A woman is in the middle of her c-section when the doctor asks her, “Do you feel pressure?”
And she said, “No, I feel everything.”
This was from The Retrievals, a New York Times podcast I recently listened to about underreported — and largely ignored — pain that women were experiencing during their c-sections. What struck me the most was how unclear language, doctors asking “Do you feel pressure?” instead of “Do you feel pain?”, contributed to the problem.
As a public health communicator, plain, clear language is ingrained in my being. Hearing that story snapped me out of my public health bubble, leading me down a rabbit hole wondering where else clarity was breaking down in dire circumstances.
In my latest Medium.com article, I explore three scenarios where clarity in communication led to harmful consequences: physical pain, eroded trust, and stolen, irreplaceable time.
Through the lens of what broke, who felt the harm, and what’s being or can be done, I examine why in vulnerable moments, clarity is care.
Below is a mini campaign of promotional social media posts for the article, tailored for three platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, along with the rationale for each. To see detailed post and image copy, scroll to the end and click, “Full Graphic & Post Copy.”
Post 1: Instagram Reel
Rationale
For my promotional social media series, I created a mini teaser campaign dedicating each post and platform selection to one of the three scenarios from my article. For the first scenario, pain during c-sections, I chose Instagram and used their reel format based on my target audience, which I explain more below.
My design aesthetic for this series is a simple, editorial style, with an attention-grabbing message that pulls the audience in and makes an emotional connection within the first four seconds. The post copy follows hashtag and emoji best practices, and the post copy is in a sweet spot of 98 words, short to medium length, which is great for storytelling.
The decisions behind the platform, the visual aesthetic, and the content were optimized for the main Instagram audience: who are on the younger side, mostly Gen Z and Millennials, and lean slightly more toward women than men.
Post 2: LinkedIn Carousel
Rationale
I chose LinkedIn for the second scenario, confusing guidance during COVID-19. This platform’s audience consists of professionals who are well-resourced and worldwide, making this public health-related post a perfect fit. I chose their carousel format, the top performer for engagement, to make the content dynamic, and offer a deeper viewing experience.
I maintained the design aesthetic for this carousel: simple and editorial, with an attention-grabbing message. The carousel follows audience, hashtag, and CTA best practices, and uses the successful “Problem → Insight → Solution” structure.
Post 3: X Single Post
Rationale
For the third and final scenario, unclear communication during a terminal colon cancer diagnosis, I chose X. X is known for their younger, predominantly male audience. And as colorectal cancer deaths among people under the age of 50 are on the rise, this is a great place to connect with young people looking for real-world experiences.
I maintained the same design aesthetic for this post: simple and editorial, with a message on the graphic designed to hook through emotional impact. The post follows content and audience best practices with an arresting text-forward image and concise, meaningful post copy, given that it’s a text-first platform.
I am excited to finish and polish this article, and bring this promotional series to life. I hope that through these stories, others will consider where clarity as care can make an impact in their everyday lives.
Reel copy
Scene 1: A woman is in the middle of her c-section when the doctor asks her, “Do you feel pressure?” And she said, “No, I feel everything.” Source: The Retrievals, a New York Times podcast
Scene 2: The problem? Doctors asking about “pressure” instead of “pain.” Hearing this as a public health professional stopped me cold. Where else is unclear communication causing harm?
Scene 3: My latest article explores 3 scenarios where unclear language caused real harm, and what’s being done to fix it. In vulnerable moments, clarity is care. Read the full story: bit.ly/ClarityIsCare
Post copy
This story from “The Retrievals” is 1 of 3 scenarios I explore in my latest article.
As a public health communicator, clear language is ingrained. So, what happens when unclear language meets the most vulnerable moments?
I examined 3 cases where lack of clarity caused measurable harm (and what’s being done to change it): dismissed pain during surgery, confusing guidance during COVID-19, and an oncologist who wouldn’t talk about death, robbing a family of irreplaceable time.
The common thread? Clarity is an act of care.
Read the full story (link in bio). 👈💟
#ClearCommunication #Clarity #Healthcare #TheRetrievals #PlainLanguage
Carousel copy
Graphic 1: When Clear Communication Breaks Down
During COVID-19, clear communication was replaced with quick communication, indifferent to the complexity of the message.
“You can’t put 17 pages of a guidance document on a website and say, ‘Consume this,’ right?”
— CDC staffer
Source: NBC News, October 2022
Graphic 2: Mask Whiplash
“Holy crap. Oh my God, we have to put masks back on.”
— Senior CDC official
May 2021 Guidance: Vaccinated people don’t need masks
July 2021 Guidance: Oh wait, there was an outbreak in Massachusetts, so it’s masks back on.
Source: NBC News, October 2022
Graphic 3: The Real Problem
“The idea of communicating clearly was quickly abandoned for communicating quickly with whatever you had.”
— CDC staffer
Source: NBC News, October 2022
Graphic 4: The Way Forward
In 2024, the CDC owned their failures and launched “Moving Forward” in 2024, prioritizing clear, communication, and an emergency response prepared workforce.
The solution is transparency. When experts explain their decisions and acknowledge uncertainty, trust can survive changing guidance.
Sources: CDC Moving Forward, February 2024; Ann C. Keller, UC Berkeley Public Health, December 2024
Graphic 5: Clarity is an act of care
In my latest article, I explore unclear language in vulnerable moments.
- Women’s dismissed pain during surgery
- Confusing CDC guidance during COVID
- Oncologists who couldn’t directly discuss death
Read the full article: bit.ly/ClarityIsCare
Post copy
As a public health communicator, the CDC’s communication failures during COVI-19 were deeply felt.
The agency traded clear communication for speed, posting complex guidance online and changing mask recommendations without transparency. The cost? Eroded trust when Americans needed it most.
My latest article explores what broke, who was harmed, and what’s steps have been taken to restore trust. This is 1 of 3 scenarios I examine how unclear language causes harm in vulnerable moments.
💟 Because clarity is an act of care.
❓ How do we better approach uncertainty with clarity?
💡 Read the full article: bit.ly/ClarityIsCare
#PublicHealth #ClearCommunication #COVID19 #CrisisCommunication
X
Post graphic copy
“He’s dying.”
It was the first time in 9 months someone could say it.
For 9 months, the oncologist said “let’s take it day by day” instead of the truth.
The cost? Precious, irreplaceable time.
Clarity is an act of care.
Post copy
A hospice nurse was the first person in 9 months who could tell Laura, “He’s dying.
For 9 months, his oncologist used vague, hopeful language instead of what they asked for: the truth.
The cost? Precious, irreplaceable time.
My latest article explores 3 scenarios where unclear language causes harm in vulnerable moments.
💟Clarity is an act of care.
💡Read: [link]
#ClearCommunication #Cancer