I moderated an online discussion on ArtTribesNetwork, on engaging your audience to combat issue fatigue. The discussion participants were from The Fledgling Fund, Cinereach, the Center for Social Media at American University, The Skoll Foundation, Global Grassroots, The Tiziano Project, the NYC Leadership Academy and the Miami International Film Festival, as well as two independent filmmakers (Brian Glazer, Producer of What We Got: DJ Spooky’s Quest for the Commons, and Marilyn Perez) and a social media expert (Howard Greenstein). We fleshed out some interesting ideas during the hour.
The transcript is online at ArtTribesNetwork.com. Here is a brief summary of the discussion:
Causes of issue fatigue
We briefly discussed causes of issue fatigue (also calling it compassion fatigue or psychic numbing). One reason audiences might disengage from a cause is their perception that there has either been no effective activism strategy put into place, or that there is no effective intervention or forward movement arising from activist efforts.
Another currently relevant reason is the economic crisis that affects our interests at home, which cause audience members to focus less on “distant” issues.
Similarly, issue fatigue hits audiences for causes that are large (hitting vast numbers of people) and/or “removed” from audience members’ daily lives faster than for issues to which they can relate personally or which center on one person in particular.
Keeping issue fatigue at bay
Discussion participants detailed their recommendations for keeping their audiences interested and committed. While you can’t necessarily apply the same questions and strategies to social issue media projects that have disparate or unique goals, the participants did come up with an overarching framework for most social issue media campaigns.
(1) Start with
(a) An exceptionally committed outreach team
(b) Sufficient resources to carry through your outreach and engagement plans
(c) A select, interested audience that will help you move the issue forward by engaging in activism and increase audience numbers by spreading the word, and
(d) Clear outreach goals for each audience segment.
(2) Given that issue fatigue hits when audience members feel disconnected, audience members must feel as if they belong to the movement and feel ownership over the outcome of activist efforts. Our participants talked about the importance of creating a personal, emotional connection to the cause through
(a) Visual imagery,
(b) A strong narrative that focuses on the story of one affected person (be that a witness, victim or survivor), and
(c) The opportunity to contribute through user-generated media.
(3) Social issue media campaigns built on slow, collective and continual action are most effective. The more people are exposed to the message through multiple media, the more likely they'll be to respond and/or take action. Therefore, campaigns must provide a pathway to action through creative opportunities for engagement.
It helps to engage in transmedia efforts, by continually creating and delivering new media, information, technologies and opportunities in order to maintain attention, through multiple distribution channels (traditional as well as digital and online), along with the opportunity to engage personally and collectively, in the real world.
(4) To communicate with your base, participants agreed that web 2.0 tools and social networks create an instant, global audience and deliver media and information most effectively. Digital communications tools are particularly useful for convening people virtually; sharing information, resources and referrals; getting attention; and inviting participation. In addition, you can encourage your audience to promote your message to their contacts in their own words.
(5) Audience members respond when the issue is highlighted in the local or national press, as this keeps driving and creating new interest in the issue.
(6) Finally, audience members also respond when they see their efforts are working. Therefore, participants encouraged providing feedback loops and impact measurements.
MediaRights.org article on transmedia activism
MediaRights, a project of ArtsEngine, Inc., maximizes the the impact of social-issue documentaries and shorts within its community by helping filmmakers reach audiences, educators and librarians bring films into their classroom, and nonprofits and activists integrate media into their campaigns. They recently published my article on transmedia activism at their site. Thanks to Kasmore Rhedick, the online editor, for a great editing job.
User-generated mashups changing the face of copyright law
ZDNet published a piece today about copyright law and the need to adapt IP laws to the Internet-driven cultural shift towards user-generated related content and participation. Brad Lichtenstein (friend, colleague, filmmaker, and the original inspiration for my work on transmedia activism), who is active in thinking and writing about the commons, posted a comment on his site about participation and the public domain. Thanks to him for continuing the conversation.
Generating mashups (fair use derivative works) and the use of orphan works are two very pertinent legal issues currently facing social change media. While most people don't dispute the rights of artists and creators over their content and the ways that content is used or disseminated, I wonder if, in thinking about media for social change, we should revisit "fair use" in the context of educational or charitable purpose or some analogous purpuse. (Or if someone already has?). The Copyright Act currently allows for performances of a non-dramatic or musical work in educational or religious assembly contexts. What if that notion were expanded beyond performances to include mashups, derivative content, sampling, or use of orphans works? I'm not certain that would be a popular stance, but perhaps it's worth exploring.
(For more information about legal issues surrounding user-generated content, The Center for Social Media has a number of great papers and discussions on its site.)
Generating mashups (fair use derivative works) and the use of orphan works are two very pertinent legal issues currently facing social change media. While most people don't dispute the rights of artists and creators over their content and the ways that content is used or disseminated, I wonder if, in thinking about media for social change, we should revisit "fair use" in the context of educational or charitable purpose or some analogous purpuse. (Or if someone already has?). The Copyright Act currently allows for performances of a non-dramatic or musical work in educational or religious assembly contexts. What if that notion were expanded beyond performances to include mashups, derivative content, sampling, or use of orphans works? I'm not certain that would be a popular stance, but perhaps it's worth exploring.
(For more information about legal issues surrounding user-generated content, The Center for Social Media has a number of great papers and discussions on its site.)
Riptide Communications - a new affiliation
Riptide Communications provides press, public relations, and strategic communications services to groups and individuals committed to progressive social change, designing and executing effective media campaigns that play a pivotal role in promoting international human rights, peace and social justice, worker and immigrant rights, and environmental justice and public health causes. I am pleased to announce Lina Srivastava Consulting is now affiliated with Riptide Communications, to lend counsel on strategic planning, storytelling, new media and innovation, and to access their talents on press and public relations.
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