The New Year seemed like a good time to think about the principle of “Right Speech,” one of the components of the Noble Eightfold Path, which, put simply, is a Buddhist roadmap designed to lead us toward happiness and away from suffering.
Right Speech can be obtained by ascertaining, in advance of speaking or writing, if what you are about to project into the world is true, kind and/or necessary.
Words carry energy. Positive and true words come from good, honorable, and thoughtful intentions and effect people and the planet in the same uplifting manner.
The opposite is also the case. Negative energy is both the cause and result of intentions that are not aligned with integrity. False sentiments or those meant to mislead or damage others release harmful energy, which we collectively absorb. Think about how you feel when you hear or read a news story about those who have hurt by, or have hurt, others. Your spirit immediately realizes the impact.
Media has always had a negative slant, based on the fact that people are neurologically hardwired to pay attention to fear and danger as a mechanism of survival. In the past, alarming headlines sold papers and enticed people to watch and listen to TV and radio news. The more people who listened, read, and watched, the more money media outlets could charge advertisers.
And now, more than 15 years into the explosion of digital and social media, negative content and headlines generate clicks, which set the foundation for today’s ad rates and the media revenue stream.
As a result, some editors create salacious headlines that often boarder on false, or at least misleading, to attract clicks. There are reporters who focus on the most sensational stories because they will draw clicks, which is at the base of their pay structure. In many cases, the more clicks a reporter’s story receives, the more money the reporter earns for the story. Many reporters whose content is high on the click chart (which is an actual screen in many newsrooms that lists stories in order of how much traction they are getting in real time) earn credibility and are rewarded with better reporting assignments from their editors. In short, media professionals who want to advance their careers and enrich their bank accounts are encouraged to produce egregious content that generates public attention in the form of clicks and shares. And who can blame them? Most reporters are overworked and underpaid. (Please note: my belief in the Fourth Estate is why I continue to do this work. Despite all that is laid out above, I highly respect those who commit their lives to the pursuit of justice through journalism.)
Still, all this focus on negativity to increase clicks is having a profound effect on people and society. The extra and often misleading negativity is the opposite of Right Speech. It’s neither true, nor kind, nor necessary. There are major, life- and planet-altering consequences to negative speech, media, and propaganda, which we have all been experiencing. Think January 6th as just one of many, many examples. So, what can we do?
Changing the media business model would be a great start, and luckily, smart, well-intended experts are on the case. Regulation over social media networks are needed and important. Also, we can subscribe and contribute to nonprofit news organizations like The Conversation, the Center for Public Integrity, and the Journalism Trust Initiative.
Finally, we can each take responsibility for the energy we create with our words and the energy we absorb through the media. Don’t take the bait. Recognize click bait when you see it and resist the urge. Protect your mind and energy by not taking in unnecessarily negative or false information.
In the New Year, I’ve set the intention to focus on my own Right Speech moving forward, while also ensuring that everything our company puts out through traditional and social media follow the principals of Right Speech as well. Is this possible for a PR firm to achieve? We believe it is.
Is it true, is it kind, and is it necessary – these are the questions we at Teak will be asking of ourselves with each word we write in the year ahead.
