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Read. Understand. Apply.
The Warn Room blogs apply 70 years of research to the practice of alerts and warnings. We show how evidence-based changes to message content, style, and structure can create more effective warnings.
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A 5-Star Alert for a Missing Person
This missing person alert is a great example of how to write an actionable message with enough content that a receiver may be able to act...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 25, 2023


Source, Hazard Description, Location, and Time: the importance of a complete message
Actionable alert and warning messages should contain 5 elements: the source, hazard (plus description), location, actionable guidance,...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 22, 2023


Abbreviations and incomplete messages are difficult to understand and act on
An important characteristic of an effective message is it's completeness while being concise. The goal is to deliver enough content that...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 21, 2023


Update the order and visual design to improve message readability.
Message design is more than just the inclusion of contents, it also includes the ordering and the use of visual effects to capture...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 17, 2023


Practice with your alerting software, please.
While you cannot tell it by reading these short WEAs that were issued within about 25 minutes of each other, These messages had the...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 15, 2023


Does sending a WEA reduce call volume?
Every once in a while, The Warn Room will see a WEA that appears to have been issued with the intent of reducing traffic to a local 911...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 13, 2023


Message Content Order Can Affect Readability and Action
Wireless Emergency Alerts are typically sent during periods of imminent threat, where emotions are heightened and information seeking...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 9, 2023


The Importance of Training and Exercises
About once a week we find a message on warn.pbs.org that is clearly incomplete in both the 90 and 360 character WEA fields. But if you...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 7, 2023


Strategies to Provide Additional Information in a WEA
This is a great WEA for illustrating the strategies to include additional information. Sometimes, the content that you need or want to...

Jeannette Sutton
Nov 5, 2023


A Clear, Concise HazMat Message
This message includes the contents that motivate people to act and does so in a clear and concise manner. It provides information about...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 28, 2023


Missing Person Alert Using Plain Language
We frequently see missing persons alerts that are incomplete, difficult to read, and filled with acronyms and jargon. This makes a...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 20, 2023


Punctuation matters
WEA issued for a missing person We don't frequently edit non-warning messages, but given that missing person messages are issued through...

Jeannette Sutton
Oct 1, 2023


Creating internal consistency across messages
Three messages sent from 11:41 pm to 4:55 am in one night. While its uncommon to find multiple messages issued over the course of the...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 30, 2023


WORDS MATTER!
Technical language and jargon may accurately describe the context and the hazard but at what cost? The editor is taking a bit of a detour...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 23, 2023


Content order can affect readability.
Did you know that social scientists investigated the best order of WEA message contents? They did! And it looks something like the...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 23, 2023


A 5 Star Warning!
Issued 9/22/2023 (click image to enlarge) The Warning Gallery loves to display messages that exemplify good messaging. This message,...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 22, 2023


You're yelling again...
This use of ALL CAPS can sure make things difficult for message readers. The Editor took the liberty of making some changes to this WEA....

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 16, 2023


Wildfire Evacuation Zones are coming to a town near you
(click to enlarge image) Evacuation zones can be useful, but only when it follows public education. We've been wondering a lot about the...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 9, 2023


Message content order makes a difference for readability
WEA issued 9/5/2023 When we stumbled across this WEA on pbs.warn, the thing that popped out was the idea of an "over wall moving...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 6, 2023


Write with Style that catches the EYE
One of the strategies to improve message readability is to use a mix of upper and lower case letters. This will naturally draw the...

Jeannette Sutton
Sep 2, 2023
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