I, of all people, am a resolute proponent of communicating with policymakers through online channels. In the advocacy, grassroots and political communications profession, we often urge our base to email, click-to-call, and even tweet at our Members of Congress. But in the ladder of engagement, the ultimate in communications and activism is attending an event or meeting in person, and if possible, engaging a policymaker in a face-to-face conversation. That is our pot of gold. So, I can’t help but (...)
Although we in the field of advocacy and communications are often focused on pushing messages out, some of us are also faced with the task of taking information in, collaborating, and consensus building — either among membership or the public at large. This task used to require conferences, meetings, and other face-to-face communications, but the new world of online tools, including social media, is rapidly growing the opportunities for new forms of cost-effective, solution-driven engagement. The National Coalition on Dialogue (...)
