COMM 100 Chpt 7 Writing Strategies for Delivering Negative News

There are three common situations that require delivering negative news: negative, persuasive, and routine. When conveying negative news, the goals are to be thorough but clear, professional, sensitive, fair, and maintain friendly relations. It is important to deal with negative situations immediately and personally. There are two main strategies for delivering negative news - direct and indirect. The direct strategy involves stating the bad news directly, then explaining the reasons, and closing pleasantly. The indirect strategy is used when the news is upsetting or could provoke a hostile reaction - it involves opening with a buffer, then presenting the reasons, cushioning the bad news, and closing pleasantly.