Many youth-serving organizations need to focus more on getting out positive stories about their work, this report says.
The difficulty of mobilizing public support for such work prompted Child Advocacy 360 to create the Communications Catalyst Initiative, with three goals: changing the emphasis of communication from problem to solution; making visible the role of the community in helping youth; and inspiring people to act on behalf of children other than their own.
As part of that work, this report recommends that organizations take a more positive approach in promoting news to the public. For example, advocates should offer “solution-oriented storytelling” by publishing solutions, positive results and proof of their effectiveness, rather than merely informing the public of their challenges. It also says organizations should remind their communities of their role and importance in helping at-risk children, which will help appeal directly to their audiences.
The report contains samples of favorable phrasing and applies them to real-life situations.
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