Politely Educating the Media about Translation and Interpretation

Grattitude and Civility
It is great when journalists and reporters make an effort to cover the translation, interpretation, and localization industries. We who work in the industry should be grateful. When we provide feedback to these journalists and reporters, we should encourage such coverage and emphasize our grattitute because they are doing us a service.

Many of us often forget this when we provide feedback. Just as most customers do, we provide feedback only when we have a complaint. One of the most common complaints we have about media coverage of our industry is that reporters and journalists regularly confuse the terms "translation" and "interpretation" or "translator" and "interpreter." Yes, this does feel quite exhasperating after the hundredth time, but we need to remember that we probably also did not know the difference long before we entered the profession. I sure didn't!

Let us continue to educate members of the media by providing feedback because it will help them maintain journalistic credibility and it will help to properly educate others about the language industry. However, let us always remember to be polite and civil. Above all, let's make an effort to thank members of the media for covering topics related to our industry. Thank them even if their coverage contains a few errors, and thank them even more when when they do it accurately!

Potential Side Benefit: Increased Media Coverage
Imagine the increase in positive and accurate media coverage if one hundred or more of us made the effort to regularly thank journalists and reporters for covering our industry! It is only natural that members of the media will want to cover our industry more if they receive positive feedback. Likewise, it is only natural that they will better accept correction that is given very kindly and politely with an emphasis on how grateful we are that they cover the industry.

Suggestion
When applicable to your feedback, you might consider directing journalists and reporters to this article about the difference between translation and interpretation. It includes simple explanations, an illustration, and various authoritative quotes for those who need a little extra convincing. Hopefully all readers will find the explanation very clear, teachable readers will find the article helpful, and even the most stubborn of readers will not be left with any doubt about the difference between translation and interpretation.