I am a firm believer that news reporters and quite frankly, anyone giving a speech or presentation, should use terms or words that everyone is familiarity with. I was watching a news story on how many Americans have little or no savings despite the economy seeming to be strong. The reporter said is this a warning that the economy isn’t that great for the working class, but the reporter used the term “is this a canary in the coal mine” situation.
Though the reporter correctly used the term “canary in the coal mine,” the question is how many people know what that means. The term is used to denote a warning. Coal miners used to take a caged canary into a coal mine to determine the level of carbon monoxide and other gases present in the mine. If the canary died or got sick before the miners left the mine, then the workers knew that was a warning that the toxicity level in the mine is dangerous.
I think reporters and other public officials should use analogies and terms that everyone understands. I doubt many people understand the term or know the story that created this saying. I am not suggesting we dumb down our language, we just have to make sure we explain sayings and analogies that many may not know. If you can’t explain it, don’t use it.