RECAP: 2024
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT
This month marks the end of our third year of this newsletter. We hope you’ve been able to gain a deeper understanding of how right-wing narratives work and how to combat them while lifting up cross-racial solidarity. This time, we are giving you a quick reminder, refresher, and recap of all the issues we’ve written guides for this year.
REMINDER: WHY WE LAUNCHED THIS SERIES
In recent years, we’ve obviously seen a whirlwind of disinformation and divisive rhetoric that threatens the free, safe, just, and joyful society that we all want. We know we need to cut through the noise to show how movements have used narratives to change direction in the past and have the power to do it again.
And our instinctive response to disinformation—flooding the conversation with “enough” facts—doesn’t work. Instead of changing minds, this approach often reinforces lies, amplifies opponents’ narratives, and exposes misinformation to those who haven’t heard it. This is exactly what our opposition intends: they use lies and outrageous claims to “bait” us into responding to them so that the conversation stays on their terms- and therefore, their frames of fear and division remain the dominant ones.
“Don’t Take the Bait” aims to address this by equipping people with tools to dispel lies and call out dog whistles without repeating or amplifying them. It’s about empowering Wisconsin to stay informed, protect our racial and class solidarity, and move forward together.
RECAP: 2024
Here are the newsletters we delivered to you this year. You can find archives of more on our website.
Feb -Happy Black History Month
March - DEI in Wisconsin
April - Earth Month
May - We Believe in Wisconsin
June - Milwaukee is Terrific
July - No One Deserves Gun Violence
August - Power-Grabbing Amendments
Sept - Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric
Oct - Misleading Ballot Amendments
Nov - Count Every Vote
EVERGREEN GUIDANCE
LEAD with shared values — such as community, safety, prosperity, equity, justice, or fairness — in a way that names race and class while bringing people together.
FOCUS on the creation of good — delivering jobs and healthcare, funding schools and communities, creating a process where every Wisconsinite can safely and freely cast our ballot, etc. — tangible positive outcomes, rather than the amelioration of harm (e.g., “provide for every child so they can achieve their dreams” instead of “fix our broken system”)
CAST ‘we the people,’ everyday Wisconsinites, as protagonists: Only by acting together can we move Wisconsin forward — in contrast to how our opposition is trying to hold us back. We turned out in record numbers to elect leaders to care for us and act in our interests. We pulled together throughout this pandemic to deliver meals, support neighborhood businesses, support our kids and care for loved ones. That’s why it’s so important that we bring our neighbors and communities into the story as its main actors and as active agents who can and will change the outcome.
CHARACTERIZE the opposition: Who is violating our values? How are they doing it? What is their motivation? What role does race play? These are all questions we need to answer clearly (without jargon!) in our messaging.
DEFINE + DELIVER: define this moment as a pivotal crossroads and deliver a positive, inspirational vision for the future we will create together for a Wisconsin where we all can thrive. We believe that we will win.
AVOID the opposition frame (e.g. CRT, parental control) and PIVOT to our frames of freedom, safety, community, etc.
DO NOT REPEAT accusations, even to refute them. (e.g. do not say “critical race theory is not....”)
AVOID THE ‘RECIPE’: as always, say the brownie, not the recipe. The freedom to vote, rather than the abstraction of democracy. The ability to see a doctor when we need it, rather than simply saying expand healthcare.
