ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that support for clear communication extends beyond the organizations typically associated with the plain-language movement. Common Craft uses online videos with simple visuals and plain-English scripts to provide explanations of many technical subjects. Common Craft and the Quick and Dirty Tips hosts use the internet not only to convey content but also to engage with audiences and share dialogue with them. The Quick and Dirty Tips group uses hosts with personas, Grammar Girl, Get-Fit Guy, Nutrition Diva, to create content for audiences they get to know well. Although the groups differ in their approaches, they all show that clear communication in plain language starts with a clear understanding of the audience and respect for the audience's needs for information. The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, which uses techniques from storytelling and improvisational theater to help scientists learn how to communicate with nonexperts.
