Words/Topics to Avoid – Expanded List

Words/Topics to Avoid – Expanded List

As published in the Media Relations and External Publicity Policy, there are certain words and topics that should be avoided when talking to the media. While I understand that every group has its own lingo, there is a difference between what we say to one another in a private setting and what we say to the world at large. This will help avoid misunderstandings and unintentional misrepresentation of the organization:

Term to Avoid
Use Instead
Reason :

Term to Avoid: Boffer, Boffing
Use Instead: Youth Combat, youth weapons, youth martial training program
Reason: ‘boffing’ is common English slang for something we don’t do with children.

Term to Avoid: Mundane
Use Instead: Modern Era, Modern, 21st Century
Reason: Mundane is patronizing and insulting. Some people interpret as the pejorative connotation of ‘common’. Also implies that things outside of the SCA are less worthy.

Medieval
Middle Ages
While technically correct, this is often misinterpreted or misheard as Evil

Term to Avoid: Youth Minister
Use Instead: Youth Activities Officer, youth activities coordinator
Reason: Minister = religion. In fact, we should probably avoid using ‘minister’ to describe any officer, unless the word ‘prime’ immediately precedes it.*

Term to Avoid: Funny clothes**
Use Instead: Period clothing , historical clothing
Reason: If we do not appear to respect what we do, we cannot expect the media or non-participants to do so. Also, be careful about using the word garb; while it is a valid word, it is not commonly used in current speech.

Term to Avoid: Brass Hats, Funny Hats**
Use Instead: Crowns or coronets
Reason: Same as above

Term to Avoid: Stick Jocks**
Use Instead: Fighters, combatants
Reason: Same as above; try to stress that this is a Western Martial Art form, focusing on training and safety.

Term to Avoid: Hitting people with sticks**
Use Instead: Armored Combat
Reason: Same as above. Martial art form.

Term to Avoid: Autocrat; Feastocrat***
Use Instead: Event Steward; Feast Steward
Reason: Group jargon, not generally accessible

Term to Avoid: Troll booth***
Use Instead: Gate or Registration Table
Reason: Same as above

Term to Avoid: Drop Dead Deputy
Use Instead: Emergency Replacement Deputy
Reason: Just sounds better

Term to Avoid: SCAdian***
Use Instead: SCA Members, Society Members
Reason: Jargon term which can be easily mocked, misinterpreted and misunderstood by reporters.

*Whenever possible when dealing with the media or non-participants at demos, I prefer to use the modern equivalent for officer positions (i.e., Seneschal = Branch President, Chatelaine = Newcomer officer, etc.). The modern equivalent for Kingdom Media Rep is Regional AVP for Media for whatever states/countries your region entails.

** For press purposes, it sounds a lot better to say that we wear historical clothing and recreate Western Martial Arts, than to say that we wear funny clothes and hit people with sticks.

*** These fall under a general heading of SCA jargon. Use modern terms whenever talking to the press.

Never discuss the following topics with the media

1. Religion – Of any variety. We are a social organization, period. Don’t even bring it up. Too many fringe religious groups wear ‘funny clothes’. If they ask, repeat that we are a social organization and leave it at that.

2. Lewd behavior that can be perceived as a form of sexual harassment – We are a family welcoming organization and we don’t want to be perceived as a bunch of wife-swapping, free love weirdos. Do not discuss wenching, flirting, hand-kissing, codpiece making, cloved fruits, etc.

3. Alcohol making, preparation, studies, distribution, sale, etc. –Again, we are an organization which has many families as participants, and we do not want to be perceived as a bunch of beer-swilling weirdoes.

4. Households. You say social unit, they hear communes.

5. Personas: While we understand this to be the center of our personal studies, and a name by which we choose to be called, to the outside world it looks as though we are either a) creating aliases to conceal our activities/identities, or b) do not have a firm grip on reality. Neither will put forth the positive image of our society we are attempting to get across. Try instead, “In the society, I portray….”

On a General Note - Profanity: Just say no. It doesn’t fit with the image delineated in the Media Policy of someone who is clean-cut, professional and articulate.