Digital

Every digital asset you share has the potential to be an act of implicit racism.

Tokenism is rampant within digital communications, and it’s up to the communications team to have a frank discussion about whether your outward-facing promotional materials reflect reality, or a cherry-picked version of your organization’s racial identity.

If you hired a Black, Latino, American Indian, or staff member of color to be the “face” of your organization, consider why you made that decision and whether it was in good faith. What level of power do they have in the decision-making process?

If white staff members are continually scouting the people within your organization that hail from diverse backgrounds for photo-ops, storytelling soundbites, and social media takeovers, consider the dynamic there. White people should not be the gatekeepers of what story is worth telling.

When organizing a major event, don’t use people as props. Oftentimes, events are framed around one photo-op, and people of color are situated within that frame — they’re seated or standing behind the main speaker at a podium or they’re placed next to the ribbon-cutter at a grand opening event. Orchestrating a facade of diversity is a glaring example of tokenism.

Learn More: 8 Ways People of Color are Tokenized in Nonprofits

Imperfect algorithms reinforce our personal echo chambers.

The comms that we develop are based on the way we understand the world. But often, we live in a bubble that is built by subconscious messaging, imagery, and information – not all of it true.

Understand the reward structure of social media. Because these apps are fueled by likes, follows, and pithy words within comments sections, we’re not always our most authentic or kind selves on these platforms.

Learn about the algorithms. From videos to newsfeeds, we’re only seeing a small piece of the puzzle when we click into an app or website. When using search, algorithms often prioritize white individuals — reinforcing racist structures, and silencing the voices of Black, Latino, American Indian, and other people of color.

Try diversifying your social media diet. Follow new people, expand the platforms that your organization is on — and encourage staff members to do the same. Instead of getting news and posting information solely on Facebook, try Reddit or Instagram, and make sure you’re following a diverse range of credible outlets and individuals.

Learn More: How biased are our algorithms? [VIDEO]

Bias plays a large role in the social media ecosystem.

Before the internet, communication was largely left up to the comms team. But now, individual members of your organization are able to post in real time. Their own social profiles are representative of your organization’s values, and have the power to be a megaphone for good – and bad.

Confirmation bias reinforces our belief systems by showing us things we already understand as true. Hold a recurring training for employees to discuss these biases.

Establishing a standard for how people use social media will improve accountability and curb toxicity. Draft a social media policy for your employees and update it on a yearly basis (social is constantly changing!). From salacious headlines to viral tweets, we’re not always sharing with accuracy, inclusion, or truthfulness in mind.

On social, there’s not always an edit button. Do you have a policy in place for correcting a post, deleting and reposting, or issuing an apology?

Learn More: 5 Noteworthy Examples of Corporate Social Media Policies

The imagery your communications team chooses has an impact, no matter where it lands.

From a stock image on your website to a graphic created for a yearly report, we are constantly making subconscious decisions about the age, skin tone, sexual identity, and gender of the people we’re choosing to highlight.

Stock images are flawed because at a basic level, they are an inauthentic symbol, not a direct depiction of reality. However, when you are unable to take or use high-quality images of your community, stock images are all you’ve got. When selecting them, be aware of the people in the image and the setting of the image. The background is also a part of the message.

When commissioning graphics, illustrations, and GIFs, ensure there is diversity in skin tones, facial features, and activity in the illustration. Also, make sure the artist is educated on DEI– knowing how to draw a wheelchair can make all the difference.

Even when selecting something as small as an emoji, you’re making an active choice. If it’s yellow, maybe you’re trying to stay neutral and colorblind. If you choose a skin tone, you’re assigning that skin tone to whatever language you’re pairing it with. As an organization, devise a plan to use emojis with purpose.

Do not use GIFs that perpetuate digital blackface. It reduces Black people to stereotypes, flattens their experience to a single expression, and enables non-Black people to use the expression out of context for their own amusement.

Learn More: The Conscious Style Guide: Design + Images

There’s a difference between performative activism vs. true advocacy on social media.

Social media can be an incredibly strong tool for activism. Although posting to your Instagram story or retweeting an anti-racist message doesn’t replace real life activism, these apps can be used to uplift, educate, and bring people together.

Look at social media campaigns like #ShareTheMicNow, where white women with large followings handed over their accounts to Black women to amplify activists of color. How can your organization use social media to elevate Black voices within your community, as well as the nonprofit/foundation world?

Consider the brevity and potential insincerity of social media activism campaigns. Have an organization-wide meeting to discuss historical examples of digital performative/optical allyship. Then discuss how to make your external gestures of allyship and activism genuine.

Be transparent on social media. As social platforms have evolved over the years, authenticity has risen in value. When you’re taking steps to combat racism within your organization, share that with your followers. Bring them on your journey and be open and willing to listen to those within your extended online community.

Learn More: 10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship, How Activists use Social Media for Good - And You Can Too

Content should be as accessible as possible.

In addition to getting the word out on multiple platforms, your communications team should focus on crafting clear, concise language that is easy to understand at a quick glance.

Eliminate all jargon from your digital presence. Everyone should be able to understand it — even a 4th grader.

Think creatively in order to build a web presence that’s accessible to people who are colorblind, blind, deaf, and dyslexic. Do your fonts and colors have a large contrast? Have you put captions on all of your images and videos? Have you explored offering audio accompaniments to text?

Steer clear of alienating your audience with ableist language like “depressing,” “crazy,” “lame,” or “stand-up.”

Learn More: Is Your Social Media Accessible to Everyone? These 9 Best Practices Can Help

Data must be vetted before sharing.

It’s all too easy to unintentionally circulate misinformation on social media. Just because something has been shared thousands of times doesn’t mean it’s correct.

As communicators, we love to use anecdotes and metaphors. An additional technique is to use statistics. Sharing data on social media and in newsletters is one of the best ways to facilitate public discussion and engagement.

Dedicate resources — people and tools — to data verification and fact-checking. Make sure the data you’re sharing includes the most up-to-date numbers and source citations.

Practice good data hygiene: Have someone with a background in data literacy evaluate the readability, format, and styling of your data visualizations.

Learn More: Distinguishing Good Data From The Bad

Use social media as a tool to help highlight racial disparities that are directly related to your mission.

Communications teams are on the frontlines of social. You’re reading and reacting to the news first, analyzing trends and platforms, and engaging with your followers online.

Show your stakeholders the power of social media. Harness the information-gathering tools within social media platforms (polls, Q&As, live videos, etc.) to educate and engage with your audience and generate feedback.

On social media, everyone is operating within their own pre-made bubble. Don’t be afraid to break those bubbles and inform your stakeholders about day-to-day racial equity issues — it doesn’t hurt to state what you think is obvious.

Set up a recurring day and time within your social media content calendar to explain how racism impacts a specific issue area that your organization focuses on. This will help both your audience, as well as those working at your organization.

Learn More: Building Your Nonprofit’s Voice