“Give us more detailed counsel for using social media when a community faces division.” A comment such as this one was the most common response to the Divided Community Project’s first two reports, Key Considerations for Community Leaders Facing Civil Unrest and Planning in Advance of Civil Unrest, both issued in 2016. This report responds to that request.
For community leaders, social media presents valuable opportunities to engage community members, understand issues that underrepresented groups are concerned about, and encourage cross-community dialogue. At the same time, some users of social media may spread harmful forms of misinformation, engage in hate speech or online bullying, or use social media in various ways to take advantage of community unrest.
This guide discusses social media strategies for community leaders dealing with community division.
To access of DCP's resources, check out our virtual toolkit!