Dick Smith’s immigration campaign has struck a chord with plenty of people, and it's almost exclusively thanks to today’s fast-evolving climate of information saturation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Smith isn’t alone when it comes to the, at times, brutal feedback he’s receiving on social media.
It happens to anyone promoting a message on a mass scale.
Smith’s poorly constructed campaign and resulting drastically differing public opinion proves it’s now more important than ever to make messages clear, precise and idiot proof. The campaign is ‘controversial’ because surrounds a hot topic – the word ‘immigration’ is a trigger on social media.
The media and general consumers, now no longer satisfied with just the quality of an idea, are adding commentary and incorporating extraordinary reaction to generate interest.
The fact there’s such a huge gap in knowledge between those in the know and those guessing when it comes to Smith’s immigration plan, means the message hasn’t been clear enough.
Whether Dick Smith’s plan is a winner or a dud has become completely irrelevant in the white noise of social commentary and name calling.
The media has a major role to play too – quality questioning should uncover the truth. But with information being more accessible than ever, the abundance of news sources fighting over attention means issues of all types are being judged in black and white. No longer does ‘coverage’ offer grey area on policy approval, and no longer can consumers sit on the fence and accept good and bad points of an argument.
MORE EDITORIALS
Opinions are now either right or wrong, good or bad.
It’s an unhealthy obsession that’s leading to ridiculous name-calling, labelling and misinformation, fast changing the way we not only communicate, but the regularity we all make assumptions.
A provocative television advertisement used to be enough to spark thought-provoking discussion and put issues at the forefront of a wide – not anymore.
Perhaps Mr Smith’s recent campaign may be the wake up call he, politicans and other leaders need to realise near enough isn’t good enough, and only precise, detailed and honestly complied ideas can cut through in an ultra-critical modern-day information climate.
The campaign is ‘controversial’ because surrounds a hot topic – the word ‘immigration’ is a trigger on social media.
It also strikes a chord with many because the quality of an idea is no longer interesting enough to garner attention, and extraordinary reaction is often incorporated into the message to generate interest.
The fact there’s such a huge gap in knowledge between those in the know and those guessing when it comes to Smith’s immigration plan, means the message hasn’t been clear enough.
Whether Dick Smith’s plan is a winner or a dud has become completely irrelevant in the white noise of social commentary and name calling.
The media has a major role to play too – quality questioning should uncover the truth.
But unfortunately, with information being more accessible than ever, the abundance of news sources fighting over attention means issues of all types are being judged in black and white.
No longer does ‘coverage’ offer grey area on policy approval, and no longer can you sit on the fence and accept good and bad points of an argument.
Opinions are now either right or wrong, good or bad.
It’s an unhealthy obsession that’s leading to ridiculous name-calling, labelling and misinformation, fast changing the way we not only communicate, but the regularity we all make assumptions.
Perhaps Mr Smith’s recent campaign may be the wake up call he and other regular communicators need in how the old way is no longer the most effective way.
Politicans, policy makers and leaders need to realise near enough isn’t good enough, and only precise, detailed and honestly complied ideas and campaigns are the way to adjust from the old media landscape to the ultra-critical modern-day information climate.
For more information about the group visit its Facebook page.
Related