Social Equity and Mass Media – How Nonprofits Can Build A Better Digital World

Think of internet access like food access. Most Americans have access to food – but that does not mean that the food is equal in terms of quality, cost or nutrition. People living in poverty have less access to nutritious foods and are more likely to purchase cheaply processed junk food, which if left unchecked, can lead to a host of health problems later on.  As internet expansion increases and more people have access through cheaper smartphone and school laptops, it shouldn’t be assumed that everyone has the same digital experiences or advantages. Media literacy skills and digital manipulation limit the ways in which people experience (or don’t experience) the internet.  As nonprofit organizations turn to technology to help reach vulnerable populations, they need to remember that disparities still exist and that their communication strategies need to be flexible for multiple audiences.  

According to Taranu, the quality of internet experience is a key concern in reducing social inequity.  But limited media literacy skills and digital manipulation (such as Google or Facebook algorithms) keep people in digital silos, creating deep social divisions (2011).  Facebook and its algorithms prioritize content you have previously liked (Granados, 2016). So if you like a friends photo or shared link, more content from that particular friend will be shown more and more in your newsfeeds– making it more likely you will click on her information more often. Add to that we are often friends with people that share similar interests, values and beliefs. So, the news your friends are sharing is likely to be news you approve of – which doesn’t mean it is always accurate, unbiased or trustworthy.

Social media is all about feeling included in something bigger than yourself. That is why we get little rush of adrenaline when someone likes our photo or comments on a post or retweets us.  Nonprofits and other grassroots organizations should capitalize of the desire to belong and share information and opinions. This need for inclusion is a brilliant way to grow an audience and build a digital following – no matter if you are a healthcare nonprofit, community resource, youth organization. The biggest advantage of technology for nonprofits is the ability to use social media to create virtual spaces to collaborate and share resources and empower others (Hernandez, Robles, & Martinez, 2013).  

Image Source: https://www.infohio.org/blog/item/let-s-get-real-about-fake-news

Nonprofits need to recognize that social media is about conversations, not a soapbox.  People gravitate online to like-minded groups and – as seen in the 2016 US Presidential Election. In the wake of fake news and an increasing skepticism in journalism, it’s important for nonprofits to present information that is transparent and easy to understand and includes all people, not just those individuals who support their platform. For example, a substance use prevention coalition needs to appeal to many different sectors – some of which diverge in opinion. The law enforcement sector may have a different view of the opioid epidemic as a disease versus a choice than the health care or social work sector. Nonprofits need to be able to effectively communicate across opinions, to build capacityand collaboration.    

References 

Gilmore, J. N. (2017). From ticks and tocks to budges and nudges: the smartwatch and the haptics of informatic culture. Television & News Media , 189-202.

Granados, N. (2016, June 30). How Facebook biases your newsfeed . Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nelsongranados/2016/06/30/how-facebook-biases-your-news-feed/#55d800cd1d51Hernandez, E., Robles, M., & Martinez, J. (2013). Interactive youth and civic cultures: the educational, mediatic and political meaning of the 15M. Scientific Journal of Media Education , 59-67.

Hernandez, E., Robles, M., & Martinez, J. (2013). Interactive youth and civic cultures: the educational, mediatic and political meaning of the 15M. Scientific Journal of Media Education , 59-67.

Taranu, A.-M., Paun, E., Florea, N., Nicole, R., & Lazaroiu, G. (2011). The ethics of participation, sharing and collaboration in networked media cultures: new digital technologies and participatory models of knowledge production . Economics, Management and Financial Markets, 363-372.

Information Overload and Mental Health – What Nonprofits Need to Know

Never have people been so connected to the rest of the world. Information is disseminated globally in minutes rather than weeks. People can have meaningful relationships with individuals on opposite ends of the planet. Any question a persona has can be answered correctly by google in a few seconds. But all of this inter-connectivity has not come with out a price. With the rise in connectivity has come a rise in depression. With the ease of finding information has come a massive information overload that adds stress to people’s lives, rather than making them easier.  For nonprofits who are looking to use technology to connect with community members and help people it is essential they understand the implications of information overload and how it is affecting society.

Social Media & Depression

Social media use has seen some unintended consequences when it comes to user’s mental health.  In a 2017 report released by Facebook, the social media giant admitted that there is growing body of evidence that links social media usage to depression, both in youth and adults (Morris, 2017).  The report outlines a correlation with a rise in social technology and reports of depression and social isolation. Users report feeling worse about themselves after just 10 minutes of scrolling though friend’s newsfeed. Facebook isn’t the only problem. Instagram is also shown to decrease people’s happiness. None of this should come to much surprise. After all, how many bad photos do you ever see on Facebook or Instagram? They are platforms for showcasing the best parts of a person’s life. And for many, it is a very slippery slope to compare their own life with highlight reels of their friends lives.  

Information Overload & Anxiety

According to Gilmore, there are so many options available for organizing one’s life that people may feel the need to track how they keep track of things.  Thinking about my own use of technology, it is not uncommon for me to have concurrent conversations going via phone text, Facebook messenger, email and snap chat.  Two screen phenomena is also adding to the stress of information overload.  People can watch TV while scrolling through Facebook or checking their emails. This can lead to anxiety when people are forced to unplug from their digital security blanket (Nomophobia - why you can't live without your Smartphone, 2015).  It’s an interesting paradox – too much information and technology is making us miserable, but we are too afraid to just pull the plug on it. 

Image Source: http://www.isvmag.com/2014/07/power-facebook-mental-health/

Having worked in public health for the past decade I can spot a public health epidemic when I see one. And the growing dependency on technology – a borderline addiction – is going to be our next great health epidemic, alongside obesity and tobacco use. But like nutrition and addictive substances, technology is a complex issue. It isn’t going away and it does provide value in many ways, such as telemedicine and online support groups and an affordable way to disseminate information.  Nonprofits can play an important role in reversing the tide of mental health problems brought on by technology by encouraging healthy behaviors including resources for parents and teens can help change thesocial norms around social media.

References 

Gilmore, J. N. (2017). From ticks and tocks to budges and nudges: the smartwatch and the haptics of informatic culture. Television & News Media , 189-202.

Morris, D. Z. (2017, December 16). Facebook admists social media can harm your mental health. Retrieved from Fortune.com: http://fortune.com/2017/12/16/facebook-admits-social-media-can-harm-your-mental-health/

Nomophobia - why you can't live without your Smartphone. (2015, August 25). Retrieved from Norton UK : https://uk.norton.com/norton-blog/2015/08/nomophobia_why_you.html

The Haptic Instance - Where Technology and Feelings Intersect

It’s hard to imagine that people can get anymore integrated with technology than they are today without becoming part of a sci-fi movie, complete with implanted chips in our brains. Smartphones, Bluetooth, smartwatches are all examples of how technology continues to shrink in size but expand exponentially in influence and integration.  Today an average Smartphone controls nearly every aspect of a person’s life, going well beyond basic communication to include shopping, banking, and job searching.  Smartphones can now even control the home’s environment from someplace else, allowing homeowners to turn off the lights remotely or checking security cameras while on vacation. The rapid shrinking and evolution of technology offers many possibilities for nonprofit organizations, along with a host of challenges.

According to the article From Ticks and Tocks to Budgets and Nudges: The Smartwatch and the Haptics of Information Culture by James N. Gilmore, computer systems are information mediators – they provide information for a person to interpret at will. But as technology continues to evolve, computer systems are poised to become a much more personal (2017).  Most people have heard of smartwatches, but since they are still relatively new, few nonprofits have thought of ways to leverage the power of wearable technology. Although like a Smart Phone or iPhone, Apple Smartwatches are notably different in that they create what is known as a ‘haptic instant’ – a physical reaction to information (Gilmore, 2017). For example, a smartwatch wearer gets a gentle buzz or vibration when he or she has a new email or a new social media notification.

Image Source: Christopher Neto CTS Twitter https://twitter.com/chris_neto/status/536504563466244098

This haptic sensation has many possibilities for healthcare and public health. Imagine a diabetes patient getting a gently nudge from their smart watch to check their insulin levels or a heart patient to take their morning medication.  Unlike a timer, which can be ignored or forgotten, the sensation of the smartwatch has the potential to rewire the way we think and respond to environmental cues.  According to Gilmore, Haptic Instant also has the potential to reduce information overload and eliminate the second screen multitasking that is common place, but not necessarily healthy (2017). 

So what does this mean for nonprofits? It means challenges of course. Many smaller nonprofits have a hard enough time keeping up with just social media, let alone creating apps for smart watches. The key is to think in terms of technology being flexible and fluid; like the ocean it is always moving, always changing the shoreline – taking things away and bringing in different things. Nonprofits who can stay abreast of trends and be forward thinking will have an easier time to embrace technology as it comes. The haptic instant is just one way that technology will change how audiences respond to technology. While not adopted widely, as seen in previous technology trends – when it does it will be fast furious and people will have forgotten life without their smartwatches and other wearable technologies. 

Reference

Gilmore, J. N. (2017). From ticks and tocks to budges and nudges: the smartwatch and the haptics of informatic culture. Television & News Media , 189-202.

Nonprofits On The Go

     Thanks to mobile technology, communication is happening all the time. You can be in line at the grocery store and be sending or receiving information or watching TV while messaging friends or family. Communicating has never been easier or more abundant. For nonprofits though, mobile technology can seem overwhelming and daunting. While nonprofit professionals may use mobile technology daily in their personal lives, that does not mean they understand how to integrate it into their work in a meaningful way.

image source: https://solutionsreview.com/mobile-device-management/mdm-holiday-humor/

Knowing how to leverage of power of mobility will help position nonprofit organizations to reach more people and strengthen their organizational reputation (Rowles, 2013). With shoestring budgets and no designated communication director, many small nonprofits forgo mobile technology all together in their strategic planning, because they don’t think they can afford to invest in it. The good news is that there are many part of mobile technology that nonprofits can leverage to increase public engagement and build brand awareness. These include:

• ·         Social media outreach
• ·         Fundraising efforts
• ·         Email newsletters
• ·         Texting campaigns (Nonprofit Tech for Good, 2016)

Mobile technology is not a stand-alone method of communication. Like social media, it should be integrated into a more comprehensive strategic communication plan. For nonprofit professionals, understanding how to create content that is mobile-friendly is key. The biggest factor in using mobile as a communication method is screen size, which shrinks drastically.  So creating concise, informative and engagement messaging should be a priority for nonprofit communicators.  And knowing which apps to use to help content right-size itself for mobile is also key. For example, Constant Contact, an email software company, provides easy-to-use templates for e-newsletters that are mobile friendly, which is good since 56% of email is opened via a mobile device (Lewkowicz, 2017). 

 

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336081190918508692/

By tailoring content to be more mobile friendly nonprofits can increase user engagement, drive more traffic to their main website and ultimately further their organizational mission and vision. 

References

Lewkowicz, K. (2017, January 18). The top 10 most popular email clients of 2016. Retrieved from Litmus: https://litmus.com/blog/the-top-10-most-popular-email-clients-of-2016

Nonprofit Tech for Good. (2016, November 22). 5 nonprofit technology trends to watch in 2017. Retrieved from www.nptechforgood.com: http://www.nptechforgood.com/2016/11/22/5-nonprofit-technology-trends-to-watch-in-2017/

Rowles, D. (2013). Mobile marketing: how mobile marketing is revolutionizing marketing, communications and advertising . London: Kogan Page.

Social Media and Nonprofits – You Just Don’t Understand

In the past decade social media has transformed the way we communicate.  Hailed as a great social leverager social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have played significant roles in political elections, civil uprising, and major social movements (Hernandez, Robles, & Martinez, 2013).  On a smaller level, social media has changed the way news is reported and how companies and professionals interact with their audience. Despite its growing importance as a major method of modern communication, social media is still viewed by some as an extra frill in their otherwise Serious Communication Strategy.  This is never truer than in the nonprofit sector. Great care and detail go into nonprofit grant applications, annual reports, progress reports, fundraising efforts, etc… These types of communication are edited and reviewed multiple times before being signed off by the CEO or executive director.  But when it comes to social media, many nonprofits don’t give it a second thought to put the college intern in charge of the organization’s Facebook page. It is time that nonprofits start treating social media as the serious communication tool that it is.

image source:https://makeameme.org/meme/social-media-zlwj2m 

            When used wisely, social media can increase user engagement and produce more results than traditional print media (Gherghita-Mihaila, 2016).  This means that nonprofits should not be using social networking sites superfluously. According to Alicia Johnston over at Sprout Social, it's important for nonprofits to have a strategy when it comes posting on social networks. "Social media shouldn’t be out there alone; it should be integrated and aligned with your strategic goals and target audiences,” (2017).  So no more posting on Facebook for the sake of posting. Content should be strategic and relevant to the mission of the organization.

To maximize social media to its full potential, nonprofits need to make sure who ever is in charge of their organizational pages understand the nuances of each platform. There is no one-size-fits all social media strategy. And just because you can post on a social network doesn’t mean you should. Because social media is a free resource, it can be tempting to setup organizational pages all over the place. But before an organization goes crazy posting, pinning, tweeting and 'gramming all over the place, they should first think about the following:

1.            Who is their audience?

2.            What is the information they want to convey or gather?

3.            How much time can they realistically give to their social media efforts?

Not all social media audiences are the same. If you're organization works with youth, Snapchat and Instagram are ideal, since their demographics run younger. If you are hoping to target parents or caregivers, Facebook is still king for the over 40 crowd (Greenwood & Perrin, 2016).  Secondly, what is your purpose? If your goal is to increase the number of women over 40 who receive preventative mammograms during the month of October, the information posted on social media should help support that goal. Content could include local providers of mammograms, financial assistance for the uninsured, breast cancer facts and statistics, even funny breast cancer awareness cartoons are strategic ways to reach your goal.

image source: https://me.me/t/breast-cancer-awareness-month?since=1475857216%2C2837962

Lastly, how much time can you really contribute to social media? Is realistic to think you will increase your Facebook following by 25% in one quarter, with only an hour two a week available for social media? (No, it's not). If you have lofty social media goals for your nonprofit, you need to be willing to prioritize the time and manpower to reach them. According to a survey from hubspot, most nonprofits still do not have a designated person to manage their social media presence. If that is the case in your organization, setting a realistic goals and expectations will prevent staff from being overwhelmed and frustrated. Perhaps increasing your Facebook following by 5% in a quarter is more realistic, if you only a  few hours to spare.

Social media is a fun way to connect with an audience, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a valuable and strategic communication tool. When used correctly by nonprofits, social media has the ability to stretch even the most shoestring budget into something rich and valuable.

References

Gherghita-Mihaila, D. (2016). How is social media influencing the way we communicate? Acta Universitatis Danubius, 74-83.

Greenwood, S., & Perrin, A. (2016, November 11). Social Media Update 2016 . Retrieved from Pew Reseach Center: http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/

Hernandez, E., Robles, M., & Martinez, J. (2013). Interactive youth and civic cultures: the educational, mediatic and political meaning of the 15M. Scientific Journal of Media Education , 59-67.

Johnston, A. (2017, July 24). A strategic guide to social media for nonprofits. Retrieved from Sprout Social : https://sproutsocial.com/insights/nonprofit-social-media-guide/

     

Nonprofit Guide to Writing

In the workplace, basic communication is often through writing, including email, memos, and social media.  Jobs that once would not have required a great deal of writing or computers now rely on both. For those in the nonprofit sector, writing has gotten more complicated with emergence of social media, email, digital news alongside traditional print. Professionals may be writing for several different platforms on any given day. A communication director is likely to be in charge of internal communications delivered by email, annual reports reproduced in hard copy, social media posts on multiple social networks and advertising material for both print and digital. Knowing how to write for each platform is critical.

Nonprofit professionals benefit from understanding how to write specifically for:

1. Email – dos and don’ts of email etiquette
2. Social media – multiple platforms
3. External audience - including grant funders, the public, community partners  
4. Internal audience - employees, board of directors, supervisors

Understanding how to tailor messages to fit the audience can save nonprofit professionals from miscommunication and help strengthen their own reputation along with that of their organization. They will know how to adjust one message to fit multiple audiences and multiple platforms. They will also know who to tailor content to literacy levels, length, and format (Walker, 2015). 

image source: http://gif-finder.com/george-clooney-too-long-didnt-read/

Lastly, in a world contingent on external funding and charity giving, nonprofit professionals should understand how to effectively tell their story through media.  Author Janet Kolodzy explains the eight elements of new story, which include:

·        Focus

·        Newsworthiness

·        Facts

·        Sources

·        Clarity

·        Answers

·        Audience

·        Ethics

(Kolodzy, 2013)

These eight elements are excellent guidelines for nonprofit writers.  For example, let’s say a grant director is writing up a quarterly report to their funder about a breast cancer prevention grant.  A well written report could touch upon most of these elements, including project mission (focus) program highlights (newsworthiness), number of women screened (facts), address any problems with proposed solutions (answers and clarity). 

image source: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3sm4u9

Working in the nonprofit world requires professionals to be flexible and nimble with their writing skills. It’s important they always consider where, how and who they are writing for.

References

Kolodzy, J. (2013). Practicing convergence journalism: an introduction to cross-media storytelling. New York : Routledge.

Walker, R. (2015). Strategic management communication for leaders. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.