Hi MCNers, I—like a lot of museum professionals—have been really alarmed about the unfolding of political events as of late, particularly the elevation of "alternative facts" and fake news. In trying to think of ways to address it from within the museum community, and inspired by the rogue NPS tweeters, Alli Hartley, a fellow museum professional in DC, and I are working on a social media campaign to reaffirm to the public that our institutions believe in facts. We've got about 150 organizations who have said they'll be participating so far, and we're actively recruiting more museums and other organizations to join in.
About the campaign: #DayofFacts is an international social media campaign that will occur on February 17, 2017. On this day, museums, libraries, archives, cultural institutions, science centers and other trusted public sources of knowledge will share mission-related content using the hashtag #DayofFacts. We are asking each institution to share facts relevant to their subject area such climate change, immigration history, refugee issues, the first amendment, the importance of the arts and public education, and media literacy. By not making an overt political stand but simply sharing mission-related, objective, and relevant facts, we will show the world that our institutions are still trusted sources for truth and knowledge.This is also an opportunity to reaffirm our institutions as welcoming places for everyone, including visitors who are are part of groups that may be feeling more marginalized than ever. You can find more information on our webpage, dayoffacts.org <http://www.dayoffacts.org/>. We also encourage you to check out our Twitter, @DayofFacts <http://twitter.com/dayoffacts>. If you think this is something your institution is interested in participating in, please register on the website or here <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sNQaPvH8CLB2m3CYb3g8l_ZPAcjjcttg6L-ya0aRsdM/edit> (it's private). Registration is not mandatory, but it'll help us get a sense of numbers and follow up with updates and suggested content. For obvious reasons, many institutions have been hesitant to appear politicized and are more likely to participate if they know who else is in. If you think your institution would participate but need some extra convincing, let us know and we can help. If you're not sure what kind of content to share, we have some guidelines on our website and would also be happy to help brainstorm. And of course if you don't think it's a good fit, feel free to disregard this. All the best, Alli Hartley & Mara Kurlandsky, co-organizers #DayofFacts www.dayoffacts.org @DayofFacts <[email protected]> [email protected] <https://twitter.com/mkurlandsky> @mkurlandsky <https://twitter.com/mkurlandsky> <https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mara-kurlandsky/14/b6/979?domainCountryName=&csrfToken=ajax%3A3990907321478249330> Mara on LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mara-kurlandsky/14/b6/979?domainCountryName=&csrfToken=ajax%3A3990907321478249330>
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