appear weak or inadequate compared with
their peers. This perception is perpetuated by the media,
which is often quick to paint affected veterans as victims
of PTSD or other mental health issues by using phrases
such as “suffering” rather than “facing” or “surviving.”
Our work has helped VA understand the complexity of this stigma and to form a strategy to
overcome it, encouraging help-seeking behavior among those who may need it most.
More recently, Sarah, Connor, and others on the media relations team have been working with
The Poynter Institute to analyze the effectiveness of its trainings on suicide coverage in changing
media language. Verbiage such as “committed suicide,” rather than AP’s newly preferred “died
by suicide,” portrays the act as a crime and blames the victim for wanting to end his or her life.
These words are weighted: Creating this stigma can actually encourage others experiencing
suicidal thoughts to act on them rather than to seek help. Through media monitoring and analysis,
our work helps Poynter understand the successes and failures of their trainings to ultimately
reduce the frequency of such tragic scenarios.
In another case, Reingold’s work with Military
OneSource helps the U.S. Department of Defense
(DoD) better meet the needs of service members and
their families through its Safe and Sound campaign.
The campaign highlights resources from DoD and
elsewhere to educate military parents and to help
increase their recognition of potential child neglect,
combatting the rise in such cases since 2009. As
Maddie describes, service members often resist
seeking help with parenting even if they recognize a
need due to their military training to always be
strong and self-sufficent. Through relatable language and outreach, we help change this stigma by
framing taking advantage of available resources as a sign of smart parenting, rather than an
admission of guilt.

3. Language Matters
Reingold should take pride in its ability to use communications to change the picture and to
combat media negligence on sensitive topics. My direct exposure to Ederly’s mistake in her
flawed coverage of an important issue has allowed me to appreciate the severity and the necessity
of this work. I encourage readers to use the examples above as a reminder to take the extra time to
think through every last word, to fact-check every source, and to use the resources provided by
Reingold’s editorial team and others regarding proper language.
None of these stigmas are deserved. Through careful use of language, we can continue to
diminish their power and change the way that people think.