All communicators must understand the power and responsibility that comes with our role as storytellers and gatekeepers of information.
Join me in exploring what it means to be a responsible — rather than
merely proficient — communicator. New here? This blog can get you started.
Recent Writing
Rethinking the photo release
Photo releases exist to protect organizations rather than the people in the photos. That’s why communicators must do more when asking to take photos of clients for publicity purposes. We must ensure they know they can say no, and we must ensure that refusal won’t mean they are blocked from our services/events.
MPD PIO John Elder’s unintentional lesson for all communicators
On May 30, 2020, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a press release stating a “suspect” died after experiencing “medical distress” during a “police interaction”. That person was George Floyd, and that press release should make all communicators consider how organization-first thinking can justify only telling our preferred narrative.
What you think does not matter: 5 things your communications staff wants to tell you
Nonprofit communicators touch all parts of an organization but, often, own no specific part. That means we care about some things that seem weird to others, but matter a lot to us.
Notes from “Consent and the Protocols and Ethics of Photographing People”
People of color and individuals from traditionally marginalized populations have seen images of themselves or people like them misused over and over again. Communicators must rethink how we think of photography.
Sandra Boone 