Why Translation Matters in Politics

If nothing else, the current dramas and controversies that play out on a seemingly daily basis in the run up to the American presidential election have provided a lot of topics for conversation. But that’s only if you can understand the conversation. And lots of those exchanges are happening on social media. There are a few good reasons for why translating social media is so important.

Politics Affects Everyone

It is especially important to ensure accuracy is these policies or ideas so that everyone understands exactly what is at stake.

If you’re British, you may not think that anything that happens in America affects you, but with the interconnected global village we now live in, this is no longer the case. For example, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union is having a profound impact on all the countries in the Union. So when something important happens in the political sphere of a country like China, Russia, the United States or the Middle East region, there is potential “fallout” or “blow back” for everyone. Ensuring that new global political policies declared by other countries is understood by nations outside that governing country is important for everyone. It is especially important to ensure accuracy is these policies or ideas so that everyone understands exactly what is at stake.

Social Media Is Easy To Mess Up

Depending on the kind of social media you’re dealing with, such as Twitter’s 140-character limit, finding a succinct yet accurate way to translate an entire political policy can be a daunting challenge. For an amateur it may be nearly impossible, and even for seasoned translators, social media limitations can impose restrictions that create huge difficulty spikes in making sure a message gets across.

And yet at the same time, because so many people consume social media, this is a platform you really want to get right. For many people, especially in the millennial generation, social media is now their first point of contact for finding out about news events and even political developments. Accuracy is important.

It Encourages Engagement

The biggest difference between social media and other traditional forms of media is that it is interactive. Once something is posted, people can comment on it, discuss it and engage with each other and whoever originally made the post. This means that in order for meaningful discussion to occur, everyone has to have a clear idea of what is being discussed.

If the political idea or message conveyed in social media is incorrect, then the entire conversation is already starting off on the wrong foot. With something as complex and ongoing as political discussions, this can lead to lengthy attempts to simply parse what the actual topic is really about. It’s important for any political message to be clear so that the discussion about it can also be clear.

This is one of the reasons why professional language translation services can be so important. Not just for politics, but for medicine/health, IT, marketing, and many other areas of communication. Talk to us today to find out more about we can make sure your message is heard and understood.