Communicating like a Leader

Audio by John Larriva

I follow both the White House and Donald Trump on social media, primarily because I think it is an accessible way to receive updates on governmental actions. Recently, however, I have noticed our government posting fewer official, or even important, communications, and far more AI-generated memes and videos. 

How should a government, or any leader, for that matter, communicate? Is there a standard at all? Or is it completely normal for the official page representing the presidential residence and office to post AI-generated ASMR videos?

To be clear, I understand that social media is not necessarily a "serious" place. I'm not asking it to be. I understand that while it is the home of informative media, it is also the home of short-form content intended for humor. But do our government and other leaders have an obligation, or even a necessity, to stoop from serious communication to brainrot?

"Wherever you come near the human race there's layers and layers of nonsense." - Thornton Wilder's Our Town

It's not just the White House's social media presence. Another example is the semi-new Aliens.gov page on the official White House website, crafted specifically to sensationalize the work that ICE is doing. For what purpose? Clearly not for information, as most every American is already aware of Trump's ICE initiative. For attention? Maybe, in the case of social media's algorithmic model, but those visiting the White House website already know it exists, and creating nearly satirical pages wouldn't increase SEO. I cannot think of a viable reason for a well-known, established branch of government to express and present itself in this way, except for perhaps the factor of relatability. 

I don't think, however, that a government has a duty to be relatable. The president by himself might desire relatability in order to secure votes, but official communications have no such necessity. Relatability is a factor to be emphasized solely in gaining the trust and attention of an audience, but there is no reason for leaders to continually manufacture it unless they are influencers, which Donald Trump is not. The communication of a leader does not have a duty to be relatable, though it may be advantageous at first. The communication of a leader does, however, have a duty to be transparent.

"Everything always comes down to language in the end." - Georgi Gospodinov's Time Shelter

Should leaders reveal every ounce of information they receive about every incident? Probably not. They should, however, disclose information that would impact their audience's decisions, as well as information that creates clarity and justice. Misinformation arises when leaders leave questions unanswered, and fear fills in the gap. I think specifically of a group I am part of, whose leadership neglected to reveal internal conflict, leading to serious damage to their audience's trust. As much as leaders may want to "protect," they must ensure that their audience does not feel lied to. (Though it should be noted that leaders can never really guarantee the outcomes of their actions.)

The amount of information one can share safely relates negatively to the size of the audience. For the leader of an international body, while communication should clearly show the leader's care for the subject and the audience, it should also not reveal information that could directly harm a number of people, or that contains private details. For leaders of smaller groups, or even in individual relationships, transparency is the backbone that holds us together. If we are censoring ourselves, whether from fear of judgement or malicious intent, the eventual reveal of the truth will demolish relationship.

Instead, we ought to communicate honestly with one another. We ought to share our beliefs, opinions, and circumstances. By sharing our beliefs, we not only free ourselves from anxiety and fear of judgement, but we also encourage others to think critically and express themselves. By sharing our experiences, we bring light to those going through the same thing. By communicating openly, we bind ourselves closer together, creating comfort and strength. And, if nothing else, at least honesty makes good art.