Jargon is a delight when it is understood and an annoyance when it is not. Each person has encountered this language at some point in their lives. The purpose of jargon is supposedly to facilitate communication between two familiar parties. In simpler terms: Two people familiar with the words can give lots of information quickly.
At other times jargon impedes comprehension. EMT’s, police, doctors, nurses all use words and acronyms to reach the heart of the matter in a crisis.
“Check his BP and get a CBC!” The doctor will instruct the nurse. Much faster than the phrase, “Wrap that inflatable cuff around his arm and see what his diastolic and systolic pressures are. Also get a complete blood count.” Jargon has a function and when used correctly is fast. It also identifies people with a group. Medical people will recognize the above and legal types probably not.
In the news business there is a constant effort to remove jargon from information. Editors can go apoplectic when the newby reporter writes a story loaded with police speak. Police jargon is colorful and has the added responsibility of defining a very clear nuance of law.
In court, the officer will say, “I apprehended the perpetrator.” For the legal types this statement explains the process and status of the miscreant. The officer sees someone break the law. He grabs the person by the shoulder. There is a discussion. The culprit discovers that he now has a nice set of bracelets on his forearm and the officer is extolling the virtues of keeping the mouth shut. The suspect has been apprehended.
Often jargon is the domain of youthful inexperience. Broadcasters are notorious for not translating the jargon used in one field in place of simple language. A recent example involved a criminal act.
The situation: some person was selling something illegal. For the police, there is a proper procedure to follow to make certain that the person is stopped, the stuff he was selling is removed, and the person is going to be explaining to the judge why. Simple. Reporting on the event, a local news agency focused on the act of stopping the seller.
“Police executed a search warrant!” was the statement. Sounds simple. The warrant is placed against a wall and shot through the heart. Removing offending warrants by shooting them would solve a paper storage problem. Just a bit noisy. And having to pay the drummer to beat tattoo before the fatal shot does get expensive. Noise complaints tie up resources.
Executing a search warrant is a very legal phrase. It means a strict procedure that is followed making certain that each step of the process has been properly identified, followed, and implemented. Average people just trying to pay the bills have a much simpler way of speaking. Police searched the home. Four words and a whole universe of necessary knowledge is covered.
With such little time available for local news, it would be nice if the reporters would get to the point and move on. Using jargon wastes time and makes the reporter a bit pompous. Speak plainly.
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in the County. He began his journalism career at WAGM television later working in many different areas of the US. After twenty years of television he changed careers and taught in China and Korea. Graduating from UMPI he earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina.
