Digital Storytelling and Climate Mobilizations:
Tools and Tactics for Grassroots Activists
Thelma Young; Digital Storytelling and Social Media Manager 350.org
SOCIAL MEDIA:
A Reason to Hope
Jane Goodall:
“It was during the People’s Climate March in September 2014 in New York City, that I suddenly realized that there is another wonderful reason for hope. As I walked ... I could see, all around, people writing messages with their mobile phones and iPads and tablets. They were using Facebook, Twitter and networking sites to tell their friends about what was happening, telling them to come and join in this monumental march for climate, that it was “neat”.
For years I have been saying that every individual matters. And I say to you now, not only does your voice matter, but you have a new way to let it be heard. So please make use of social media. Make use of Twitter and Facebook and all the other tools out there to get your message out, to organize or join campaigns that you are passionate about and to help make a difference.”
NEW TOOLS: NEW TACTICS
Changing how we share, engage, act.
Social media is evolving in new ways and changing a lot of digital activism. It’s about more than broadcasting, it’s about having dialogues, listening, engaging.
How the digital world has changed:
Much more real time. People hate waiting, we want things now. We want coverage now.
More interactive. It’s not enough to just watch the a tv show, speech event - need to communicate, engage, interact. Mobile phones give us more power than ever to experience and interact with the world.
More mobile, especially globally. Lot’s more access
More video. Not just YouTube and Facebook, Periscope and much more.
More online to offline work. We’re figuring out better how to connect the real world and the digital world - or maybe that it’s already becoming more and more intertwined.
More experts. Citizen journalist, citizen science, crowdsourcing, crowdmapping - everyone is and can be an expert now.
What does the digital world look like in your community?
What platforms do people use?
How do they use them?
Where do people go to get news?
How does it vary between different ages?
How has it changed?
IT TAKES EVERYONE
It’s not enough for one person to post. To be truly effective it takes all partners, staff, volunteers and participants to be sharing on social media.
It’s not enough for someone to pass out flyers, they need to also share on their Instagram a photo of them passing out flyers so their friends can see.
It’s not about more than getting 10,000 people
to share the same post.
You also need 10,000 people creating their own posts.
5 THING ANYONE CAN DO
1. Turn your real-life organizing steps into digital stories.
2. Share why you are joining.
3. Ask your friends to join you.
4. Share existing digital graphics and stories on your own social media.
5. Ask important people in your community to also share about it.
Are you passing out flyers? Making art? Holding local meetings? That’s awesome! Now will you share about it on your own social media? That way people in your networks can learn more about the awesome things under way. We want to hear what you are doing!
THE POWER OF THE CITIZEN STORY
From cat videos to protests -- the internet runs these days on the everyday coverage of our lives.
Everyone can be a media maker now.
Everyone can be a storyteller.
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER: BURMA’S 2007 SAFFRON REVOLUTION
In September 2007, hundreds of thousands of monks led a peaceful uprising in Burma against the military dictatorship. Brave citizen journalists smuggled out raw footage of the protests. We then used it to galvanize the support of the world.
What was the last thing you shared,
that made you go
“whoa, people need to see this”?
What was it that triggered this response?
Who did you definitely want to see it?
CITIZEN STORYTELLING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
How it’s changing how we talk about climate impacts:
Climate change is now unfolding in real-time. It isn’t something in the far distant future. It’s happening now.
With more people connected, even in remote places, more people are sharing about how they are being impacted.
CITIZEN STORYTELLING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
How it’s changing how we talk about climate impacts:
People do respond to authentic stories. We’re seeing more social media posts that get shared widely, because of this authenticity.
CITIZEN STORYTELLING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
How it’s changing how we talk about mobilizations, campaigns and actions:
More real-time coverage. You can be there with the action and watch.
More local. More personalization.
More global. Stories from all over the world.
More solidarity. More connections.
COMMUNITIES TELLING THEIR OWN STORY
“As young Pacific Islanders working in the climate movement, our role must be to to shift this single story that paints us as victims of climate change, to one that reflects our multiple truths as Pacific Islanders, living with climate impacts, but thriving nonetheless.
As a people, we need to retell our stories. We need to shed light on our multiple truths and record this part of our history, so the next generation can learn from our stories. Not just for the sake of Pacific Islanders in the climate discourse, but for Pacific Islanders in general.
The stories we have collected across the region, represent our climate realities. It also represents our shared hope for the Pacific and the world. This year 350.org Pacific took ownership of how our stories are being told to the world.”
How to create digital content that will ignite conversations and will inspire people to act?
10 STORYTELLING TIPS
Watch this video. Discuss how it incorporates these tips
CHOOSE YOUR MEDIA
PHOTOS TEXT AUDIO or VIDEO
PHOTO + TEXT: WHY DID THIS POST GET SO MANY SHARES?
AUDIO: WHAT IS THE VALUE IN AUDIO?
VIDEO: WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
CREATE
15-20 minutes