Turn on your phone, TV, or computer, and it’s difficult to escape distressing or sensitive stories. The world is moving at a fast pace, and challenging subjects are now unavoidable.

Whether you’re covering current events, analysing trends, or communicating with clients, your written work exists within this wider context, and it’s important to be aware and considerate of it.

Without the right care and approach when covering sensitive topics, your writing may be interpreted as tone-deaf or opportunistic.

So, it’s important to strike the right balance between understanding the purpose of your work and the weight certain topics carry.

Here are four questions to ask yourself when writing about sensitive subjects.

1. Why are you writing about this?

The first question is the “why” of the piece. You may be referencing a significant global event, but what is your specific reason for doing so?

Is it directly relevant to your overall goal and message, or are you using it to support a point that could work without it? If it is relevant, how have you signalled its relevance and developed it throughout the piece?

It’s also worth asking whether the writing would lose meaning without the reference. If it would, that suggests it is likely doing important work in the piece. If not, the connection may feel unnecessary or even exploitative.

So, it’s important to be clear on the purpose of your writing and the inclusion of any sensitive topics to ensure they earn their place in the narrative and are used appropriately.

2. What is your audience’s likely frame of mind?

It’s important to recognise that your audience may have a very different relationship to a sensitive topic than you or other readers do.

Some may be directly affected by the issue you are referencing. Others may be emotionally fatigued by it. Some may agree with certain actions, while others may be opposed to them. All of these readers will approach your writing from different starting points.

Being aware of these different contexts can help you maintain a neutral and calm voice that isn’t there to judge any of the opinions or experiences your readers may have.

Unless you’re writing a piece of comment journalism, neutrality is generally a strong position, as it opens you up to a wider audience while keeping your voice authoritative.

3. Have you hit the right tone?

It’s easy to simply say “sound neutral”, but how is that done? Tone is often where writing about sensitive issues succeeds or fails.

There are a few common mistakes to avoid:

• Overly emotive language – Check your adverbs and adjectives for their emotional register. Words like “awfully”, “terrible”, or “horrific” all carry significant weight, so consider removing them.
• Euphemisms that soften or distort reality – Referring to big events euphemistically can sometimes trivialise what is being described. For example, calling a war a “scuffle” may be upsetting for someone to read if they have been directly affected by it.
• First-person perspective – Unless the piece directly calls for it, it’s likely best to avoid “I”, “me”, or “we” to reduce personal bias. It may be better to use phrases like “the data suggests” or “one can conclude” instead of “I think”.
• Absolute language – Words such as “always”, “never”, or “totally” are unlikely to be true and can be overwhelming for readers.

Accuracy and authority are typically more effective than emphasis, and using neutral language allows the subject to carry its own weight.

4. Are you exploiting the issue?

When referencing difficult events, your writing shouldn’t feel exploitative. Not only would this be unfair to the event and the people whose lives are affected by it, but it could also undermine your position as a writer by making it look as if the piece is capitalising on an important situation.

Even well-meaning writing can come across badly if it appears to use sensitive subject matter as a way to attract attention or add impact.

A useful test is to ask whether the reference is genuinely informative or whether it’s functioning mainly as a hook.

To avoid crossing that line, it’s a good idea to try to refrain from using suffering or distress as a framing device. For instance, be cautious of using headlines such as “What [a significant global event] means for you” when it feels disconnected from the subject itself.

If the inclusion of a sensitive topic doesn’t deepen understanding, it’s worth reconsidering whether it should be there at all.

Get in touch

If you’re covering sensitive issues and need help with your approach, our content and social media teams can help. Email hi@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to speak to us today.