The Message

Making Words Work for You

It is important to know what messages and words resonate with the public. Based on research sponsored by AFSCME, as well as personal experience, we know that some messages are more convincing than others. Familiarize yourself with the general messages that work and with "words to use and words to lose." Using effective communication when educating your key audiences — administrators, school boards, parents, students, voters — could make the difference between victory and defeat.

General Messages:

Research has shown that the public has three strong beliefs.

1. All people should be treated equally and fairly.
2. All people should have access to basic public services.
3. Providers of public services should be accountable to the public.

So, when talking about privatization, emphasize fairness, accountability and access for all.

Helpful Research Findings

To defeat privatization we need to persuade opinion-makers and the general public about the problems associated with this dangerous practice. To formulate messages that resonate, we need to know what the public thinks about privatization and how they can be "moved" to our position. Research helps us to do that. That’s why the International has invested resources for public opinion research. We conducted focus groups in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Portland, Ore., and then did a telephone survey of voters nationwide. Here is some of what we have learned:

• Voters believe that privatization contracts might be awarded through back room deals or outright bribery. Several of the focus groups believe that lobbyists and CEOs give political contributions to get contracts and find that disturbing. However, this argument is less effective in places where voters believe the government is already corrupt.
• The loss of local jobs and local control to out-of-state CEOs were convincing arguments against privatization in the "Rust Belt" locations of Cleveland and Philadelphia, but less so in Portland or Phoenix, where many voters have moved there from somewhere else.
• In contrast, messages warning about a loss of privacy if private companies took over traditional public services fell flat despite strong concerns about privacy. Many of the participants did not believe that the government is protecting their privacy now, so they don’t see how privatization would be any worse.
• Another message that was tested in the focus groups stressed the private companies’ lack of experience in performing public services. This message works in cases where there is a perceived mismatch (for example, defense contractors operating welfare programs), but does little to turn voters against privatization in principle.
• One argument we often use is the instability that comes with privatization. Unlike government, private companies can bail out of providing key services for a variety of reasons, including insufficient profit. Instability was a concern for some of the research participants, but this argument really only works when buttressed by specific, relevant examples of companies leaving taxpayers or vulnerable citizens in the lurch.

Specific Words To Use and Lose

Some words work better than others in conveying our message to the public.