We often take informational interviews at our office and recently, I’ve had quite a few people ask what my favorite and least favorite thing about my job is. Coincidentally, the two are almost one in the same.
I love that this job requires me to constantly keep learning and reading every detail in the news to remain up to date on what is happening in the country and the world. By doing so, I know the best ways to fit my clients into moving news stories and I can identify opportunities for commentary that might not be obvious at first. That being said, my least favorite part of the job is how exhausting it can be to be exposed to everything that is going on in the world. It is dismaying to see how divided our country can feel at times and the lack of empathy people seem to have for others’ situations. 
Effective communications and public relations help the average person take an empathetic view of any given situation. We all come from different backgrounds, cultures, experiences and viewpoints, but good messaging helps us connect the dots to see something through a different lens and find ways to relate to one other. Now, I’m not naïve enough to think that there aren’t going to be differences in opinions and perceptions, but in a world of clickbait culture, I’m finding it more and more common that things are written with the intent of inciting a reaction, rather than with the intent of inciting an understanding.
Take for example the recent trial of Amber Guyger, the Texas cop who killed an innocent man, Botham Jean, in his apartment in what she described as a tragic accident. Whether you believe her or don’t and whether you believe her sentence was fair or not, the world was moved by the compassion and empathy that Jean’s brother, Brandt Jean, showed to Guyger following her sentencing. He was empathetic to a person that was responsible for one of the most tragic moments in his life and the world connected with that.
As we head into an election, I challenge us all to be intentional in our messaging and our writing. Be intentional when reading the news to consider different perspectives or points of view. Whether you know nothing about politics, are an avid Democrat, Republican or third-party member, or are just deciding to get into the ring, exploring different viewpoints is vital to our empathetic education.
Our right to have different viewpoints and beliefs is what makes us stronger and smarter as a country, but I think it would do us all a little good to focus on empathy. We’re not all going to hold hands and bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and butterflies, but by demanding more from each other, we can encourage a new type of political rhetoric.
Wise wise words, a perfect message to be spreading