INFORMATIVE VERSUS PERSUASIVE

There are two ways to write a letter to the editor or you state or federal representative or to make a speech: Informative and Persuasive.

Are you old enough to remember the cop show, Dragnet with Detective Sergeant Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and his partner Officer Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan)? If not, you really need to watch what a cop show was like in the 1950s and 1960s.

Anyway, There was a catchphrase that went along with the show. In it’s second season, Joe Friday while interrogating a woman muttered “all we want are the facts, ma’am.” The shortened phrase of “Just the facts, ma’am” was never uttered by Friday.

We have comedian Stan Freberg to thank for that. During the second season of Dragnet, Freberg released his parody “St. George and the Dragonet”. During one of the scenes, St. George utters the phrase “just the facts, ma’am.” It stuck.

Well, that is what an informational letter or speech is about, just the facts. How do do something, what the problem is, directions to a local hangout. It is simple and straight forward, just the facts.

A persuasion letter or speech takes one more step. If you are just stating the facts of a problem, you are doing nothing more than complaining. The next step is to tell your audience what they need to do to fix the problem, the action statement. Volunteer at the local food bank, write or call your state or federal legislator, make your voice heard at the next city council meeting.

Action statements are very clear and exact. There is dilly-dallying around. This is the problem and this is what you need to do. Be assertive, not aggressive, but be clear.

I used to ask my college students at the end of the session three questions. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? How do I fix it? That last is the action statement.