Words With Weight

Even in our digitally saturated world, we often take pen to paper and jot down important information on index cards – notes for a speech we’re about to give or ideas to remember. Index cards are small. They fit in our pockets and force us to distill a concept to its essence – to the few words that trigger a bigger set of ideas in our minds. And our words carry weight.

For these reasons, we’ve developed Sightline’s new series of monthly communications strategy tips to look like index cards. By design, they are short and to the point.

Called Sightline Flashcards, each one will include one or two communications tips on a range of topics and concepts—from climate change to reproductive rights to examinations of identity, quality of life, and the values that guide people’s lives. Over time, we're building a clearinghouse of strategic communications tools (browse the Flashcard Archive for tools you can use in your public communications.)

Distilling current thinking from leading experts and a network of savvy communicators, Sightline’s Flashcards focus on values-based communication: strategies for talking about important policies or issue solutions in terms of shared values.

Why values-based communication? When Cascadians speak in a more unified voice about what we stand for, our words will resonate deeply with wider and more diverse audiences. By articulating the values that inform our work and affirming northwesterners’ shared aspirations, our words take on weight, transcending issues, partisanship, geography, and social background.

With your help, Sightline aims to spark a conversation about the words, symbols, images, and metaphors that connect our work with the dreams, hopes, beliefs, and lives of our audiences.

Alongside the Flashcards, Sightline—led by communications strategist Anna Fahey—is building an online clearinghouse of communications resources. We see the clearinghouse and the Flashcards as a shared community resource for northwesterners who care about effective communication. This means we can’t do it without your help—please send feedback, tips, and contributions to Anna via email at anna@sightline.org.

If you're not subscribed to Sightline Flashcards and want to be added to the list, click here to sign up.
If you're not subscribed to Sightline Flashcards and want to be added to the list, click here to sign up.

Image courtesy of Hawkexpress.