The verbal message comprises the following concepts:

ACCURACY (Is the information provided in the spoken words correct? Does the information provided in the spoken words apply to the intended audience? Does the information provided in the spoken words overstate/understate the problem?) CLARITY (Are the spoken words understandable? Can the spoken words be heard?) EFFECTIVENESS (Is the information that is provided in the spoken words informative? Is the information provided in the spoken words useful? Is the amount of information provided in the spoken words adequate?) INTEREST (Are the spoken words presented in an interesting manner? Is the information provided in the spoken words interesting?) OFFENSE (Is the information provided in the spoken words offensive?) PROMOTION OF PARTICULAR BEHAVIOR (Does the information provided in the spoken words encourage individuals to seek health care? Does the information provided in the spoken words remove fear and/or apathy?) CREDIBILITY (Are the sources provided in the spoken words believable?) LANGUAGE (Are the spoken words pleasant? Do the spoken words carry positive meanings?)

Audiovisual cancer materials should be designed to deliver the intended message using common, non-technical words and terms that are familiar to African Americans. The audiovisual should also include accurate statistics that can help members of the African-American community understand the information. If technical jargon or unfamiliar words are used, they should be defined in the material. The use of wordy sentences and offensive, stereotypical (generalized) language should be avoided. Stereotypes are defined as any consistent representation of a group by verbal, written, or pictorial means which ultimately suggests that all members of the group are the same.[20] Instead, slogans and dialects consistent with those of the audience should be used to deliver the message.

Questions that will help in the development of the verbal message of an audiovisual cancer education material for African Americans are listed below.

Can the spoken language (words) be heard? Does the verbal message (language, accent, dialect) communicate the intended message? Is the verbal message familiar to the intended audience? Can the verbal message be comprehended by the intended audience? Is the verbal message presented in an interesting manner? Does the verbal message carry positive meaning? Is the verbal message free from stereotypical meaning? Is the health-related information (e.g., statistics) provided in the verbal message accurate? Are the statistics presented in the verbal message appropriate for the intended audience? (For example, complex graphs with many statistics would not be appropriate for most low-literacy audiences.) Are the medical terms used in the verbal message understandable to the intended audience? (For example, the word spread is used in place of the word metastasis.) Are cancer signs and symptoms discussed in a way that is understandable to the intended audience?

Avoid using slang or outdated terminology in the verbal message that might be offensive to African Americans. Also, avoid portraying African Americans as victims of cancer--which suggests that African Americans have no control over their situation, especially in terms of decreasing cancer incidence and mortality in the African-American community. Terms to avoid include the following: "Boy" when meaning to address a man. "Gal" when meaning to address a woman. "You people" or "those people" when meaning to address a particular audience. "Minority" when meaning to address ethnic groups other than Whites or Anglos. "Targeting" when meaning to indicate intended for. "Negro" or "Black" when African American is preferred. "Colored" when meaning to indicate people of color.