Loading ...Take on Hate Statement & Crisis Resource Guide
Take on Hate statement: “The Take on Hate family is deeply saddened by the recent attacks in both Paris and Lebanon. Our thoughts are with the families and both communities as they try to heal and cope with the ongoing senseless violence. We urge all to please come together and not allow these attacks to tear us apart. They win when we allow this type of pure hate and violence to dictate our values.”uide
Best practices for social media engagement during a crisis
1. Watch your scheduled content – As news continues to break, be sure to be
cognizant of any pre-scheduled content you have on social media. Take down any
scheduled content that would be considered “tone deaf” to the breaking news or
conflict with other messages your organization is trying to convey. This may seem
like a low priority action but evaluating your content as news breaks may save you a
headache of being portrayed as “out of touch” later.
2. Hate Speech – Very little hate speech has been noted on individual organizations’
Facebook pages. However, the online conversation can escalate to a more hateful
or violent place quickly. In this scenario, we suggest groups block hateful or violent
comments left on Facebook pages in addition to setting the Moderation filters on
Facebook. Facebook also gives users the choice to message the person who left
that comment. We would draft a template message for offenders to the effect of:
“We ask that conversations on our Facebook page remain hate and violence
free. Please do not advocate for violence/write hateful or racially driven comments
on this Facebook wall.” Finally, consider flagging or reporting the post as hate
speech to the platform for them to take action.
3. News stories that provide fodder for those who advocate profiling or racist or anti-
Muslim policies are usually quickly accompanied by an increase in vitriolic, racist
language on mainstream websites. We strongly suggest NOT engaging directly
with hate speech (in blogs’ comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook), but highlighting
them later as evidence of more rampant racism.
4. Provide consistent, specific contact information – If your organization has
decided to respond to media requests, include a wall post or a tweet with the best
point of contact for journalists. A good example would be:
“For journalists covering the Paris attacks: please contact Joe Smith at
Joe@ReThinkMedia.org or 202-555-1212 for interviews or resources.”
5. Avoid directing journalists to blanket email addresses like “info@” or
“media@.” Instead, whenever possible, direct journalists to an actual person. We
suggest sharing this message across all social media platforms.
6. Engage where the conversation is happening – This will vary by organization and
by event, but breaking news is likely to start on Twitter, with more general updates
through Facebook. (Ex. A play-by-play of what’s happening on the ground is likely to
be on Twitter, whereas a compelling graphic urging solidarity with X community
would play better on Facebook.)
7. Provide regular updates on positive responses to the crisis, including links to
donation pages/vigils – These types of messages are among the most likely to be
retweeted or shared over Facebook. They’re also an effective way to make your
organization a reliable source for additional information on the bombing. Provide
information and updates whenever possible, including media outlets that have
quoted your organization or allies. Use first-person eyewitness accounts and official
sources such as a Police department’s Twitter account or official press conferences
and always cite these sources directly. Also look to local sources.
8. Accuracy is critical and errors in the digital space can come back to haunt you.
Because of the nature of breaking news, factual mistakes will be made by all, but
stay away from speculation in your posts as much as possible.
9. Correct or offer additional information to reporters, bloggers, or news outlets
– Jump in with additional details, explanations of nuances that are being missed by
traditional media outlets.
10. Share information when and where appropriate – If you’re working with
authorities on the ground, be sure to follow their rule of command for information
sharing. Additionally, be sure to only put information online if it is okay to be
reported on. Journalists and bloggers crowd-source information during breaking
news events, and Facebook and Twitter posts are fair game. Whenever possible,
consider retweeting or sharing posts from official sources, such as the FBI or the
Red Cross, rather than sharing unproven information.
11. Engage influencers – Follow what content is being retweeted or shared and what
messages or ideas are resonating. Reach out to those breaking through the noise.
These can be traditional influencers, such as public officials or the media, or lay
influencers, who have a unique perspective or idea that people are sharing or
echoing online.
12. Maintain your organization’s unique voice – Keep your organization’s mission in
mind when engaging online audiences – your perspective adds a unique dimension
to the online conversation. Stay true to the priorities of your organization. Your
messaging needs to be consistent across all channels, online and off. Remember to
be cognizant of your tone during this time. Avoid snark and “cheery” content during
a serious time.
13. Event promotion – Consider how you are promoting offline events that are not
related to this issue on social media. Listing event details online may open the
event to potential press inquiries (or drop –bys). If continuing with event, it would be
wise to prepare for the possibility of press coming to the event with questions about
the crises at hand.
14. Key hashtags and building the echo chamber – Hashtags serve to create smaller
conversations about the same topic over Twitter. Strategically use hashtags to build
an echo chamber for messages that will target people engaged in addressing the
crises. Cater your messages to the community you see engaged in these online
conversations.
15. Cross-promote audiences – When space allows, include an existing campaign
hashtag in addition to the breaking news hashtag (the breaking news one being
more important). Including an existing campaign hashtag, such as #TakeOnHate,
ties the new conversation to an ongoing conversation, providing more
background/context for those interested.
16. Create or share dynamic content – With social platforms placing so much value
on strong visuals, sharing dynamic content can help you break through the noise.
You can either circulate something already created or work quickly to create
something new. When sharing these images on Facebook or Twitter, make sure to
include some context within the tweet or share text so the platform can include
your posts with the trending topic.