The Power of Words

Last week I attended the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Annual Conference in Chicago. The conference brought together African American newspaper publishers across the country featuring engaging remarks from luminaries such as Reverend Al Sharpton, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Cornel West, and others. During Rev. Sharpton’s address to the group, he mentioned how in recent conversations with some top hip hop musicians, there still persists a divide in usage of certain words in songs that some perceive as demeaning to women and African Americans. The response of the artists to the Reverend was that he was out of step with the times of today and the demand by consumers for this type of music. His response to them was that they are the ones out of step with time given there currently is an African American First Lady and two African American first daughters in the White House.

The social media space is abuzz over the recent BET music awards where there was some bleeping used to shield the audience from some of that very language. While some argue over whether this is art, this caused me to think about the true power of words. Being a public relations practitioner, I understand the influence of the words we use on a daily basis. Words are used by brands to create the emotional connection with a consumer that cannot always be accurately measured, but brands that speak in the right way to their fans enjoy a loyalty that is undeniable. Words are carefully and strategically crafted for events for clients to make certain the right message is reaching the target audience, whether that is a stakeholder, community partner, or competitor. Words are meticulously drafted for media releases to help tell the story of our clients. And ultimately, words are reprinted in papers such as those of the NNPA, on blogs, in magazines and on social media sites to be consumed and interpreted by the public. In whatever outlet or medium words appear, the most important power they wield is permanence.