Active voice names the actor before the action: ‘The company recalled the product.’ Passive voice puts the receiver first: ‘The product was recalled by the company.’ Either can be grammatical and useful. In public relations, the main question is whether the sentence clearly tells readers who did what and why the order matters.
Use active voice for clear responsibility
A launch, partnership, correction, or customer instruction often benefits from a direct subject and verb. ‘The team published the report on Tuesday’ is shorter and clearer than ‘The report was published by the team on Tuesday.’ In a difficult announcement, naming the organization as the actor can also demonstrate accountability.
Vague passive constructions can hide an important decision: ‘Mistakes were made’ leaves the reader to ask by whom. If the actor is known and relevant, name it. If the facts are still being investigated, state that plainly rather than using grammar to suggest that no one is responsible.
Know when passive voice helps
Sometimes the affected person or result matters most: ‘Three customers were notified’ may be the appropriate lead if the next sentence identifies who notified them and why. Passive voice can also be useful when the actor is unknown or irrelevant. The problem is not the form itself; it is leaving out information the audience needs.
Compare ‘The shipment was delayed’ with ‘A supplier delay pushed the shipment to Friday.’ The second sentence supplies both cause and timing if those facts are verified. If the cause is unknown, say ‘We are investigating the delay and will update customers by Friday’ rather than inventing one.
Edit sentence by sentence
Circle the main verb and ask who performed it. If the answer is absent, decide whether the actor should be added. Then check whether the sentence still puts the reader’s most important fact near the front. A rigid rule to eliminate every ‘was’ can produce awkward copy and does not automatically improve accuracy.
Also watch nominalizations, such as ‘the implementation of the expansion was undertaken.’ Recast them as actions: ‘The company expanded the service.’ Keep qualifiers that change the meaning, including planned, tested, or limited to certain locations.
Apply the choice across the release
Review the headline, lead, quotes, and correction notices. Does each sentence make the scope and status of the action clear? A quote can be conversational, but it should not contradict a precise factual statement in the surrounding copy. The best voice choice is the one that helps readers understand the verified event.
PRSA’s ethics guidance emphasizes truthful, accurate communication. Sentence structure is one tool for meeting that standard: it should clarify responsibility, not conceal it. Read the final version aloud and ask a colleague whether any action still sounds agentless or ambiguous.