After my post last week several readers asked what turning our backs on our current White House occupant might look like because while the action by the Belgian nurses worked well as straight up, in your face opposition, there is a proximity problem for those of us who oppose this administration and aren’t in D.C. We can’t camp out on his front lawn. We can’t turn our backs on his motorcade. Such physical actions don’t work at a distance.
So how do I, a single person, in a state the administration actively ignores and never visits, turn my back on them?
We have to figure out where we can hurt him. We have to focus on that weakness and we have to hit it again, and again, and again.
So what is it the Tweeter-in-Chief craves most?
Attention.
We must starve him of the limelight.
That means ignoring his BS. It means focusing on the substance of what is happening, not on his shit-stirring, controversy sells, outrage inducing everything. It means blocking his social media ass right out of existence. It means protesting to Twitter, EVERY SINGLE TIME he breaks their rules. Jack Dorsey should be on your social media speed dial. It means protesting to media networks, EVERY SINGLE TIME, they cover a sensationalist Twitter statement rather than the substantive damage of the day. It means protesting when he gets any extended air time to spread his lies.
Here’s how we do this.
BLOCK him on any social media platform you have.
Do not retweet or forward or amplify his nonsense in any public forum, no matter how outrageous, laughable, dangerous, or stupid it is. It grants him airspace, headspace, your time, our energy. He does not deserve any of that. (Kind of an anti-NVA #8: Banners, posters, and displayed communications)
Have a standard note you tweet at Jack Dorsey and Twitter every time a new falsehood-laden drivel appears. With Twitter’s actions this week to, finally, fact-check two of his tweets, and block another for glorifying violence, there is an opening to force them into accountability for holding him to their platform rules. (NVA #31: “Haunting” officials)
Possible example:
.@jack @DonaldTrump is breaking your platform’s terms of service again. Please
suspend his account as you would do to any other user flagrantly flouting your
community guidelines.
Or:
.@jack today is a good day to suspend @DonaldTrump for ignoring your
terms of service
Have a standard note you post to the social media platforms of major news companies*, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, demanding substantive coverage, not more of “the White House occupant said this outrageous thing today.” Demand they tell us what he did, what actions were taken by his administration that damage our democracy, our environment, our health. Demand they parse out the bullshit and give us the real news, not his overt attempts at manipulation. (NVA #2: Letters of opposition or support, NVA #10: Newspapers and journals and NVA #11: Records, radio, and television)
Possible examples:
.@CNN Amplifying falsehoods demeans your journalistic integrity. Please do the
work we can’t and tell us the stories we need to hear. #NewsNotNoise
Or:
.@CBS I can see @DonaldTrump’s windbag BS on social media without your
amplification. What I can’t see is what is happening behind the scenes. Please pull
back the veil for us. #NewsNotNoise
Have a standard email /fax /tweet you send to your local news stations saying the same thing. Demand they cover the NEWS, not the NOISE. (NVA #2: Letters of opposition or support)
Target the news hour(s) advertisers as Sleeping Giants has done for the past few years on Twitter (@slpng_giants). When you’re watching the news and they cover one of his tweets, make note of the advertisers in the following advertising slot. Send them an email /note on social media telling them their advertising was linked with the outrage and his media manipulation, not substantive news. Ask if that is how they want to be associated, and suggest they ask to be slotted in after meaningful journalistic stories instead. (NVA #2: Letters of opposition or support)
Possible example:
.@[advertiser] I noticed your ad today ran after a @[local news channel]
segment on Trump’s latest democracy degrading tweet. Is that the coverage
you want to be associated with? Perhaps you should ask to be placed after
meaningful journalism instead? #NewsNotNoise
Pick one suggestion and start there. Draft your notes. Find your local news station contact information. (The national news social media platforms are below). Block out five minutes a day to send that tweet or that note Spend one minute to tell someone you are doing it. Give them the resources. Encourage them to join in.
Ignore the noise. Focus on the News.
Turn your back on this fool.
Nonviolent Actions employed:
NVA #2: Letters of opposition or support
NVA #8: Banners, posters, and displayed communications
NVA #31: “Haunting” officials
NVA #10: Newspapers and journals
NVA #11: Records, radio, and television
Resources:
Twitter accounts
Jack Dorsey: @jack
National News accounts:
*Fox news is not included because they are not a journalism company. Rather they are licensed as an entertainment company and therefore do not have to abide by journalistic standards, and don't.
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