[Nfb-editors] Reaching This Generation

[Mike Freeman]

Tina:

Thank you for an inciteful post.  I agree with it for the most part.  And I
know audio history is near and dear to your heart.  However, I don't see it
as a panacea (I'm not saying you do but I think you value it more than do
I).  To really learn from oral history requires the sort of full attention
and time and concentrated effort that seems to me often to be anathema among
the current generation.  And yes, I know I'm generalizing and no
generalizations are universal except, perhaps that we all die.  But I can
remember the day when a new, enthusiastic chapter member would ask for all
the NFB literature (philosophy articles, banquet speeches and the
like)he/she could cart home and would listen for hours literally
internalizing our way of thinking and experiences.  I can't tell you the
last time I observed someone do that.  It seems that as we make more and
more literature and audio available, people take less and less advantage of
it because there are so many things that purport to fill their lives.

I admit that I'm not a fan of Twitter and Facebook.  My limited exposure to
these social media leaves me cold; I'm not even enthusiastic about the
blogosphere.  Often, more heat than light is generated by the discussions
and musings we see on-line these days.

Perhaps what Gary and I are missing is the inclination to inquire about and
deeply ponder fundamental questions such as what are our goals and why we
take the positions we do.  So as we garner success after
success,progressively we are forgetting how we got here and we forget
Santayana's dictum that those who fail to know and learn from the past are
condemned to repeat it.

I think podcasts such as Through Our Eyes are a good idea and perhaps could
be exploited.  Perhaps we could do more with podcasts?

If we want sensationalism, perhaps we could have a rehash of the 1981
presidential report where the recording of that dude getting on Primo
Foyanini's case was played.  But perhaps that might not be a good idea as we
are generally getting along marginally better with agencies. (grin)

Mike


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-editors-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Tina Hansen
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2011 2:38 PM
To: Correspondence Committee Mailing List
Subject: [Nfb-editors] Reaching This Generation

I'm pleased to hear some of the discussion on this list about how to
communicate our message to today's audience in this world.

I want to add a few observations about this, since I know other
organizations are struggling with these very issues.

First off, it's easy to assume that this generation is beyond hope, or that
they'll not listen to anything unless it's neatly packaged into a 10-second
sound bite. That is somewhat true from the viewpoint of some, but I also
recognize that we should not compromise our message just to fit it in with
trends and fads.

Yes, we should use the tools at our disposal, like Facebook and Twitter.
They're out there, and we should find ways to make use of them.

Someone commented that our members rarely read our publications. I have a
couple of explanations for this: first, some people don't have enough time,
and second, there are so many articles to choose from, you're probably not
sure where to start.

We do need to continue with our in depth thinking and analysis, and I, for
one, enjoy it. I also recognize, though, that since people seem
over-scheduled these days, it's no wonder they want to get their news or
information quickly, like fast food, and be on their way.

If there are any Native Americans in this organization, I think they can
teach us a thing or two. I, for one, am learning from them not to be so
hurried or rushed. I've read some of their literature and heard how they
think, and I feel they have a lot to teach us.

One thing our Native American friends have taught us could possibly serve as
a model for how we can reach out to the current generation: oral history.
Our Living History group is working on this, but I also think that more and
more, I think that because we live in a multimedia age, we may wish to think
seriously about communicating our message in not only text, but audio and
video. I like our national Straight Talk series, but I keep thinking: can we
do things on the state and local level. Local and state leaders could tell
their stories as a kind of video testimonial, and through Youtube or the
other video sharing sites, these messages could be made available to the
public. Plus, they could be made in a way that the audio could stand alone.

The more I think of this, the more I see it as a struggle between two ways
of thinking: one that argues that we need to initiate change on a grand
scale and expect large crowds to get excited about our message, and the
other that argues for smaller scale interventions one on one. We need both,
but I think some are expecting that only one approach will solve all our
problems, or that if something worked in the past, it will still work today.

I know that even though National is on Facebook and Twitter, the home page
doesn't show that.

The comment about the lack of Braille literacy among our blind youth is,
truly, a complex issue. I remember at Detroit two years ago, one speaker
remarked that Braille should not die out. Yet we're also hearing a great
deal these days about going green, and how saving paper can protect the
environment. That is why, if we advocate for a full page Braille display, I
think that could ensure that Braille still lives, even with new
technologies.

I know that one reason I don't have a lot of Braille books around is that
there is not enough space to store them, since I live in an apartment.

I don't wish to point fingers or blame anyone, and I believe there is still
hope. This issue is indeed complex, and I recognize that there are likely
going to be disagreements over some things. None the less, I am pleased to
contribute to the discussion. I am hopeful that with respectable dialog, we
can come up with creative ways to communicate our message in a way that
respects the past, but still resonates with this generation. Thanks.
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