Is it safe to say that March 2020 is a weird time for those of us in the United States and around the world? I’d say that with the ongoing coronovirus pandemic, things are far from normal. With this time of crisis, it’s important to pay closer attention to the tone of what we’re sharing online, especially to make sure we’re not contributing to the spread of misinformation today. So, on this week’s podcast, I have three tips to help you navigate those waters.

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The Coronavirus Pandemic

This week is proving the start of something different for those of us in North America. The coronavirus has spread from Asia and Europe and now most of us in the US find ourselves working from home. Kids are out of school – many of them for the remainder of the Spring semester. Restaurants and bars are either closed or doing only carry out, drive up or delivery service. And of course, every grocery store is out of toilet paper.

Even in our small town of 1,400 outside of Denver, I walked into our Safeway grocery store to find produce, meat and dairy shelves completely empty. I had to time my visit for the next day after they had restocked their shelves to get milk and eggs. And for the foreseeable future, I find myself working from a home office with all travel canceled for the next month. Which I guess means I have more time for my scheduled training runs.

These are uncertain times for many of us. And that also means we have extra time on our hands to spend on social media. You can’t open Facebook or Twitter without seeing posts about the Coronavirus, ideas about its spread and people wondering where we go from here.

coronavirus empty shelves crisis advocacy tips

Tips for Advocacy During A Crisis

Having worked in communications and on issues management teams, there are a few tips I’d like to share with you on today’s podcast that might help you avoid making contributions to the spread of misinformation and hysteria. While we can’t control what others post, share or say, we can control our contributions. So here are three tips that will help you identify whether or not your contributions are positive as you continue joining conversations surrounding food and agriculture during this coronavirus pandemic or any time of crisis in the future.

  • Verify the accuracy of information before sharing
  • Don’t make yourself the focus of attention
  • Be aware of your audience and their concerns

Listen to the podcast episode 038 to hear more of an explanation, examples for each and some advice on how we can positively contribute to these conversations.

coronavirus empty shelves crisis advocacy tips

What do you think?

How can we better engage in these discussions during stressful times? Let us know what you think by dropping a comment below or chiming in on Twitter.

I’ve also shared these tips for advocacy in an interview on RFD tv. Watch the interview in this Instagram post.

I hope you enjoy this episode of the Beef Runner podcast. Check out all my episodes and subscribe at anchor.fm/BeefRunner.

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Published by Ryan Goodman

Ryan Goodman works in grassroots advocacy as a communications consultant with beef cattle farmers and ranchers across the United States. He is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, with studies focusing on cattle reproduction and nutrition. Ryan's experience in the beef industry range from family farms and ranches in several states to large feedlots and non-profit policy organizations. Ryan is an avid trail and ultrarunner, proudly showing how beef can be an important part of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Find Ryan on social media as @BeefRunner.