A strategic, values-driven communicator turned Ph.D. student
It can be easy for communicators who don’t work in social justice settings to believe “diversity” issues don’t matter in their work. We all must follow a journey to understand that is not the case.
In grad school, I was craving discussions about how to be a responsible—and not just proficient—communicator. I've created a spreadsheet to share resources I've found.
If you're new to my blog, this is a great place to start to learn about me or find a list of my top blogs.
I presented "Demonstrating framing choices as 'relevant and real': A content analysis of the diversity rhetoric used by Fortune 500 companies" at Communicating Diversity.
Communications is a field of few rules, so communicators make subjective decisions every day. This course helps students consider those choices.
For most of my life, I’ve been certain I'd never do a Ph.D., but, as stated in the SOJC’s viewbook, “Great researchers find a thread that fascinates them, and they don’t stop pulling until they’ve unraveled the truth.”
Photo releases exist to protect organizations rather than the people in the photos.
Not lying does not always equal telling the truth.
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.
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.
The power dynamics at play in nonprofit storytelling are complex. It is essential that communicators set aside our preconceived ideas of the “perfect story” so we can listen to and understand the story the individual wishes to share.
Calls for “storytelling” have become ubiquitous for communications professionals. Make sure to consider the needs and wishes of the people you interview when sharing their stories.
Sandra Boone 