Top 10 Communications Favorites 2018

Seasons greetings,

Every December, I like to send an update to friends, thought partners, and clients I’ve connected with, as a way of expressing appreciation and reflecting on the year. In 2018, I had the pleasure of supporting clients to advance social justice, gender equity, civic engagement, health access, and disability rights.

I wanted to share some of my 2018 communications favorites—essays, podcasts, research, messaging guides, books, etc. I spent a lot of time this year thinking about how narratives influence social change communications. You’ll see this throughout the favorites.

Warmest wishes for the New Year,
Trina

2018 Top 10: Communications Favorites

  1. Celebrating Diversity to Create an Inclusive Society - john a. powell, on his beautiful concepts, “othering and belonging” and “breaking and bridging”

  2. Does Anyone Have the Right to Sex? - Amia Srinivasan, a deep dive into the ideologies behind sexual politics

  3. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds - adrienne maree brown, a transformative, inspiring, accessible book on social change strategy (published 2017)

  4. How We Talk About Trans Inclusion Matters - Alyson Escalante, on reconceptualizing trans inclusion in feminism while not reinforcing outdated and dangerous conceptions of identity

  5. The Evolution of Identity Politics - Eric Ward, on the origins of white nationalism

  6. Reclaiming Native Truth - First Nations Development Institute and Echo Hawk Consulting, the first comprehensive, national, public opinion study about attitudes toward and perceptions of Native Americans

  7. Hope, Not Fear: A New Model for Communicating Human Rights - Thomas Coombes, on the brain science behind why feelings like hope and safety make people more open to rational and empathetic solutions

  8. Meet the ‘Change Agents’ Who Are Enabling Inequality - Joseph Stiglitz, on Anand Giridharadas’ new book challenging philanthropists who “do good” but don’t try to “do less harm”

  9. The Answer to GOP Dog Whistles? Democrats Should Talk More About Race, Not Less - Ian Haney López and Anat Shenker-Osorio, on their new empirical research showing that progressives should be telling a story that ties together race and class

  10. Moving Toward Prevention: A Guide for Reframing Sexual Violence - Berkeley Media Studies Group, a messaging guide for communicating more effectively about sexual violence and reframing the dialogue to lead with prevention


Bonus: Top 5 Podcasts

I listened to a LOT of podcasts this year. Here are some favorites:

  1. How to Survive the End of the World - beautiful, nuanced conversations between the Brown sisters on everything from #metoo to social justice science fiction

  2. MEN - from Scene on Radio, a documentary podcast series exploring gender and patriarchy (building on last year’s Seeing White series, exploring race and white supremacy)

  3. Call Your Girlfriend - a delightful, thoughtful, weekly chat about politics and pop culture

  4. The Dig - deep dives into politics, criminal justice, immigration, class, and more

  5. Upstream - radical ideas and inspiring stories for a just transition to a more equitable world


There is so much out there. What were your favorites of 2018?

Trina Stout