USAC Editorial Voice and Tone

Voice

The editorial voice of an organization refers to the personality it expresses when communicating with its audience. It is defined by what the organization says. For example, an organization could have a voice that is positive and empowering.

A distinctive and consistent organizational voice is important to foster audience recognition and build trust.

Tone

The editorial tone of an organization refers to how (in what manner) it communicates information. Unlike voice, the tone may change depending on the content and context of a message, its target audience, and how it will be communicated.

Multiple variations of tone can be layered together. For example, an organization may use a serious, formal, and sincere tone when issuing a data breach notice, or a friendly and educational tone when posting a quiz on social media.

What voice does USAC use?

Our voice is influenced by our relationship with the FCC and consequently, by law on public sector communication. We strive to align our voice with the Plain Writing Act of 2010, which requires federal agencies to write “clear Government communication that the public can understand and use.”

Under the act, government agencies are required to use plain language in any document that: Is necessary for obtaining any federal government benefit or service or filing taxes; Provides information about any federal government benefit or service; or Explains to the public how to comply with a requirement that the federal government administers or enforces.

Our voice is:

• Clear
  • We do not use jargon.
• Straightforward
  • We keep our communications brief by only including what is necessary.
• Inclusive
  • We ensure our communications are accessible to our users by:
    • Using plain language
    • Breaking down complex ideas into small, manageable pieces
    • Making information available in multiple formats
• Supportive
  • We communicate information that helps our users be successful in their actions with USAC.

What tone does USAC use?

Generally, we use a tone that is:

• Helpful
• Responsive
• Empathetic
• Professional

However, the tone we use may change depending on the audience, the context, what we are communicating, and how the information will be shared.

Choosing a tone

To select an appropriate tone, consider your audience, the information you want to share, and how you will share it. For example, an applicant struggling to file a form because of a system outage may feel frustrated to receive a light-hearted, flippant, or overly informal communication about the outage from USAC.

Does USAC use a formal tone?

Our tone is somewhere in the middle of formal and informal. We achieve this balance by avoiding the following:
Formal characteristics

• Passive voice
• Long words
• Technical language

Informal characteristics

• Excessive use of personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, and them)
• Excessive use of exclamation marks
• Slang
• Newly created words
• Contractions such as “aren’t,” “they’d,” and “can’t”

Use the table below to gauge the formality of USAC’s tone.