On March 17-21, 2020, members from more than 100 Cooperating Organizations will join together at Religion Communication Congress 2020: Communicating Faith in the Public Square (RCCongress 2020) to access tools and information that reflects current atmospheres in the media and among various civic climates around the world.
“RCCongress 2020 is a great opportunity to connect with old friends and make new friends. It’s also a place to get new ideas and network professionally with other communicators and find out what is working, and not working, in their shops,” says Cindy Martens, Senior Director of Circulation for Sojourners – one of the many RCCongress 2020 cooperating organizations – and co-chair of the sponsorship committee.
In addition to networking opportunities and engaging discussion topics, RCCongress 2020 will be host to a number of practical and informative workshops that cover a range of topics – from tactical strategy to thought-provoking advocacy. Below are a few highlights of scheduled workshops:
Changing the Narrative: Media Representation of Refugees and Migrants: Philip Lee, General Secretary for the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) with a presentation and discussion about how more balanced and informative news coverage can change people’s and decision-makers’ perspectives on the current crisis of displacement around the world. Case studies from Europe and Latin America will suggest alternative approaches to story-telling that counter conventional narratives and emphasize human dignity.
The Moral Dimension of Online Communications: Cheryl Leanza, policy advisor to the United Church of Christ’s historic media advocacy arm and Co-Chair of the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights Media & Telecommunications Task Force, explores how the debates about hate speech on social media and net neutrality both implicate moral questions about technology. Join us for this lively discussion about the importance of net neutrality and social media accountability, focusing particularly on the implications for communities of faith and moral conscious and the role communicators from these communities can play in this debate.
Financial Growth through Faith-Based Fundraising: Kevin Shanley, principal of Shanley and Associates, heads a leading marketing agency that serves faith-based publishers. In this workshop, participants will learn what it takes to build (or re-build) a successful fundraising program. If you find yourself wondering about the marketing dollars needed to get started or what a realistic revenue goal for the first three years might be, this workshop is for you. A review of five case studies from faith-based nonprofits that are building successful fundraising programs, this workshop will cover strategy, execution, and key metrics to monitor any program, no matter how large or small.
To learn more about the different workshops and presenters at RCCongress 2020, visit our website RCCongress2020.org or follow us on social media with hashtag #RCCongress2020.
Registration for this event will be open July 15, 2019.
Contact: Evelyn Warren, media@rccongress2020.org, 704-910-2800