When Everything is Bait
DON’T TAKE THE BAIT
We know. You’re angry, scared, and overwhelmed. We got you.
FIRST: REMEMBER TO BREATHE
Authoritarian regimes want you isolated. Connection is an act of defiance. Get in community:
Make time to be with your people. Show up and be present. Whether online or in person, meet up for a deeper connection.
Use digital spaces wisely, but still connect with your people on social media and stay engaged with community discussions.
Check in often! If you haven't called that friend you meant to connect with, now is the time to call them and set up a meeting time.
Joy is an act of resistance. Don’t let the current times consume you- take intentional steps to nurture your well-being and be intentional about reveling in the very things they seek to take away—your freedom, happiness, and joy.
Take intentional breaks – Set an alarm to pause, breathe, and step away from your computer or phone.
Move your body – Practice yoga, stretch, dance, or engage in any movement that feels good and restorative.
Go outside - Go for a walk, sit in the sun (if it’s warm enough, find a peaceful spot to focus on).
Practice mental health - Make an appointment to see a therapist or find an online or in-person meditation session.
Find what brings you peace - Read, paint, cook, sew, crochet, take a nap.
Unplug - You don’t have to stay connected all day. Instead, talk to a loved one, play a board game, or finish that craft project.
NEXT: UNDERSTAND THEIR COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
History has taught us that authoritarian regimes thrive on control, fear, and division. Overwhelming policies, media chaos, and disinformation aim to exhaust and silence you. Thankfully, history is also our guide to securing a future of freedom, safety, justice, and joy– we must do it together.
Breaking Down Their Playbook
To counter them, we have to know their strategy. Authoritarians use “Us vs. Them” messaging to create conditions that fuel conflict. Pay attention when:
They portray entire groups of people (immigrants, transgender people, journalists, etc) as “guilty” or fearsome.
They escalate characterizations of those groups with language to make the targets seem less than human (uncivilized, “swarms” of people, vermin) to feed into the notion that these people are outside of the social contract. This creates what they will later use as justifications for violence.
Their messaging becomes “we must act in self-defense” because they’ve already built the narrative that they aren’t the aggressor.
Hypermasculine language is used to tie the idea of violence to valor. “Real men do what it takes,” “We must protect women,” etc, and any group member who speaks out is targeted as weak.
They justify their actions by saying, “We need to secure our future.” They evoke community, but it is always coded to be exclusionary.
All of these tactics reduce everyone to a handful of characteristics and take away the complexity of humanity.
We must counteract what these narratives are DOING, not just what they say.
The Three A’s of Countering Authoritarian Narratives
Appeal: Build connections
Lean on your social circles—friends, family, and colleagues. Stay connected, stay talking.
Widen your community. Arrange more hang-outs and coffee dates. Take an art class. Help your people when they need it, and tell your people when you need it. Fear thrives in isolation.
Affirm Positive Norms: Reinforce the values you want to see
Speak up about what your community stands for, whether in person or online.
Share stories and examples of positive, collective action in your circles.
Challenge fear-based propaganda with stories of shared humanity and community.
Don’t just react to the news- create your own & set the agenda by showing what freedom and joy look like.
Act: Take meaningful steps in your everyday life.
Call out misinformation and propaganda when you see it- without repeating it.
Support organizations and individuals working to counter division and disinformation.
Support quality independent journalism. Most indie journalists and outlets have newsletters to which you can subscribe.
Organize or participate in discussions, protests, book clubs, rallies, etc
Remember, authoritarianism succeeds when people feel powerless. Strengthening our connections to each other strengthens our power.
SOCIAL MEDIA DO’S AND DON’TS
DO’s
Verify Before Sharing – Always fact-check news using reputable sources before reposting or reacting. For example, please don’t post about an ICE raid unless you’ve verified it. Remember: the regime wants to be seen as omnipresent to create panic and despair, so don’t do their bidding by sharing something you aren’t sure is true.
Amplify Reliable Voices – Support experts, activists, and marginalized voices combating disinformation.
Use Screenshots for Misinformation – If calling out false information, use screenshots instead of linking directly so you don’t boost engagement for bad actors.
Report and Block Bots/Trolls – Many disinformation accounts are automated or paid operatives. Report and move on instead of engaging.
DON’Ts
Don’t Share Without Reading – Clickbait headlines are designed to mislead. Always read the full article before posting.
Don’t Fall for Rage Bait – Outrage-driven posts (even if accurate) often serve to exhaust and distract. Stay focused on actionable issues.
Don’t Engage with Obvious Trolls – Their goal is to waste your time and flood the discourse with noise. Starve them of attention.
Don’t Assume Screenshots and Pictures are Real – Bad actors often use fake photos to spread false narratives. Check original sources.
Don’t Share Disinformation to “Debunk” It – This will spread a false narrative further. They know they’re lying - they want to outrage you so that you share their narrative to spread it.
Don’t Let Social Media Be Your Only Action – Posting isn’t enough. Get involved in your community, support trustworthy journalism, and take real-world action.
Guidance from Voces de la Frontera
NARRATIVE SUPPORT
Our friends at the Research Collaborative are continually updating their “Freedom Over Fascism” narrative guidance. Find it here.
ASO Communications has also released a guide on how to talk about deportations here.
WE KEEP US SAFE
Black and brown people are a guiding light for how to live, organize, and sustain under oppression. Many organizations across Wisconsin have been fighting oppressive policies and social structures for decades. Follow, support, and amplify them:
Leaders Igniting Transformation
There are many other organizations, mutual aid groups, and community spaces all around the state. If you need help finding one where you are, send us an email and we’ll connect you.
Other resources you might find helpful:
Protect Your People Digital Toolkit from Harvard Law School LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Clinic
Collective Grief & Healing Playlist from The Nap Ministry
Milwaukee Turners Training on Immigrants, Refugees and Undocumented People
Finally, help us amplify our choir. Send this guide to a friend and invite them to sign up for our monthly “Don’t Take the Bait” newsletter here.
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., crime, riots, government waste, freeloaders) and PIVOT to our frames of freedom, safety, community, etc. They want us to use their language- even if it’s a lie- so the narrative fights stay in their frame of fear.
DO NOT REPEAT accusations, even to refute them. (e.g., do not say “crime is....”)
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.
DO NOT start with or get stuck in despair: people know something is wrong already. The job of a good narrative is to remember that we are not in a facts fight– we know the truth is on our side already (and if facts were all we needed, we would already have the world we want). Our job is to pull people out of despair and into a shared feeling of hope and potential.