Messaging For Today and Tomorrow

The COVID-19 global pandemic has exacerbated systemic inequities that, while well known within the Rethink Outside community, are finding much broader awareness and attention in this time of crisis.

This messaging brief draws on best practices in frame-based messaging, recent studies of narrative change, and guidance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on how to communicate effectively and respectfully during a time of global crisis. It offers a roadmap for connecting the tested values and core message of the Rethink Outside shared narrative with the ever-changing public conversation. It is designed to serve as a bridge between the extraordinary focus at this moment on public health and public economies, and the conversations that must come next around how to build safer, healthier communities for all.

This approach and new messaging is designed for use by both funders and practitioners in communications with stakeholders regarding COVID-19. It is intended to be a tool for your use if you have a need and capacity, and as a frame for your existing communications efforts. It is not a requirement and there is no expectation it be used if it is not helpful for your organization.

One of the most difficult aspects of this time is all we don’t know and won’t know for quite awhile — how long it will go, how bad it will get, or how the world will look on the other side. Our goal is to start with what we know now to help you and your work be heard and understood in a time of crisis, while building toward a shared future of hope and health.