In this period of great uncertainty there is considerable anxiety among people. With this in mind, I want to explore how effectively the Italian state communicates with its public.
The combination of content and style in written or spoken language can do many things. It can inform, confuse, encourage, alert, inspire, anger and entertain. It can trigger doubt, fear, frustration, joy, passion, faith, empathy, curiosity and anything else in the vast range of human emotions.
However, when public institutions communicate with the people they serve their language should have one objective - to be clearly understood. Language should be simple whenever possible in order to clarify a message.
Below is a direct comparison between the British and Italian governments' websites on the topic of financial support for businesses and workers; an important issue on which millions of ordinary people need to be informed.
* Both web pages were found by simply entering a few key words into a Google search on 4 May: uk government coronavirus business support, governo italiano sostegno fiscale coronavirus.
(Click on the respective flags to view the webpages).
As you can immediately see, there are significant differences between both pages. The British government's webpage is simple to read. Its language is direct and clear; well organised into bullet points and headings. It also channels readers into different information sections through a series of drop down menus and clickable links. It is sophisticated in its simplicity and brings clarity to readers on the key issues they need to know about.
Conversely, the Italian government's page is difficult to read. For such a high profile easily found webpage it is ineffective. It fails to communicate with the people who need key information about government support.
Instead of responding directly in plain language to the specific worries of citizens, the majority of whom are not university educated, the Italian government has instead shared what seems to be the full legal text of the new decree. Why would millions of Italians be interested in a lengthy legal text?
Such a decision once again demonstrates the chasm between the Italian political culture and the average man or woman on the street. Unfortunately this is not something new. Just as a customer service culture is largely absent in Italy, particularly in public services, the Italian establishment does not recognise the need to adapt its formal, bureacratic approach in order to help its people, even in a time of great crisis.
On this occasion, the British government must have largely managed to reassure people of its fiscal polices and put many of their minds at ease, while the Italian government's mishandling of their own communication has no doubt led to unnecessary anxiety and a multitude of phonecalls and emails to exhausted customer service workers.
As a solution to Italy's inappropriately formal use of language, its leaders would do well to learn from a small organisation set up in Britain over 40 years ago. The Plain English Campaign has transformed the way many organisations, both public and private, communicate more clearly with the public, just by promoting the use of simpler language.
It is now time for a Plain Italian Campaign to sweep across Italian Public Administration.
Update: the webpage on the Italian government's website that I originally referred to (http://www.governo.it/it/curaitalia-misure-economiche) has now been archived and despite spending several hours searching for it, I have been unable to locate it. Therefore, I have changed the link to a similar page found in the archive.
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