Season 1, Episode 18: Veronica Selzler, Hattaway Communications by Hattaway Communications

Ever since September 11, many Sikh Americans have been falsely associated with terrorism. And in 2017, fear-based messages seem to be gaining traction more easily than ever. The presence of fear in our politics has very real consequences — but it’s also an opportunity for education, and for more Americans to become part of the solution.

In Episode 17, Mark Reading-Smith, Senior Director of Communications & Media at the Sikh Coalition, joins the podcast to discuss the difficulty of combatting messages based in fear. A durable, foundational message is key; without it, voters won’t pay attention to policy details or expertise. And communicators can’t afford to “over-intellectualize their responses.”

In Episode 16 of Achieve Great Things, Sara-Jayne Terp talks money in politics, disinformation, and why local engagement is key to progress.

Data scientist Sara-Jayne Terp says that polarization, money in politics, and widespread disinformation have made elections in the United States resemble “money-driven dictatorial campaigns” abroad. Meanwhile, advances in data science and advertising increasingly let powerful actors to “buy people’s belief sets.”

How can we respond? By taking chances, focusing on local engagement level, and remembering to trust people when they say what they need.

In 2017, political narratives have taken hold that aren’t based in reality. Can great fiction like Wonder Woman, Star Trek and Harry Potter show us how to change them?

Jo Miles and Amanda Kloer, the founders of FutureShift, believe that they can. Science fiction writers like Octavia Butler are masters at imagining alternate worlds. Similarly, changemakers in the real world need coherent vision to inspire people—and narratives that connects with them in a powerful, deep way. Jo and Amanda join the podcast to discuss the connection between speculative fiction and social change, and explain why “you can’t be what you can’t imagine.”

This week on Achieve Great Things, RJ and Kate sit down with Emily Norman, Vice President of Analytics at the Global Strategy Group, to get some answers. She discusses “switch voters” who vote differently than they respond to polls, and the need to continually challenge best practices after both successes and failures. She also cautions against taking losses personally and lashing out at the voters you’re trying to help.

On this week’s episode, RJ sits down with Lanae Erickson Hatalsky, Vice President of Social Policy and Politics at Third Way, a Washington, D.C. think tank. She talks about how the conversation in Washington doesn’t mirror people’s concerns for their everyday lives, and why Democrats can’t afford to talk to Trump voters like they’re Steve Bannon. People can receive very different messages from the same information—and younger, less polarized leadership could be key to reaching across traditional divides.

This week, RJ sits down with Claire Humphreys, Kristen Ablamsky and Rachel Renock, the founders of Starthatching—a marketplace that connects freelancers to nonprofits that need their expertise. These three women, who share a background in advertising, discuss how insights from advertising can help nonprofits boil down complicated issues into ideas people can relate to—and how their new venture can help organizations with limited resources turn those insights into action.

This week we continue our conversation with Brad Jenkins, executive producer at Funny or Die DC. In part 2 of the interview, we discuss what makes comedy effective at breaking through ideological echo chambers and how digital storytelling can help Democrats leverage grassroots energy into electoral success. In a disruptive political atmosphere, communications professionals can’t afford to tinker around the margins.

This week we sit down with Brad Jenkins, Obama White House alum and current executive producer of Funny or Die DC. Our self-described “least reputable podcast guest" discusses how President Obama’s appearance on “Between Two Ferns” changed the game for Healthcare.gov, and how Democrats need to make serious investments in digital content creation. If they don’t, they’ll fail to build support for good policy—and continue to waste money on communications that don’t resonate with younger voters.

This week, RJ sits down with three of his colleagues at Hattaway Communications—Kate Pazoles, Steve Pierce, and Eric Zimmerman—to discuss opportunities and challenges for progressive communicators in the Trump era. They touch on the dangers of constantly responding to President Trump’s bizarre comments, the importance of keeping your communications powder dry for when it really matters, and the unique opportunity for progressives to mobilize a massive, energized constituency.