all posts tagged “politics”
Recently Jay Rosen published a fascinating article on his PressThink blog that focuses on politics and how the parties have learned to exploit an “electoral blind spot”. As Rosen puts it:
The blind spot is the point at which voters stop paying attention because the costs of figuring out what’s really going on are too high.
It’s a fascinating article, and I really love this idea of “costs of figuring something out”. The article is about politics and the press, but I think the idea applies to many other subjects.
Think about Twitter or QR codes or almost any innovation. In the beginning, the costs to figuring the subject out are high. It takes valuable time to do research, to find the right tools, to be informed enough to have an educated opinion. It’s a barrier that creates a blind spot for the mainstream, who simply can’t justify the costs.
The geeks and early adopters are motivated and they get over the barrier easily. While they understand these new ideas, they are not often well equipped to make them understandable for others. The blind spot remains.
The question becomes - how do we fill these blind spots? How do we get the mainstream, your mom, your teacher, your boss, over that barrier?
My answer, to use Rosen's words, is that we lower the cost of figuring something out. How? My answer is to focus on explanations - create packages of ideas that are designed to fill the blind spot and help people say “Oh, I get it now!”
While explanations can come in many forms, we’re oriented around video explanations. We do the research, so you don’t have to. It’s all about providing information to fill the blind spot and help people feel informed enough to have an opinion and care enough to want to learn more. That’s where the magic really begins.
The White House Goes Whiteboard
Posted by: leelefever on September 29, 2010- 5:00pm
Categories: Explanation, Explanation, government, politics, whiteboard
A while back I was a part of a panel with Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin and one of his big points during the session was the use of visuals in politics. This was in the middle of the healthcare debate and he wondered why no one, Obama, Republicans, members of congress, etc. were using visuals to make their cases. I agreed whole-heartedly. Glenn Beck seems to make it work, why not put visuals and whiteboards to work for serious policy discussions?
Today I saw that the White House has started what it calls the White House Whiteboard, which looks to be a forthcoming of series of videos using a whiteboard to explain policy. In the first video, Austin Goolsby, the new Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, uses the whiteboard to explain the difference between the competing tax plans. He doesn't actually draw on the whiteboard, but the the drawings are hand-made and it has the desired effect. I think Dan would agree that this is a step in the right direction.
Please note that my intention with this post is not political. I'm simply pointing to a use of visual thinking in government.
We often get requests to make a video about healthcare reform. Unfortunately, it's a subject that's very fluid - by the time finished a video, it may be out of date.
Thankfully, our friend Dan Roam (who wrote the book Back of the Napkin) has stepped up to the challenge and created a simple way to explain healthcare/insurance reform. Check it out:
Study: Americans Overwhelmingly Demand Simple Communications
Posted by: leelefever on January 13, 2009- 4:00pm
Categories: business, Explanation, news, plainenglish, politics
Siegel+Gale recently completed a year long study of 1,214 American
homeowners and investors that shows huge demand for simple, plain
English communications. A few interesting quotes:
Fully 84% of all consumers say they are more likely to trust a company
that uses jargon-free, plain English in communications. And 79% say
they think it is “very important??? that President Obama “mandate that
clarity, transparency, and plain English be a requirement of every new
law, regulation and policy.???
Three-quarters of survey respondents (75%) say that complexity and lack
of understanding have played a significant role in the current
financial crisis. Moreover, 63% of those surveyed feel that “banks,
mortgage lenders and Wall Street intentionally make things complicated
to hide risks or to keep people in the dark.???
The survey asked how much of an impact jargon-free, plain-English
explanations and disclosures would make on consumer interest in a
number of categories. Consumers reported:
a 79% increased interest in investing in a financial product,
a 73% increased interest in selecting a broker or a financial advisor,
a 67% increased interest in purchasing a life insurance policy,
a 63% increased interest in taking out a loan, and
a 63% increased interest in applying for a credit card.
I doubt this comes as a big surprise. I think we as a population have become desensitized to government, legal and financial jargon to a point where we assume it's the only option. We muddle through it, hire people to translate it and hope for the best. It's a sad state of affairs and one that can change. We have to demand it. We have to show that it's wasteful and counter-productive.
The hardest part is admitting that we don't know or that we're confused. When we're sitting in that office, we want to show that we're smart and on the ball. When the jargon starts flying, it's too easy to nod and say "ok." I do it too. If we're serious about changing this kind of communication, we have to be ready to say "I don't get it" and "I need you to help me understand using simple language." It's nothing to be embarrassed about - as customer, we have the right to demand clarity. In the end, it's the businesses and organizations that can provide this clarity that will have a better chance of finding success in the future.
Through nearly 50 comments and 15-20 emails, you have spoken. You don't want to see politics on Common Craft. I agree that it is the right move - political discussions will not appear on the Common Craft web site. We may make videos about events that relate to government, but these will not reflect personal/partisan views. A couple of things:
1) First, wow. We are both so excited to see such amazing comments. The thoughtfulness is inspiring. Thank you so much for being involved - we are lucky to have people like you around us. My Mom even got involved via email (thanks Mom!)
2) I was surprised to see so many responses in email. One of my favorites simply said "Listen to Sachi." It's good advice. As I mentioned in a comment on the entry, it seemed as though people were more open to the idea of talking politics when they emailed me directly.
3) This discussion highlights the ways in which Sachi and work together. On our "About" page, Sachi is named (lovingly) as the "Chief Party Pooper." It fits well - Sachi is ultimately reasonable, rational and risk-averse. In this way, we are a team. It's my nature to dream and to take risks. Together, we create a sense of balance. When I mentioned our "ongoing discussion" in the last post, it doesn't just apply to politics. We have ongoing discussions about everything, all the time. It's through those discussions that we find middle ground and ultimately the ideas that help us be successful.
I've learned to never underestimate the value of having people in your life that disagree with you and are willing to talk about why. It has helped me keep my feet on the ground when that's where they needed to be.
Sachi and I have an ongoing discussion that I want to share with you, dear reader, because I want to hear your feedback.
When I was a consultant, people would ask me what subjects are appropriate for a blog. Inevitably I would say that it should reflect the person behind the blog and what is important to them. It should be multi-faceted and provide personality along with on-topic content. I would also say that context matters - company blogs deserve special care, for instance.
So here I am with the Common Craft blog and there are two things that are very important to me right now:
1. Making videos
2. The Presidential Elections
My instinct is to talk about both on this blog. I have a lot to say about the elections and I'm very passionate. However, I'm making a conscious effort to keep Common Craft on-topic and apolitical. A few reasons:
1. You didn't subscribe or visit to hear my thoughts on politics.
2. Common Craft is a brand and a business. It could be a risk to make political positions a part of a brand that hopes to appeal to as many people as possible.
3. Common Craft is both Sachi and me. While we agree on some things, I would never speak on Sachi's behalf regarding politics.
However, I am very passionate about this election and I feel that it's my duty to stand up for what I believe and to be a part of the discussion in places where I can have the most impact, including this blog. I have other ways to share my views, but nothing that compares to this blog's reach and potential.
We are living through an absolutely profound part of history that will impact us all. In my heart I know it could be a big mistake to suddenly share my politics on this blog, but it's so very hard not to take that step.
What do you think?
Hi, I am a teacher at a middle school in Ohio, I just shared your electoral college video with my kids and thy got it!!!!! Your explanation is the best I have ever seen. Now my kids want more of your stuff. Just thought you'd like a big cheer from Ohio.
Here's to kids getting it! Yay! The video is here.
As the US presidential election heats up, I've been more and more interested in how the candidates are shaping up, particularly on the web. One of my daily newsletters, Tech President (blog), has recently become something I look forward to each day. It's by the Personal Democracy Forum and focuses on, you guessed it, how technology is changing politics (or not).
It's fascinating to see how things are playing out. For instance, think it's so interesting that the Democrats jumped into the YouTube debates and a number of the Republican candidates won't take it seriously. There is something about this that reminds me of the experienced executive that is too busy to worry about the company's web site.
Anyway, if you're interested in the upcoming elections and a thorough take on how the web is shaping politics, Tech President is good start.
John McCain's campaign recently created a MySpace page and made a few mistakes along the way. They used Mike Davidson's (the co-founder of Newsvine) design template (without credit) and even images from Mike's server. When Mike discovered this, he switched out an image as a prank. Hilarious.
I'm posting this because of the sign-of-the-times appeal. Today Howard Dean used his "Blog for America" to announce that he is running for the Chairmanship of the Democratic Nat'l Committee.
What, no press release? No news conference? I'm sure those may follow, but as usual-- the blog world knows first.
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