Sometimes it’s just strange the way a new phrase enters your cranium – and just stays there – like the mental equivalent of an earworm. For me, it’s been two words I keep seeing, especially on T-shirts:
Be kind
I know it’s nothing new, but for some reason I keep bumping into people sporting variations of that shirt – a young woman in Trader Joe’s the other day, and a middle-aged man in the Detroit airport. And when I spotted a young kid displaying the same message (with a bee sitting in for the “Be”), I had to wonder if people aren’t trying to send an increasingly important message to one another.
I’ve talked a lot on this blog about the ripple effects of COVID on millions of us. Like a slow-moving form of PTSD, the damage wrought by the pandemic, and the sweeping changes it has had on societal norms has been immense.
Add to that the seemingly nonstop level of violence that’s taking place the last few years in schools, places of worship, nightclubs, parties, and other once-innocent gatherings, and you’ve got the perfect storm of man’s inhumanity to man.
It certainly doesn’t help that the loud level of discourse keeps getting amped as the anger and frustration are piling on. In the media, on the streets, and of course, in Congress, the volume keeps rising.
No wonder people are wearing T-shirts that urge us to take a breather, count to 10, and yes,
Be kind
And now a research study suggests that hearing stories about kindness actually neutralizes the sensory overload caused by exposure to the negative news of the day.
I ran into the story in a recent Nieman Lab article by Kathryn Buchanan, a lecturer
in the psych department at the University of Essex in the UK.
With a robust sample of 1,800, the researchers learned that positive news stories – featuring acts of kindness – can counteract the negativity of our vicious news cycle.
The study broke the sample into groups. Some were exposed to only negative stories. Others saw a negative story followed by a positive one – featuring acts of kindness. Researchers then queried participants about their before-and-after feelings.
The study also measured whether an amusing story (in radio, think about “Florida Man” type bits) would have the same buoyant effect as a tale of kindness. And while funny news stories helped counter the negativity, stories that feature acts of generosity, empathy, and yes, kindness came away even more positive.
As Kathryn Buchanan concludes, “There’s something unique about kindness which may buffer the effects of negative news on our mental health.”
Be kind
It stands to reason an uplifting effect of kindness stories would have a similar impact on radio listeners. I recently conducted a series of one-on-one interviews among morning show listeners – and I heard the same types of reactions. Respondents talked about the incessant barrage of negative news they’re exposed to. And many noted that while listening to radio in the intimacy of a car, a show that could make them laugh or distract them from the bad news of the day had an uplifting effect.
We see a similar impact in our Public Radio Techsurveys, even among those who are P1s to NPR News stations. A common reason for spending less time with a favorite station is the need to get “a break from the news.”
In last year’s survey, one in five agree with this impact, especially women and progressively younger respondents:
Buchanan noted that witnessing others performing acts of kindness actually elevates an uplifting feeling. She points out it may be a powerful way to amp up well-being, something more and more of us are seeking.
I was reminded of what this sounds like when told by an expert storyteller, in this case marketer Simon Sinek who I’ve featured in this blog before. Here’s his powerful narrative about the contagiousness of kindness:
How can a morning show on a rock station, a news/talk public radio outlet, or a Christian station tap into that feeling, especially when people need it most?
Whether it’s a benchmark bit, a newscast, or a message of faith, a little kindness goes a long way – especially these days.
We’ve seen the effect of kindness in our work with the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals organization. Oddly enough, we started our engagement with them at the outset of the pandemic when spirits began to crash.
Since then, we’ve conducted extensive research among stations who participate in their highly successful “Radiothons” each year. Programmers, sellers, and promotions/marketing people all acknowledge the “halo effect” of how major acts of kindness in local communities always resonates in good times and bad.
And last year, we talked to listeners in markets diverse as Pittsburgh to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And the common threads are obvious. Acts of kindness knit and connect the audience to stations and personalities who genuinely exude the spirit of doing charitable and kind things for those in need.
Be kind
This attribute may not come out in a station’s perceptual research, nor will it show up in callout research. But in focus groups, radio personnel will get earfuls about how acts of kindness powerfully resonate.
At a time when stations need to positively differentiate themselves from others up and down the radio dial, kindness can be an important component.
Whether it’s the inclusion of stories about kindness or going to a benchmark like “Random Acts of Kindness,” radio can voice this powerful sentiment.
As Kathryn Buchanan concludes, “Our research makes the case for adding more balance to news coverage. Including more stories of kindness may help people feel better able to engage with these stories without perpetuating feelings of doom and hopelessness.”
After all, isn’t that why so many still listen to radio in the first place?
Be kind
IF you like the T-shirt displayed in this post, visit Endless August here. We appreciate them giving us the green light to feature it.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Really important food for the soul these days Fred. Thanks for addressing it. I’m personally working harder on being kinder. Being in Mississippi makes it somewhat easier where things are just a bit slower and people are generally, more kind. Maybe the universal divisiveness in our nation will create pause in all of us to ‘be kind!” Thanks again Fred!
Appreciate the kind words, Bob. 🙂
Thanks Fred, a great reminder for all of us. I plan to use this blog with my students.
Appreciate it, Bill
Send one of those shirts back in time to 1985 and the peak of Howard Stern’s WNBC’s tenure (“Get cancer and die!”).
That sentiment would have been laughed back to the present.
Changin’ times, man…
The “shock jock” era is long gone. It’s a different world today (at least for most people).
Great reminder!!! Your Contemporary Christian music stations are playing “Be Kind” by Jason Gray. Give it a listen!
To be kind
‘Cause everyone you meet
Is fighting their own battle
Fighting their own battle
So be kind
‘Cause everyone you see
Needs to know they matter
Great reminder to all. I just started in radio as a middle-aged person who’s done well in a lotta competitive industries and picked up stuff quickly in radio, listeners like me on air, I have a ball, offer to lend a hand to others, but finding radio the most cuthroat and not-kind environment. Danged surprising and disappointing. Most folks are just passive aggressive and make a point to obviously ignore ya, but some are actually petty and….mean! Don’t mean to sound like a wimp but (and I never said this to anyone) seems like a lotta folks in radio thrive on chaos, resist planning and organization, and that excuses them from actually being ‘Nice/’
The great “attitude” stations and hosts understand the importance of this balancing act. They do or say something to almost cross the line, then follow it up with a promotion or event of community kindness and charity. It’s a classic radio branding strategy and it needs a revival. Thanks for the “kind” post, Fred.
This good advice has a long provenance. Philo is supposed to have said it a couple of millennia ago: “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
True that.
Kindness is the cure for unhappiness.
Amen.
It’ll be interesting to see the result when they program that into the AI.
“Be kind as Terry Jacks kicks off another 10 in a row” – AI D.J.
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
“Be kind to yourself and others” had become a sign-off at the end of the weekly program during Covid’s lockdown and contentious polarization that the pandemic became part of. Gratitude for being able to express that through words and music. Thank you, Fred. Great comments since I bookmarked this page to respond