Innovations in Communications

Any organization that wants to advocate with the public needs to be able to use all available tools for communication. These tools include electronic media, print media, broadcast media, and telephony.

In addition to the public sphere, an organization needs to have an internal communication space in which insiders can candidly plan and strategize without exposing our weaknesses to the opposition.

The electronic media is the newest and is the most dynamic these days. Many older folks have been able to get on board in a variety of ways such as email, discussion boards, and weblogs. The younger generation, however, is continuing to challenge today's communication landscape with newer methods. Social networking, texting, internet conferencing, and even gaming consoles are adding more communication options. Political organizations which wish to have a broad appeal must be active in as many communication platforms as it can manage since the omission of any communication pathway will result in failing to get the message to the devotees of that particular pathway.

Our goal must be to communicate in all directions using all the means available. Our messages must be fresh, topical, and relevant. We must be active on issues at all jurisdictional levels. This ensures that we always have something to say that is meaningful. And it demonstrates that we are indeed politically active at all levels. The effort to pursue communication at all levels is a mechanism that will help us build our activity at all those various levels. Communication is the blood of our body politic. Whatever else this organization does, it is the communication that holds us together.

But there are limits in real life and we can't do everything at once. We must prioritize and delegate. I think our first priority should be the printed newsletter. It should have good content, an attractive appearance, and broad access. It can both consolidate and feed our other lines of communication. It can be a common source of reference where essential data of the organization can be found. Even those who can not be present in any other way can participate through meaningful printed media. The newsletter should report on our activities, offer a means of interaction and discussion, and help connect like-minded people in all sorts of ways.