Holding the Line: Messaging with Clarity and Discipline

We are living through a turbulent and troubling political moment – but it is not unprecedented. The tactics may feel louder or uniquely modern, but the underlying narrative playbook of authoritarians, both here and abroad – to use racial and gender scapegoating, a divide-and-conquer politic, to control our democracy and rig the rules to benefit the wealthiest few – remains largely the same. While it can feel like we have no idea what to do to meet this moment, what we need most is discipline: holding the line on the messaging principles we know work.

This guide is your messaging compass. It’s organized around three things that matter no matter what the news cycle throws at us: why we message (every message should move people toward action and unity), how we message (communicate with clarity, contrast and intention), and how we stay the course (consistent  repetition and vision are how movements win).