Global Audience


Rule: With a global audience in mind, avoid using any language that is offensive to any culture or heritage.

  • Correct: This Boilermaker variation features stout beer, Irish cream and Irish whiskey.
  • Incorrect: Serve Irish car bombs with your favorite salty snack foods. (This is offensive to those of Irish heritage.)


Assumptions About Audience


Rule: Avoid making assumptions about a reader’s sex, age, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, culture or heritage unless relevant to the text. (It's safe to assume marriage, for instance, in an article about divorce proceedings.)

  • Correct: As a parent, you are responsible for your child’s nutrient intake.
  • Incorrect: Use your maternal instinct when deciding whether or not to call the pediatrician. (Assumes the parent is a mother.)


Generalizations


Rule: Avoid making blanket statements and generalizations about your audience. Stick to fact-based content. 

  • Correct: According to a poll by Zappos, the average woman owns 19 pairs of shoes.
  • Incorrect: Everyone knows that all women want a closet full of shoes.


  • Correct: Visit your professor during office hours if you have concerns about your performance.
  • Incorrect: You want to make sure you talk to your professors. (You don’t know for sure what the reader wants.)