How Can We Sustainably Engage With the Media As Changemakers?
How Can We Sustainably Engage With the Media As Changemakers?
April's question challenges us to learn about our secondary trauma responses, focus on good news, evaluate how we use social media, and figure out the art of cocooning!
Hey Changemakers!
A friend was telling me about the draining texts she was getting from a family member about the news. Whew! It was too much! In addition, the U.S. political season hasn’t even come on in full force, and I’m hearing from more and more people who are already quitting engaging in the news or another form of media.
Trust me, I get it. It begs the question, though, how do we engage with social issues, news cycles, and social media in a sustainable ways as changemakers?
This is such a relevant question to all of us, that no matter what brand of Changemaker we are, that I wanted to focus April’s “The Table” Newsletter on it.
As always, let’s start with a list of what I’m covering. Go to what might help you below:
1.) Responding With Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn
2.) When It Is Time to Cocoon From the News
3.) Five Phases of Rising Up Guide
4.) On Stories and GOOD NEWS!
5.) Should You Be on Social Media?
6.) Making Your Media Plan
#1. Responding with Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn
Besides knowing the headlines, these days I personally can’t take too much in. Especially in response to the Israel-Palestine conflict, whose gory details are splattered all over the news. Have you ever watched a story on the news and felt pretty overwhelmed? This makes sense, it shouldn’t be a surprise we are going to respond to the injustices we see and hear of. But did you know that our responses reflect the trauma responses of flight, flight, freeze and fawn.
#2. When It Is Time to Cocoon From the News
How much news is too much news? How do we handle stepping back when there is so much we need to stay active in?
Check out the article, Art of Advocacy: When It’s Time to Cocoon to help you see when and how to make boundaries around news consumption.
#3. Five Phases of Rising Up Guide
How you deal with all the noise around you largely depends on where you are in the Five Phases of Rising Up and what your next step is to become a more healthy, sustainable changemaker. If you aren’t yet familiar with where you are on the journey, I highly encourage you find out! Grab the free guide here!
#4. On Stories and Good News
Let’s break from all the negative news talk and listen to this author as she talk about how one woman can change the world! I highly respect this communications expert, who has worked for both the news media and at a nonprofit. She shared with us about engaging in others’ stories and how those stories can change the world.
Although our interview wasn’t specifically on “good news,” Ronnie Rock wove a perspective on goodness into everything as she shared from her wisdom. I felt so encouraged from this conversation and I think you will, too!
Here are some (but not all!) of what we covered!
🌿 The value of storytelling and listening in changemaking
🌿 Sustainable practices from both a personal and nonprofit perspective
🌿 Being changed as we change the world
🌿 Finding your path and purpose
🌿 Making mistakes
🌿 Growing in confidence
🌿 Recognizing and see good in stories
🌿 Knowing what to focus on
🌿 The book, One Woman Can Change the World! 🌎
Be sure to follow @ronnerock! Oh, and definitely grab her book for you or a friend and be inspired!
Take a listen to this short episode of #JusticeDaily and stay tuned to when it is released on the podcast too!
Get the book here for you or a friend to be inspired! (this is an affiliate post which doesn't affect you but helps me buy coffee!)
#5. Should You Be on Social Media?
This month I took a break from compiling the monthly advocacy days and themes to rest and travel (I’m telling you so you can see me trying to live what I preach!). Instead of telling you what you can join in advocating about on social media, I wanted us to tune into whether we even want to engage with or be on social media.
If you’ve heard from me before on these topics, you will know I have a lot of boundaries with and a mixed relationship with the tools of social media (and that is all they are—tools!). I’m okay with that. But what about you? I encourage you to be intentional, especially before the political season starts!
These two were written long ago, but the end of each post has reflection questions to help you process your relationship with social media:
This interview might also be great for you to listen to:
#6. Making Your Media Plan
I’m sure you’ve picked up on it by now, but if not, I’m a co-active coach. One of the areas I am specifically trained in is how to help communicators (like writers) figure out how to become intentional with the way they engage with news and media. In Life Mapping (another type of coaching I practice) we also delve’s into aligning vision with goals, and sustainable planning to help you thrive. I am confident I have the skills to help you.
Changemaker, the way you engage with media doesn’t have to be a struggle. If you’ve felt stuck in this before, I invite you to schedule a one-time hour-long conversation with me. At minimum, it will help you become intentional for a season. And it might even give you what you need to change your life! Through the end of May 2024, I will offer these one-time media planning sessions for $65 instead of my typical coaching prices. Reply to this email, schedule, or go here to learn more about coaching!
The way we engage with the media affects us deeply as Changemakers, from helping us learn, giving us a way to connect with others, and find joy in good stories, or it can give us secondary trauma and sucking our time and intention away.
I wish you the best as you engage with it! I’m curious, what helps YOU engage in healthy sustainable ways with the news and other media? Let us know about them in the comments! I would love this to be a conversation!
Until next month, from another everyday advocate,
P.S. Share this with someone who might be helped and let me know which of the sections helped you the most!