Strategically Communicating

On National News Engagement Day, I had just finished reporting a story that really resonated with me.

A story I wrote just before National News Engagement Day.

China is banning imports of recycling materials from the U.S., and companies are scrambling to figure out where they’re going to send the paper and plastic they’re collecting from curbside recycling bins.

It could end up in landfills.

I retold the story to my mom, my dad, my boyfriend and his 23-year-old cousin, stressing different angles with each. While they all get their news from different places, there was a common thread in their reactions: What’s the solution?

Even my dad, who reads conservative news media and who I thought would be more interested in the business or political angles, reacted with a possible solution: “Sent it to the moon! Call Elon Musk.”

My mom, who loves to talk on the phone and uses Facebook, asked: “Can we pay them to take it? What can I do?”

My boyfriend would find the story in business journals, e-mail or on LinkedIn. His younger cousin would find it on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. She asked: “Why don’t we recycle it here?”

In retelling this story, I would focus on possible solutions and post it on my personal Facebook, which would be a place where all of these people could see it and engage. To reach a larger audience, I could post it on multiple social media platforms. But of course, I’d still call my mom.