Eighth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Once upon a time, companies stayed out of social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) situations. Today, customers and employees expect to be seen, heard, and valued. They expect businesses and their leaders to be transparent about DEI efforts, take a stand on social justice issues, and demonstrate how they’re making the world a better place. Misalignment between what a company says and what it actually does destroys credibility and leads to a host of other consequences, including brand reputation damage, high attrition, difficulty attracting talent, lawsuits, boycotts, loss of market share, and more. This book helps organizations answer the why, what, when, and how to communicate DEI and social justice subjects. In the work, the authors introduce The DEPTH Model, a framework and practical tool to help companies craft DEI and social justice and communications aligned with their mission, vision, and values – consistently, proactively, and in ways that are powerful rather than performative. Workshop activities include applying DEI communications to teaching and courses and real-world business examples of performative communications causing more harm than good. Based on the best-selling title I co-authored, The Conscious Communicator.