Character-Capped Communication In Crisis

Will O’Neill

Newport Beach City Council Member

Crises require clear communication. Period. We do not need demonstrable iterative processes in real time to meet this moment using stretch goals.

As Mayor of Newport Beach last year, I repeatedly considered how best to disseminate information. Consistent with my dad’s old advice that “indecision is a decision,” failure to communicate about a topic does not mean the topic is ignored. Instead, you simply create an information vacuum.

I saw that first-hand in the lead-up to five large protests in our city in the aftermath of last summer’s civil unrest. Our residents had watched First Amendment activity by many be marred by violence of few in cities across the country. Rumors spread quickly on social media platforms (especially Nextdoor) that looting and rioting were in our city’s near future.

I used my personal social media pages to spread information to people quickly and refute the rumors. My goal at the time was simple: be the signal in the noise.

In other words, provide clear, consistent, and transparent communication. Be comfortable saying “I don’t know,” but always follow up with “but I will find out.”

Each social media platform requires different approaches. At 280 total characters, Twitter is helpful to disseminate bite-sized pieces of information, particularly to journalists. Instagram caps its text at 2200 characters, which is approximately the length of this article. That cap is a blessing to politicians because it forces focus and bite-sized explanations.

Anyone who curses a character cap should recall Winston Churchill’s response when presented with a lengthy document. He said: “This paper, by its very length, defends itself against the risk of being read.”

I have instead embraced the character cap and publish a “Quick Daily Update” on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week on Instagram and Facebook. I have explained the Governor’s increasingly-complicated color-coded tier system for societal re-openings, local responses to homelessness, RHNA, and many other complicated issues.

I invite you to follow me on Instagram and Facebook using the handle @RealWillONeill. But more importantly, I ask that you encourage policy-makers throughout our county to employ more effective constituent communication to ensure the safety and prosperity of our communities.

Will O’Neill was Mayor of Newport Beach in 2020 and currently serves on the Newport Beach City Council. His Twitter, IG, and Facebook handle is: @RealWillONeill