Stop Flooding the Zone (Pt 2)
Let's clear the zone.
Editor’s Note: You can read the first part in this series here: Stop Flooding the Zone (Pt 1).
Bottom Line Up Front: The left-of-MAGA coalition must enact a “clear the zone” strategy to enable Americans to remain engaged and focused on what matters, i.e., on issues that have a material impact on people and accompanying solutions to them.
Audience: People who are to the left of MAGA in media, elected office, and the public.
Context: The MAGA GOP’s “flood the zone” strategy centers on overwhelming the public to prevent a unified and coherent opposition to its Project 2025 agenda. While much of this zone-flooding is coming from left-of-MAGA folks, it doesn’t have to.
Purpose: This piece aims to mitigate the overwhelm caused by the “flood the zone” media strategy and offers a direct, constructive, easy-to-implement counter strategy.
Case Studies: Below is a non-comprehensive set of examples of news stories along with recommendations for how to handle them for maximum zone-clearing.
Recommendation: To mitigate harm and maximize pro-social action, what is recommended is a “clear the zone” approach, which adopts a new standard for newsworthiness that requires that a story (1) has a meaningful, material impact on living beings; (2) is something readers have at least some control over; (3) is factually sound; and (4) includes responsive action steps.
Case Studies in Clearing the Zone
1. “American immigrant who’s lived here for decades is wrongly deported.”
What makes it newsworthy: It’s a pro-immigrant message. It has the possibility of changing policy. Donald Trump heard and responded positively to people telling him to ease up on deporting immigrants who work in key sectors of the American economy. We don’t need to like the president to appeal to him. Harm reduction matters!
What to say: “Mr. President, stop deporting innocent Americans! Deporting Americans who’ve lived in America for decades is bad for America. It’s a losing strategy for losers; we shouldn’t do it.”
What to do: Share stories of Americans who’ve been wrongly deported. Humanize them. Especially during such a time when some people are trying to dehumanize immigrants, that makes a difference.
2. “Texas floods were likely worsened by climate change.”
What makes it newsworthy: Many people have died, lost loved ones, and/or lost their homes in the Texas floods. It seems possible, if not quite likely, that the damaging effects of the floods in Texas were due in part to climate change. That matters because it ought to inform and further affirm the need for a robust response to climate change.
What to say: “I’m really upset about what’s happening in Texas. Can someone suggest somewhere for me donate or a reliable source of information on the subject?” or “Given our changing climate, how can our country invest in climate-resilient infrastructure?”
What to do: Research places to donate and reliable news sources on the subject and share them! Donate to them!
3. “American immigrants are being mistreated in ICE detention centers. Here’s what you need to know.”
What makes it newsworthy: It’s directing attention towards a horrific thing that’s happening now that could be stopped. It’s criticizing a policy, not a person.
What to say: “I’m worried that people in ICE detention centers are being denied basic rights and their needs are not being met. We all as Americans— and more broadly, as humans— deserve to be treated with human dignity and respect.”
What to do: Get involved! Protest for humane treatment of immigrants in custody. Share information about what rights immigrants have.
4. “Re: the ‘TACO’ a.k.a. ‘Trump always chickens out’ discourse: To the extent it’s true, I encourage Trump to back down from trade wars and his other more extreme policies.”
What makes it newsworthy: When the President of the United States backs down from, say, a trade war, that is good news. We ought to applaud such actions rather than making fun of him for it. As we know, Donald Trump wants to be liked by everyone. We ought to use our knowledge of this quality— which in a lot of ways is a positive one in that he cares what other people think— to our advantage.
What to say: “President Trump, stop doing X, Y, or Z. It’s hurting A, B, and C American business interests or communities in America.”
What to do: Call your representatives! Call the White House! Send messages to Trump and those who have his ear. Go on Fox News when he may be watching.
5. “Jeffrey Epstein is dead and doesn’t matter; here’s how we can support survivors of sex trafficking.”
What makes it (not) newsworthy: While Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of many underage girls is vile and despicable, he is dead. Whatever the circumstances of his death, he is dead, and Trump is president until 2029. Whatever client list may exist proving a connection between the two men, what new information would come to light that pictures and video interviews don’t already show? Let the MAGA media discuss this topic since they claim to care so much about it.
What to say: “I’m passionate about the safety and rights of women and gitls. Tons of girls are abused and trafficked everyday in this country and we ought to support efforts to help them.”
What to do: Support anti sex-trafficking organizations and abuse survivors in the real world. Share educational materials and resources with people on preventing and spotting signs of abuse.
6. “Here’s How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Will Impact Americans.”
What makes it newsworthy: The so-called Big Beautiful Bill that recently passed Congress will have significant negative impacts on millions of Americans, most notably perhaps on those who rely on Medicaid for healthcare.
What to say: “I’m worried about how the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ will hurt my family and community. How can I get help if I’m in need or give help to those in need if I’m in a position to help?”
What to do: Support mutual aid networks in your local community and beyond. Share resources that people can utilize if they lose their healthcare. Offer your services if you have the ability/skills that would help those in need.
Analysis
How These Messages “Clear the Zone”
Overall, these messages are framed in a way that makes them informative, relevant, and productive.
In some cases, sharing information in this way may provide at-risk communities with vital information that could make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
This way of communicating encourages people to take real, concrete actions that they may not otherwise have thought of or been aware of.
Therefore, this approach concentrates our information and communications environment on the important aspects of the important stories. In this sense, the approach seeks to focus on what is truly newsworthy.
What Counts as Newsworthy
To assess if a story is newsworthy, consider these questions:
Does this have a meaningful, material impact on living beings?
Is this topic something that readers have at least some control over?
Is this factually sound?
Does what I’m sharing include information about action steps for readers to take?
If the answer to any of these questions is something other than yes, consider revising the story so that it does have these qualities.
What Aspects of News to Share
Remember, panic and outrage don’t help people; information and support do help people.
That said, here’s a quick formula for what to include in a news story that “clears the zone.”
Here’s what happened.
Here’s the impact/why it matters.
Here’s what we can do.
Considerations in “Clearing the Zone”
Clearing the zone requires us to be adaptive, pragmatic, proactive, and solution-oriented.
As stated in Part 1 of this series, the purpose of the “clear the zone” approach is neither to shame nor dismiss anyone’s voices or opinions. It’s simply a tool to facilitate productive dialogue and action when and where applicable.
When sharing and discussing news and information, stay connected, concise, and compassionate.
While the “flood the zone” strategy capitalizes on our collective overwhelm, anxiety, and despair, the “clear the zone” strategy relies on our individual and collective capacity to maintain hope, purpose, and resolve in the face of tragedy and injustice.
Conclusion: While the left-of-MAGA coalition faces considerable challenges, we also have many opportunities to engage in constructive, helpful communication and action. To do so, we must “clear the zone” to make way for productive, pro-social discourse.
As Bernie says, “whatever we can do is what we must do.” Let’s do it!
Obligatory Disclaimer: all views expressed here are my own personal views and do not represent the views of my employer nor those of the U.S. government.
Thank you for reading and considering my opinion!
Thank you to my new and OG subscribers— I appreciate your support!
If you have ideas for ways we can all individually and jointly clear the zone, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
If you found this valuable, please share it with someone you know.
If you liked this piece, you’d likely enjoy its predecessor, “Stop Flooding the Zone (Pt 1)” which discusses examples of political discourse that inadvertently “flood the zone” and offers suggestions for what to do instead.
Thanks Sarah! I enjoyed this piece. Your blogs help me keep current on what’s going on in the world. I particularly like the points regarding global warming.
Good job Sarah. Well written and presents a constructive approach to the stated issues. MAM