Last month, the London Guardian reported that the mantra of the Brexit campaigners was “Facts don’t work… You have got to connect with people emotionally.” MSNBC’s Maddow Show contributors also fretted about this political information approach spreading to Europe from the United States. But emotion-heavy, data-light appeals have long been part of British and continental […]
When authenticity is thought foolish, it matters most.
I just wrote about how authority, authorship, and authenticity are etymologically related and can improve the way we interact with each other. And then there’s a New York Times op-ed talking about, “Well actually, that’s a terrible idea and only works if you’re Oprah.” In the Times article, Adam Grant, who teaches psychology at Wharton’s School of Business, argues that society should promote sincerity rather […]
From actions to metaphors, language matters
Last year I read Connie Willis’ novel, Doomsday Book, a blend of historical research and character fiction set during 14th Century England’s bout with plague. It’s a terrifically disturbing book because it challenges the reader to engage a period of deep, legitimate, mortal fear and doesn’t offer characters or readers the usual mid-crisis escape hatches. It wasn’t possible for the people of that time […]
Editing Means Reality Shaping
Black History Month means unearthing grainy black-and-white photos of Black people from archives, backrooms, and attics everywhere. The New York Times played this storyline literally this year, announcing a month-long series of photos never before published in the print newspaper or digital site. The newspaper’s photographers once wandered Black neighborhoods and followed Black civil rights leaders and […]
All Our Euphemisms Are Like Filthy Rags
Note: This article features Anansi, the Akan spider-man. And because I love you, it includes no images of actual spiders. —KM A lot of people I know skipped church last weekend. A lot of Black people I know skipped church last weekend. A sprinkling of days after a young White racist slaughtered nine praying Black people in the oldest African Methodist […]
Philanthropy, Misanthropy, and Outrage
If there were a stock for outrage, conventional media, 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 non-profit and lobbying groups, and fundraising platforms would be mutual investors. Outrage is hot right now, and it’s making some people hundreds of thousands of dollars. Earlier this month I shared an Indiegogo campaign that closed having raised over $17,000 for a Chicago youth homelessness […]
