Words that Work Evil

Words don't kill people; people who twist the words to hide the reality kill people

Today on Fresh Air, Frank Luntz Explains 'Words That Work' to Terry Gross. Gaming instead of gambling, exploring instead of drilling. My favorite line is his characterization of the word "Orwellian" as a condition of "linguistic clarity" rather than manipulative political double-speak.

Fresh Air from WHYY, January 9, 2007 — Republican pollster Frank Luntz advises politicians on the language they should use to win elections and promote their policies. Although he works on one side of the aisle, he says that what he does is essentially nonpartisan, seeking clarity and simplicity in language. His critics disagree, and have accused him of using language that misrepresents policies to "sell" them to the public. Frank Luntz is the author of Words That Work.

I was hoping Terry also interviewed Democratic metaphor-meister George Lakoff, but my search did turn up 'Talking Right': Why the Left Is Losing, Linguistically with linguist Geoff Nunberg.

Fresh Air from WHYY, July 6, 2006 · In his new book, Talking Right, linguist Geoff Nunberg examines the parlance of the American political right. Conservatives, Nunberg notes, have been remarkably effective at creating a language through which to convey their agenda. The subtitle of his book illustrates what he's getting at: "How Conservatives Turned Liberalism into a Tax-Raising, Latte-Drinking, Sushi-Eating, Volvo-Driving, New York Times-Reading, Body-Piercing, Hollywood-Loving, Left-Wing Freak Show." Nunberg, who teaches at the University of California-Berkeley, is a researcher at the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University. He is also the author of Going Nucular and The Way We Talk Now.

Searching NPR also turned up "News Outlets Choosing their Words Carefully"

Morning Edition, February 28, 2005 · Some news organizations are giving extra thought to how they use words and phrases like reform, moral values, and war on terror. Brooke Gladstone of NPR's On the Media explores how some media outlets decide what to say, and how to say it.