How Many Communicators Does it Take to Screw the Status Quo?

Cross-posted from Organizing Upgrade.

A brief timeline of communications in the grassroots organizing sector since the year 2000.

2000
Q: How many communicators does it take to screw the status quo?
A: Zero.  Communicators don’t screw the status quo, they screw us by taking money we could be spending on organizers.  

2003
Q: How many communicators does it take to screw the status quo?
A: 1/2.  If 1/2 of one person faxes out enough press releases, eventually the status quo will be screwed.

2007
Q: How many communicators does it take to screw the status quo?
A. One.  If one person does some magic framing and gets onto myspace/facebook/twitter, sooner or later the status quo will be screwed.

2010
Q: How many communicators does it take to screw the status quo?
A. One for every organization and alliance. To develop narratives, to lead with values, to get 1000+ facebook/twitter/instagram followers, and to screw the status quo!

2012
Q: How many communicators does it take to screw the status quo?
A: An entire workforce of 21st-century communicators, skilled in the arts of strategic persuasion, imagination and inspiration, with a cornucopia of talents and covering a rainbow of issues — all politically coordinated to together screw the status quo!

Q: Okay…sounds nice.  But ummm…how we gonna pay for that?!

Okay, so maybe this is just a brief history of my own experience with communications in the sector.  And maybe it’s a tad bit oversimplified.

READ THE REST HERE

Tags: Featured, jen soriano, organizing upgrade, Strategic communications

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