The current administration's undermining of federal agencies' communication functions is now compounded by the loss of the dedicated federal website, plainlanguage.gov. Trimming and merging this website with digital.gov might seem a minor thing, but CDC removed its dedicated health literacy website, cdc.gov/healthliteracy too. These high visibility websites provided the official federal standards, guidance, and training resources for many other organizations and professionals. Now the plain language standards are called the "principles of plain language." So, the federal Plain Writing Act of 2010 remains the law for federal agencies, although they have severely diminished capacity for public communication and downgraded resources.
RIP PlainLanguage.gov! 😥 And just like that, the U.S. government's website promoting plain language is gone. Now, the URL routes people to Digital.gov. While that site preserves some guidance on how to use plain language, it's nowhere near the robust resource it once was. PlainLanguage.gov was a tool to help government communicators uphold the Plain Writing Act of 2010. It was also a public resource, reinforcing the importance of receiving clear communications from your government. Even as the U.S. government turns away from plain language, its principles are more vital than ever. Transparency, simplicity, and empathy will always matter. So, a huge thank you to everyone who made PlainLanguage.gov the resource that it was. Fortunately, you can find the archived website here: https://lnkd.in/evcDGVqi And to the public servants working in the federal government who still embrace plain language — thank you! We see you. We're here with you. Together, we'll care to be clear!
All.That.Work. It's incredibly frustrating and the public is who loses. So sad.
This is very alarming.
LinkedIn really needs a "sad" reaction button.