The New American Dream

Any body see any unicorns lately? Sasquatch maybe? How about a winning lottery ticket? No, I didn't think so. At least I haven't. But that doesn't mean we aren't looking. Nor does it mean we are giving up no matter how great the odds against us might be. If there is one thing I will say about Americans, when it comes to searching for that magic elixir, we stand aside for no one. After all, isn't that the new American dream? You suddenly discover you had a rich uncle you never new about who just died and left you one million dollars. Or you are picked out in a crowd by some quirky movie producer who makes you the star of their next mega hit and the result is you are adored by millions and have fame and fortune beyond your wildest imagination.

Is there any one among us who has not fantasized at some time about those turn of events happening to us? I sure have. Given the tough economic and political times in which we find ourselves, who could blame any one for occasionally gazing at the stars and weaving a fantastic tale which ends in our getting everything we ever wanted? To all who do dream those dreams, I say "dream on, " but with a warning: do not let those dreams get in the way of reality, no matter how grim and frustrating it might seem at present. That frustration, by the way, is fed to us daily by far too many talking heads and, even worse, elected officials who continue feeding us the myths that (1) the road to regaining our footing as individuals and a nation will not require sacrifice and compromise; (2) big corporations and conglomerates are not going to have to have to put aside their obscene thirst for profit and power to work for the greater good of the entire population; and (3) we as individuals are not going to have to accept the reality that individuality only works in the context of cooperation and respect with and for others.

Communication is never more vital than in times of stress and duress. Furthermore, communication is never better than when it is honest. It is no coincidence that the worst bumps in our nation's evolution have occurred when honest communication was not practiced. The Red Scare of the 1950s, the Vietnam conflict of the 1960s, Watergate of the 1970s, the impeachment of a president of the 1990s, and the invasion of Iraq of this young century were among the dark times in our recent history perpetuated by false communication. Even when truth began to shine through, however, it still took years to recover from the damage that was done. My sense is people can, in fact, handle the truth. Sadly and ironically, it seems far too many of our leaders can't handle telling it. We need better communicators.

Communication As An Enigma

Communication is an enigma. It is a puzzle that seems simple, yet upon closer inspection reveals itself to be a complex phenomenon that often leads to contradictory results. In the past century, for instance, there is no doubt the act of communicating with others has seen tremendous strides. From the telegraph to the wire services to radio to television and to the Internet, getting the word out about something or passing along information such as news has seen unbelievable improvement. As a result, the sharing of information can now be done almost instantaneously. To label this reality as anything but positive would be doing a great disservice to the men and women who made it possible as well as the potential benefits it brings to all of us.

Yet, to me, this is where the puzzle reveals itself. Just as our society is better able to communicate, there seems to be a growing segment of this same society that seems to be disenfranchised. Even with all of the so-called communicating that is going on through all kinds of channels and mechanisms, more and more people - young and old, men and women, rich and poor - are being turned off, overwhelmed or feeling as if what is being passed around is not speaking to their needs or relevant to their interests and lives. Recent elections are a perfect example of this. In a country that touts itself as the greatest democracy in the world, rarely, if ever, do more than 50 percent of the registered voters actually vote. Is this because these millions of men and women do not actually know an election is going? Or is it because how and what is being communicated throughout the campaigns, including by those who work for candidates, those in the news business, and regular folk who simply talk among themselves about issues of the day, are not able to relate to the noise they hear, see and read?

My conclusion: while we as a society can communicate well, I am sure we are. I also wonder whether any one is really paying attention to this disturbing trend or even genuinely cares about it. I have doubts. These days I equate communication with progress. Yes, as a whole, our society has made great progress. Yet despite this, there are more people in the world who are starving and living in poverty than ever before. Why are these people being left behind? Why are there more and more people who are not being addressed or whose voices are not being heard or given attention? This gap concerns me. Economically, it seems to be generally accepted that there are haves and have nots in the world. It is also recognized that the gap between the two is growing at a disturbing rate. Do these two divisions also exist when it comes to communication? I am inclined to think so. This, too, is not a good trend.

Addressing Negative Tension

Over the past few weeks there have been a couple of high profile disciplinary actions within the national media. At National Public Radio, one of its commentators, Juan Williams, was fired as a result of what management interpreted as inappropriate remarks he made on a Fox network talk show regarding his initial reaction to seeing Muslims on airplanes. Most recently, MSNBC suspended indefinitely one of its top news commentators, Keith Olbermann, when it was learned he donated money to several Democrat candidates without first informing his organizational superiors. Both actions seemed to come out of nowhere and generated much media attention. As I write this, they still are.

Based on their public explanations, I understand why management at NPR and MSNBC did what it did. At the same time, I think their actions were an overreaction to the so-called infractions and a mistake. As a result, both of these highly regarded and highly respectable organizations came off with egg on their respected faces. But the more I read about these two situations the more I am inclined to believe there is more to each management's actions than meets the eye. In the case of Williams, for instance, supposedly his bosses at NPR had been unhappy for a while regarding Williams' affiliation with the Fox network. Williams was a regular contributor to and guest on several of Fox's news talk programs. My sense is Williams' comments about how seeing Muslims on airplanes on which he, too, is a passenger makes him uncomfortable was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back." In the case of Olbermann, reports indicate he and his superiors had been butting heads for a good while. Apparently, his infraction was the excuse they were looking forward to give him a giant slap on the wrist.

In the two cases, the tension between Williams and Olbermann and their bosses had been building for awhile. My guess is both men knew this and probably sensed it was just a matter of time before something were to happen and those negative feelings erupted into some type of public and ugly mess. One lesson to be learned from these incidents is bubbling tension should not be ignored. Instead it should be addressed ideally in a respectable and upfront way. Whether it pertains to office co-workers, neighbors, a boss and an employee, or even a husband and wife, it is vital that negative ill-feelings not be allowed to fester. They only get worse and build. Granted, addressing them is not easy and takes good communication skills. But these skills are not beyond the reach of any of us. Basically, they involve honest sharing and open listening. I understand having a conversation of this nature is not the easiest thing for any of us to do. Butif such a step is not taken or at least attempted, then the eventual consequences are never good.

Howard Zinn and the Little Guy

I have a new person to add to my list of heroes. He's the late historian Howard Zinn. I just started reading his masterpiece , "A People's History of the United States 1492 to the Present." (Shame on me for taking so long to get to it). I am finding out what so many people before me discovered: it is wonderful. What I like best about the perspective Zinn takes is that he looks at the history of our nation from the perspective of the average person and not the leaders or persons who necessarily grabbed all the headlines then as well as now. Of course, this is not to say that people like Christopher Columbus, George Washington and, more recently, Ronald Reagen are not mentioned. They and many of the other familiar historical icons certainly are. But instead of simply presenting the times in which these individuals led, challenges they faced and impact of their decisions and visions, Zinn looks closely at the equally important and difficult challenges that many of the so-called "little people" faced during the times in which Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford and Franklin Roosevelt reigned and often dominated the attention and interest of the nation and even the world.

How did the average soldier during America's Revolutionary War cope when the revolutionary leaders were not able to pay them? Fast forward over 200 years, what concerns were many U.S. citizens having and feeling at the time the United States was organizing an international coalition designed to drive the army of Iraq out of Iran? We know what the headlines of the time said in response to these questions, but Zinn goes beyond them and, in doing so, provides invaluable insight into the fabric of our nation in ways that few historians have done before or since. Zinn's book raises important questions for professional communicators: Who speaks for the person with no voice? What role can or should professional communicators play in helping provide those with little or no power or influence with the opportunity to speak out, be heard and perhaps make a difference?

While I have no precise answer to those questions, I do know our society has little chance of maintaining any degree of health and vitality if its key publics are not talking with each other. If the rich and powerful continue talking at those who are neither of those things, then discontent will continue filling the air from which our nation draws life. While it is possible the so-called Tea Party movement reflects efforts on the part of the non-rich and powerful to be heard, I have my doubts. Time will tell. But either way, that dialog must be allowed to continue. While working with clients, pubic relations professionals need do all they can to encourage ways for their clients to connect with those they employ and/or represent. Their public relations strategies must include meaningful interaction or mutual engagement between managers and employees, for instance. It all begins with trying to bring people together.

On My Day of Birth

While going through a number of things handed down to me by my parents recently, I came across the first page of The Baltimore Morning Sun dated August 13, 1950. (My date of birth.) I had to smile at the fact my parents went to the trouble of preserving this paper so that I might have a sense of what was going on in the world on this particular Sunday when I entered the world. I was born and raised in Baltimore, so it made sense my parents would turn to the biggest newspaper in their town. Of course, looking back, I say in all modesty and without equivocation that the most important thing that happened that day was my birth. But looking at the headlines on this day, it would seem those in the news business did not share my opinion.

One interesting piece of news that did make the front page was the fact town officials of Denton, Texas, voted to set aside August 15 as Old Maids Day. Apparently, as a result of heavy lobbying by Miss Dorothy Babb, a local educator, this decision was made to recognize unmarried ladies who have spent years of their lives buying wedding gifts for friends but had received nothing in return. Near the end of the story it was reported that one of Miss Babb's students, in recognition of her efforts and status as an "old maid," bought her a watermelon. I wonder if Denton still celebrates Old Maids Day?

Much of the front page news that day was dominated by the growing conflict in Korean. In fact, of the eleven stories on the Sun's front page, nine were related to the Korean conflict. In one item, General Douglas MacArthur called for President Truman and the U.S. government to censor all news coming out of Korea. In another, the American military's lack of readiness in this part of the world was highlighted. Joining the Denton, Texas, piece as the only non-Korean related story was one pertaining to efforts by Republican Congressional leaders to obtain passage of an economic controls bill.

Back then our country and the world had much on its plate to contemplate and grapple with. That, of course, is not any different than how it is today. But sprinkled in with those serious matters were items of whimsy to give people something to smile about as they read of dispute, conflict and violence. That, too, is how much of life is today as well. For communicators, it is important to provide the public with accurate information, even if it is grim and "not fun." At the same time, as is appropriate, it helps to make warmth and humor as much apart of the package as possible to help make the harder stuff more palatable.

Speaking Out for Facts

Are facts becoming an endangered species? I sure hope not. But at the same time I am concerned for their future. It used to be that cold, indisputable facts would win the day in any discussion or debate. Two plus two equals four. What goes up must come down. It is facts like these that should constitute the focal point of discussion. But nowadays people seem to be so caught up in getting out their side of an issue - what they would like to see versus what is - that facts no longer seem to be the rock or foundation around which all conversation revolve. Instead, facts seem to be as much available for manipulation and interpretation as are opinions. As a result, what people define as their own truth is replacing what society accepts as irrefutable facts. This is not a healthy trend for any of us.

I see the current political season as being a major reason for the current shaky status of facts. Perhaps the political season brings out the worst in people when it comes to public discourse. Perhaps the political season makes candidates and their supporters feel it is ok to exaggerate, twist and speak irrationally when it comes to making their positions known and driving home their points. Perhaps it is the political season that leads voters to focus on those candidates that make the most noise, produce the ads that are most slick, or spew the glibbest sound bites. Perhaps it is the political season that leads voters away from assessing the content of what candidates are saying, examining the sources of a candidate's information, and studying what it would mean if what some candidates are calling for is actually implemented. For instance, do we really want to abolish the concept of separation of church and state from the Constitution? Would doing away with the entire medicare and social security programs really be the best thing for us to do? Would eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Education make life in the U.S. better and healthier? Yet these kind of opinions are being put forward by candidates without any explanation as to the ramifications of such dramatic actions.

But just because the current political season will soon subside does not mean my concerns about facts and the thread from which they seem to be hanging will also fade away. Sadly, my worries will not go away. Whether we are in a political season or not, I fret that facts are gradually being moved away from their front row seat to one that is more off to the side. They seem no longer to be the driver of our communication but rather just one of the passengers. In the world of law enforcement, facts drive investigations and not the other way around. Facts should drive communication as well. Sure people want to express their views. People want to be heard. But discourse on any level must go beyond simply speaking out for its own sake. It is up to communicators of all stripes to become advocates of facts. To ignore or twist them is, at the least, is disreputable spin control and, at the worst, dishonest. Either way, not giving facts their just due in any exchange or interaction between individuals or publics is simply poor communication.

Teaching As Two-Way Communication

Teaching is an interesting dynamic. It is also part of a partnership involving players with different roles that begin at opposite starting points yet share the same finish line. The job of the teacher is to impart knowledge about a particular subject. The teacher does it through a range of strategies that include lectures, guest speakers, assignments, tests and by instigating various ways for the students to become actively engaged in classroom discussion. The job of the student is to attempt to capture the knowledge and demonstrate their understanding and familiarity with it well enough to satisfy the teacher. On the surface, the roles of the two seem pretty well defined: one sends out information and the other receives it. If this were a classic public relations model, then such a dynamic would be strictly one-way communication.

Unfortunately, one-way communication is not as effective as two-way communication. This is particularly the case if the connection between teacher and student is viewed as being long-term. A teacher and their students are collaborators or partners much as are employer and employee, husband and wife, and doctor and patient. For each to enjoy any kind of shared success, they must establish themselves as a team that works toward a shared goal or end. Identifying the desired result as well as the strategies to obtain it can only be achieved via two-way communication in which the two offer good-faith suggestions designed to ensure well-earned passing grades for the students. Bottom line: the two must work together. They must cast aside the old dynamic where the teacher does all the talking and students do all the listening. Instead, what happens in the classroom must be more about active engagement on the part of both parties. Of course, the teacher knows more about the given subject than the students. But this does not mean students do not have something concrete to add to the subject matter, cannot help design a road map for the class, and even broaden the teacher's base of knowledge.

One reason teaching is such a challenge is because not all teachers possess the communication skills to truly connect with their students, establish a vibrant partnership with them or are able to impart information about the subject in ways that students adequately understand or find interesting. In my many years as a student and a part-time instructor at various colleges and universities, I have known and experienced a number of extremely knowledgeable and accomplished scholars who not do well at teaching because of their shortcomings as communicators. Perhaps viewing students as partners rather than as entities to talk at for several hours per week over the span of a semester might help reverse this. Granted, not all attempts to establish two-way communication are successful. But not trying at all greatly reduces the chances of making the classroom experience for both teacher and student one that is positive, meaningful and memorable.