Jenkins and his partners at the Opportunity Agenda, a communications lab, will synthesize findings from quantitative and qualitative studies on effective messaging strategies, shifts in public opinion on inequality, and the factors that move people to action. They will compare what the literature indicates are effective messaging strategies with existing messages, and then develop new ways of communicating about inequality. Their focus will be on pervasive and difficult to discuss issues, such as the role of government in addressing inequality, ways to think about persistent poverty, and racial and ethnic inequality. In subsequent efforts, the team will test the effectiveness of different messages and storytelling frames on individuals’ attitudes and their support for change efforts.
How can we communicate about inequality research that increases public knowledge and builds support for addressing the issue?