The widespread use of digital tech has seen a sweeping change in exposure to information. It’s now incredibly easy to accept, send or share messages (in many forms) via the Internet. Which to acknowledge is all to the good. Perversely, this ease-of-use is facilitating digital noise, stuff we do not value as much. ‘Noise’ it figures, will work against our advocacy ambitions given much of the EnviroRights outcomes are based on effective delivery of information to our chosen audiences.
Keep the faith. This paper works through practical methods and tactics for targeting diverse but welcoming audiences, using modern communication practice.
Our strategy considers five aspects. Namely;
Coming in to the project, CSOs will want to improve their communication skills. To be effective all must develop strong internal and external communication capability. We understand most are already great communicators, just as many are also handy at conveying information through the media or interact directly with public and other audiences. We acknowledge too, some of project participants may not consider themselves all that capable. The good news is - communicating EnviroRights will come naturally.
Let’s look to that future. At the end of our ICT training sessions,
CSOs are attuned to the gravity of environmental justice. Are wielding
communication expertise, and are critical actors in a new and powerful
network covering the front lines of environmental injustice. Meaning,
they are poised
to alter attitudes, influence policy, and hopefully, change behaviour
that impacts the wider society.
How? Needing comparisons, we’d want to look outside T&T. To nations where environmental legislation is already embedded. There we will look over their stories. Back to when environmental justice was unformed law. When science was not a full partner to the cause. When law couldn’t contemplate judging on a thing that had no quantifiable value. Or when the simple right to enjoy nature could be sacrificed to the whims and fancies of the powerful. Then, perspective gained, we will look to home and draw parallels, or even better - project scenarios.
The research will allow EnviroRights advocates to identify burdened communities - with plights that may not be apparent. In quick time if all goes as planned, that output - the narrative volume, will feed T&T’s acceptance of environmental justice. The EnviroRights communication ambition therefore, means doing what it takes, within the existing legal framework, to effect strategies for effective advocacy.
But here’s a word of caution. In seeking to achieve these goals, we’d do well to consider that success may be elusive. History shows there are winners and losers in what we are about. The table beneath speaks volumes.
| Winners | Second runners-up | |
| Objectives | .. communicate with a clear goal to mind | .. have broadly defined, or unclear objectives |
| Audiences | … communicate to clearly defined groups of people | ..communicate first, without defining and understanding the people who needed to hear/listen |
| Messages | ..communicated a small number of clear, concise, consistent and memorable ideas | .. attempted to communicate a large number of ideas of varying focus, without sufficient focus, and did it inconsistently |
Guided by the above we can now move to assess our working situation (see SWOT beneath)
| Strengths:This is primarily an informational campaign, for which we have a good stakeholder base (CSOs) to drive rights-based advocacy. We are seeking to secure Quality of Life, which is a silver lining class of counter narrative segment to doom and gloom recession thinking | Weaknesses: Our project ends in 2026. The topics; Information access and Environmental rights are not mainstream considerations given current geopolitical crises. Motivating behaviour change will require time. |
| Opportunity: Upcoming election - The environmental justice narrative may find favour with a new government - for signing into the Escazu´ Agreement. | Threat: A recession may create distraction for access rights, already viewed as an elitist concern. Could trigger more cases of environmental injustice. |
EnviroRightsTT messaging will, ideally, touch lots of people - bearing in mind the CSOs we train are proxies for the general public. More so, the stories these CSO’s unearth may empower others beyond the project’s immediate reach. It would help then, to connect to that (possible audience) and have them benefit from our messaging.
Population diversity provides a way to go beyond CSO catchment. If we target populations by categories and then expand those into groups a broader ‘audience’ manifests. As:
Note: This list is incomplete. The people within the groups on it must be contacted for information on their present interest level. Their potential to further the cause is our main interest at this point.
| Thinking now | Should be thinking | Timeframe | Key channels | |
| Students | Concerned about the future | The best future is a rights-based one | 8 months | You Tube |
| Women | Unequal recognition. Difficult to claim compensation | recognition is possible | 6 months | WhatsApp, FaceBook. Radio |
| Lawmakers | cannot do anything about environmental rights | we are the only ones who can stabilise a wronged society | Ongoing | Webinars, Email, and WWW |
| Business people | The environment is opportunity | Environmental rights protect people, sustaining business in the process | 6 months | Webinar |
What to say to them? :Explain the logic and potential benefits of EnviroRightsTT but but but, keep a feeler out for the person who is more likely to be swayed by the emotive approach and adjust accordingly.
Afterward, ask them for their thoughts
Remember, we just want to understand Level of Interest. Their power to
influence .
What do we want them to think?
That the ideal way of life always includes respect for people, respect
for nature and a balanced environment - dunno actually
Which method/or channel do they prefer?
We ask.
Depending on the nature of those responses, information on the individuals will be placed into an Influence/Interest grid. We want to understand who has “Greater interest” and also “More Influence”. Converting influential people matter. As to the less influential sector, resources will play a part in deciding ‘scope’ of target audiences. The tool used for stakeholder engagement planning is the Message/Audience grid.
Messaging is not just content. It is about pushing content carrying [establishing, clarifying, de-mystifying, justifying, emphasizing, all work] our core messages. A good message takes foward [simple, clear] ideas that guides the production of leaflets, brochures, documentaries, radio/TV interviews, posts and feature articles.
A message done well considers what’s already out there - and its not just that other guy doing something similar. It’s information clutter, or overload, objective and subjective limits. Let’s pare these down:
| Solution Make the message | Goal Ensure that people | |
| Information overload | Distinctive and few in number | Notice |
| Objective limits People can only take on a certain amount of information | Clear. Simple. Concise. Consistent | Understand |
| Subjective limits People only take on new information when they are interested and motivated | Interesting, relevant and personalised | Act |
Distinctive
A good message must be strongly worded - to separate itself from the
crowd (of other messages out there). It should also appeal immediately
to the target audience.
Note: “Less is more”. Do not use more than three (3) messages at any time in a campaign.
Clear Concise and Simple
Nobody’s getting paid enough to decipher EnviroRights theory. Let’s give
our audiences something that requires minimal effort to understand.
Consistent
The best chance of our audience taking something from our messaging is
if they hear it from multiple sources, and on different occasions. Bear
in mind if messages are inconsistent, clarity will suffer: When
different activities say different things about the project, effect will
be diluted. When they all say the same thing effect is multiplied.
Note: A good PR programme may approach different audiences in varying ways, but the coherence stays clear. Therefore project launches, newspaper releases, adverts, telephone conversations, blog posts and case studies (etc) are all opportunities to shop messages. There’s this piece of doggerel that lingers
Say nine, they’ll remember none
Say three, they take one
Say three things three times and they’ll remember all.
Print media. We will need to negotiate with the mainstream media like Newsday, Trinidad Guardian and Trinidad Express, seeking periodic exposure. A strategy here would be to look at each publication - they each have special products which may suit our content (Guardian Business, Sunday editions, Newsday Tobago).
Content can be feature length articles speaking to displacement or, environmental marginalisation, [e.g Life of a Beetham Estate recycler]. In similar vein, it could be the long running siltation of the St. Joseph Maracas Valley river, downstream of the quarries on the mountainsides.
Not all content needs to be written or shared equally. Pieces for the Contact (a business bi-monthly) and the Guardian business edition need not go to Newsday or the Express. Each of these publications has a tone catering to their market share, of wich we should be mindful.
Other business oriented organisations with websites and or print publication may be targeted allowing their following meets our needs. There is a chance that creative blurbs on environmental justice can be fitted within publications such as the TTEITI reports, trade union bulletins etcetera.
These will carry the website URL and other pertinent information on the EnviroRightsTT network. Blurb example: Some image with a embossed with tagline like “Protect your local environmental defender - Ask Government to sign the Escazu´ Agreement now!”. The case for print adverts are solid. People tend to remember print adverts more than digital ads. They also seem to attribute credibility to print adverts more than the digital equivalent.
The underlying thinking regarding the (need for) justice narrative is; draw attention to plights, situations and or inconveniences caused by nature that was compromised and people who were dis-enfranchised, draw attention where possible to other people who met with and prevailed like circumstance. This is a spin on Solutions reporting - a tactic which will be covered in Writer training sessions.
Digital media Content meant for digital media will
be sent for inclusion on network partner websites. These may also be
pushed to outlets such as Linked-in and Facebook. We want to look at
digital content here as - Content Placed Elsewhere and Syndicated to Our
Site or (PESOS). To use an example; an article published on the
Cari-Bois Network which was submitted by our writers, will provide
message verification but calls to action which may be placed within or
at the bottom of the piece may not be allowed.
Note. Digital content may look shorter because the hyperlink function
allows detailed explanations and referencing to be hidden.
Own website
Digital content on a dedicated website should be the home of the
EnviroRightsTT narrative. The process Places content on Our Site and
Syndicates it Elsewhere (POSSE). This allows for optimal analytics,
response as well as message adjustment. That’s just those four
considerations. Other benefits are; control of site visibility, quality
of service, easy and timely upgrades, and contained cost.
In the opening paragraphs I spoke to possible positives should the EnviroRightsTT network adopt Open Source for its digital toolbox: This is the time to follow through on that thought as the project website can become the main channel for input, output and hopefully, change.
Non Media
Some target audiences may not be reachable (think conversion) by public
media, such as sitting politicians, certain officials or key
individuals. Some may be ethically pursued - which is best done
person-to-person, as they too will likely have a stance. Targets for
this (lobby) approach should be generated using the Message/Audience
matrix.
Note. Speaking notes should be prepared for these ‘educated’ audiences and should be tested. Show messaging to people outside the implementing team. Friends and family will do, but journalists or people close to the target audiences are better. We’d want to know if;
Choose carefully, wisely and from the gut and select the best three messages. Then look at the best of the rest. If they contain the essential ideas incorporate those into the chosen three.
Then put them to work; circulating and promoting with zest within EnviroRights. Ensuring everyone is familiar with how to use them. Every piece of external communication should be planned and executed in line with those three messages. Review, revise and rehearse. Monitor output to be sure that all this is actually taking place.
Audit and feedback. Periodically, we’d want to take a look at any press coverage that has been generated and gauge what messages the key audiences are receiving about the project. Are our messages getting across? Do we think there is need to be persistent? Generally it is not a good idea to change messages, but if they are not working that can be a sign that it’s time to rethink.
Public relations EnviroRightsTT will benefit from extensive PR. In fact, needs PR more than the average project, given the scale of awareness required, not to mention mind-shift. As an example of the power of public relations done well, let’s bring back to mind the success of CAISO founder Colin Robinson (RIP). In 2019 he admirably fronted the awareness movement, mainstreaming sexual orientation and gender identity rights. He accepted interviews (engineered them more like), made the fight personal and became the local voice of the LGBQ community. In time his charisma overcame what quite easily could have become a rejection of the CAISO’s mission and messaging.
Colin’s strategy involved more than speaking ‘LGBQ’. He mobilised his movement into the social justice arena (speaking solidarity). Thereby making it easier for the public to accept the CAISO, making them more willing to listen to the LGBQ community’s needs.
We should develop an advance timeline for media product delivery (and face to face lobbies). In practice a term member should take responsibility for product development, timeline adhesion, and eventual success/or failure of the targeting/messaging exercise.
The approach for Eval, learning and adjusting to the thrust should informed by;
Constant monitoring of the above is important to prevent deviation from the core messages. But it also provides new material or, related new material, which will if deployed, may forestall campaign fatigue (on our side), just as it fends off information overload or rejection on the receiving side.
Note. There are two dimensions to communications namely; the Pusher and the Receiver. Our entire effort has to be sensitive to the latter (consider the ‘noise’ factor). Think. Outright rejection is not an option and feedback - even disagreement is key to continued engagement.
A participatory interactive workshop involves project lead, partners and other participants working actively towards a particular objective: to arrive at a written understanding of something that will be new for the participants. Session will facilitate discussion and collaborative activities that shall enable exploration of a/the specific topic - allows reflection on issues and sharing of experiences. Participatory writeshops in short, helps with analysis, sharing and enhancement of knowledge.
To service our hoped projected outcomes we “will enhance capacity of civil society organisations in T&T”; In context, we expect civil society to enhance their communication skills and capability.
EnviroRights “will advocate for and support vulnerable groups wishing to access environmental information”, meaning CSOs will need to inform and motivate both vulnerable and wider public as to How and Why. This will require messaging.
EnviroRights “will support those wanting to participate in decision-making processes, hoping to exercise their right to a healthy environment. This contemplates changing behaviour. This requires skilful and trustworthy message crafting and delivery.
Its workflow addresses the critical need for data, and seeks to provide enhanced understanding of the legislative framework encompassing ‘environmentalism’ in the T&T context.
Furthermore, it attempts to widen appreciation within civil society of who is doing what and where as pertains to T&T’s natural spaces. For this vision to become real however, in-depth conversations are required.
The implementers will facilitate/conduct a series of participatory workshops in support of NGOs wishing to foster and drive the environmental justice narrative. This advocacy campaign will benefit from expert oversight (of ELAW and the Global Parliamentary Alliance). These workshops fit the project’s aim to build and focus CSO capacity to generate content with potential to heighten awareness of environmental rights. Expected outputs are:
A rights focussed campaign highlighting Access issues (to information that can impact sustainable development). Also backstories on FOI requests or environmentally linked negative situations that in time might require mediation or legal intervention.
Build and curate, an online platform with publishing support for CSOs commenting, or reporting on the environmental justice space.
Coordinate and bring into relevance, the legal and scientific support. [as facilitated by eLAW and PGA].
Active encouragement of advocacy. [Case studies are passed to the Studio mechanism using on-ground instances which have potential to trigger requests to the FOI unit, or can be drawn to the attention of the EMA and the Environmental Commission.
Improving the quality of country Governance. To which end the cadre of writers coming out of EnviroRightsTT writeshop component will produce content. This effort will be guided too by the community community strategy (mentioned above) and again, by events relevant to the EnviroRightsTT environmental justice agenda and overall timeline.
The studio outputs the content for both WWW and other methods of outreach. It will originate with Environment Tobago but morph into a collaboration of the CSO’s after the EnviroRightsTT end date. The intention is to inform and motivate the public longterm.
The website will be curated by a group drawn from the participating CSOs. Their task will be to publish content submitted by advocates (initially drawn from those who were exposed to the training). Note that ‘content’ may include articles, commentary and film. The publishing/curation process entails categorisation, search optimisation, allowing retrieval of case histories etc.
The website - a robust Content Management system (CMS), allows each contributor a profile and a space to publish. This still needs to thought out but options exist. For example the Black Deer Foundation may have one or three authors under the Black Deer profile, or each may have his/her profile as individuals - as affiliations will vary over time.
Questions may arise as to CSO commitment to the campaign. This can be addressed at the inception of the hands-on advocacy training exercise. One hopes that the provision of the platform for the authors/film-makers to publish content under their own name is incentive enough.
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Check out the writeshop workplan