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Please write down the meanest and the nicest thing that anybody ever said about you

Combat Communications for Conservationists Prevailing in conflicts, confrontations, and controversial situations Eric Eckl, May 3, 2008

“ Mr. Eckl is absolutely right” -- Annapolis Capital Times, November, 2006

Today’s Presentation Introduction Four Take Away Points What’s Changing Slowly? What’s Changing Quickly? Words That Work (and Don’t) Exercises Take Aways, revisited Q&A

Introduction

Four Take Away Points

What’s Changing Slowly?

What’s Changing Quickly?

Words That Work (and Don’t)

Exercises

Take Aways, revisited

Q&A

Take Away Points Learn to love controversy Focus on the bystanders, not your adversary You Tell Your Story You Tell Your Story

Learn to love controversy

Focus on the bystanders, not your adversary

You Tell Your Story

You Tell Your Story

Changing Slowly: Public Attitudes

Three major studies that explored patterns of environmental attitudes, knowledge, and conviction among American citizens. Similar But Different

Similar But Different

Key Concepts

You Them 10% 30% Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this: 40% 15% 5%

You Them 10% 30% Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this: 40% 15% 5% You

You Them 10% 30% Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this: 40% 15% 5% Polluters/Developers/Big Oil/King Coal/ Etc…

You Them 10% 30% Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this: 40% 15% 5% Bystanders

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Staunch Supporters Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this:

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Generally Supportive Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this:

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Well-meaning – but faint hearted Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this:

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Just Lookin’ Out for #1 Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this:

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Actively Opposed to You Attitudes Before the mud starts flying, public attitudes are most likely distributed about like this:

You Them 10% 30% Knowledge Before the mud starts flying, some know more than others 40% 15% 5%

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Pay attention to the issue before it becomes controversial Knowledge Before the mud starts flying, some know more than others

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Only pay attention to the issue after it becomes controversial Knowledge Before the mud starts flying, some know more than others

You Them 10% 30% Conviction Once the mud starts flying, who can be persuaded and who can’t 40% 15% 5%

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% Hold views firmly Conviction Once the mud starts flying, who can be persuaded and who can’t

You Them 10% 30% 40% 15% 5% May change their minds Conviction Once the mud starts flying, who can be persuaded and who can’t

Key Revelation You and your adversary are very similar You are both very different from the bystanders

You and your adversary are very similar

You are both very different from the bystanders

You and Your Adversary Are… Attentive Informed Confident Outspoken

Attentive

Informed

Confident

Outspoken

Bystanders, the “muddled middle,” are… Sympathetic, but… Distracted Uninformed Persuadable Silent

Sympathetic, but…

Distracted

Uninformed

Persuadable

Silent

Changing Quickly: Forums for Public Debate

Ending: The Era of Mass Media Beginning: The Era of Nonpoint Source Information

Where they get their information

Media Choices are Exploding

Two Trendwatchers

Recent Trends in News Consumption Pew Research Center: Trends 2005

“ Watched TV news yesterday”

“ Read newspaper yesterday”

“ Listened to radio news yesterday”

“ Read a news magazine yesterday”

At the same news consumption falls… Roper Starch: Americans' Low "Energy IQ:" A Risk to Our Energy Future, 2002

“ Water pollution laws do not go far enough”

“ Environmental laws do not go far enough”

“ Endangered species laws do not go far enough”

“ Wetlands laws do not go far enough”

Words That Work (And Don’t)

Photo: Flickr, Redacted

“ Biodiversity” Photo: Flickr, merfam

“ Watershed” Photo: Flickr, Fernando Dall D’aqua

“ Watershed” by Education

“ Watershed” by Race

“ Watershed” by Gender

More Words That Don’t Work Conservation Easement Nonpoint Source Pollution Open space Run out of water Sprawl Stormwater

Conservation Easement

Nonpoint Source Pollution

Open space

Run out of water

Sprawl

Stormwater

24 Words That Work

Take Away Points Learn to love controversy Focus on the bystanders, not your adversary You Tell Your Story You Tell Your Story

Learn to love controversy

Focus on the bystanders, not your adversary

You Tell Your Story

You Tell Your Story

Exercise #1: Open Up Your Language

A: Polluted Runoff B: Stormwater

A: Open Space B: Natural Area

A: Recreation B: Family activities

A: Watershed management B: Land and water conservation

A: Family vacations B: Tourism

A: Runaway Development B: Sprawl

A: Riparian B: Riverbank

A: Clean water B: Water Quality

A: Endangered species B: Wildlife

? A: Environmentalist B: Conservationist

Exercise #2: The More You Deny It, The More They Believe It

What Did You Think? “ I am not a crook” “ I did not have sex with that woman”

Hypothetical Controvery Them: “You have a black helicopter and want to put me in a concentration camp” You: “I do not have a black helicopter and and I do not want to put you in a concentration camp.”

Them: “You have a black helicopter and want to put me in a concentration camp”

You: “I do not have a black helicopter and and I do not want to put you in a concentration camp.”

Hypothetical Controversy Them: “You have a black helicopter and want to put me in a concentration camp” You: “We are offering landowners the opportunity to develop a voluntar y land protection agreement for their property.”

Them: “You have a black helicopter and want to put me in a concentration camp”

You: “We are offering landowners the opportunity to develop a voluntar y land protection agreement for their property.”

Friends say: “ Great Speaker” Foes say: “ All talk”

Foes say: “ Same old same old” Friends say: “ Experienced”:

Friends say: “ Steadfast” Foes say: “ Stubborn”

Friends say: “ Considers all sides” Foes say: “ Flip flopper”

Friends say: “ Concerned Citizens” Foes say: “ Meddlers”

Friends say: “ Thorough” Foes say: “ Slow”

Let’s calm it down!

You are a hysterical environmentalist wack job

You are bunny-loving elitists who don’t care about people

You are overbearing government gestapo agents

You are red tape-loving ninnies

Let’s stir it up!

I am known for my financial success

I am good looking

I made a mistake

I am politically active in my community

I am a stickler for the letter of the law

Where do we find… The Presentation Citations The “words that work” More “words that don’t” (and suggested alternatives) http://waterwordsthatwork.com

The Presentation

Citations

The “words that work”

More “words that don’t” (and suggested alternatives)

http://waterwordsthatwork.com