You are here:   Sustaining and Refining the Effort  >   Communication and Media

Communication and Media

Communication strategies have many purposes in racial equity work. People often think of using communication strategies to get attention to their work, to mobilize various groups to act and as a way to let people know how your work fits with (or in opposition to) theirs. Communication strategies are also often tied to accountability strategies - for example, in the case of publicly distributed community report cards that show progress toward or away from racial equity goals.

But communication also supports or challenges a "narrative" of race, and that narrative affects a whole range of decisions and outcomes. (See Communication as a Strategy to Sustain and Expand the Work, for more information about the "narrative.") Institutions in the communication business are also targets for change. For example, the media is an institution that shapes and reflects culture. It helps people form opinions about who is dangerous and who is not, what leadership is and who can be a leader, whether or not a policy being considered is likely to benefit you or not. Traditional media reinforce and maintain the dominant culture. Thus, strategies that use the media to deliver different stories about people that challenge dominant assumptions are important.

Specific topics covered:

• Communication as a Strategy to Sustain and Expand the Work - includes resources on using communication as a strategy to pursue racial equity goals, including how to frame messages for various groups.
• Communication Methods
• Working with the Media - provides information on how to develop relationships and work with media.
• Demographics and National Attitude Surveys - provides demographic data and information about (and from) some national surveys. This information can help you frame and target your communication strategies and messages.