Truth Brigade Illinois
- Keep it simple option
- “I’d like to do more” option
Welcome to the Indivisible Truth Brigade Illinois
Together, We will Fight the Lies–and Win!
Propaganda, false characterizations, intentionally misleading messages and outright lies threaten our democracy and even our lives. We can effectively combat disinformation, despite the well-funded machines that drive it. They may have money, but we have truth and we have people. People believe sources they trust. When we share and amplify unified, factual messages to those who trust us, we shift the narrative. When we do this by the thousands–we’re part of the Indivisible Truth Brigade, and we get our country back.
The Truth Brigade is people (us!) fighting disinformation by sharing the truth. We have learned that arguing with people on Facebook or twitter or Instagram or anywhere else doesn’t work. When we comment or answer postings that contain misinformation we unfortunately just boost the original post so more people see the lies. Instead, we are creating our own truthful posts to counter the hurtful lies that are out there. We do that by creating “truth sandwiches” – a statement that is true, followed by a response to a lie questioning the author’s motives – followed by another true statement. We have found that people respond best to positive statements so a truth sandwich can be a great way to get the truth out there and discredit lies. For example:
Elections should be easy to vote in and hard to buy off. Republicans might say “election integrity”, but by opposing democracy reform, their actions yell “voter suppression.” We need the For the People Act to make elections fair and government transparent.
Indivisible National and Indivisible Illinois both have ongoing TruthBrigade campaigns in which you can participate. We create and share posts on social media to spread the truth.
You don’t have to be active on Twitter, Instagram or use Slack to participate if you don’t want to. You can keep it as simple as sharing other Truth Brigade postings on Facebook.
The Keep it Simple Option
Join the Truth Brigade Illinois by signing up here. Please join our Facebook group where you will get more info on Truth Brigade Illinois campaigns and other useful information as well as sample postings. Click here . Each Truth Brigade posting will usually have one or more hashtags and a phrase after their statements like #TruthBrigadeIllinois or #TruthBridgade or #ForthePeopleAct.
If you want to participate but want to keep things simple, all you need to do when on Facebook is go to the “Search Facebook” box on the top left of the page and put in “#TruthBrigade or #TruthBrigadeIllinois, you will find postings from other Truth Brigade participants that you can share to your own page or groups. Just click “share”. You can also go directly to the Truth Brigade Illinois Facebook group and cut and paste postings you find there to your own page. Please be sure to add #TruthBrigadeIllinois to your posting so others can find it.
If you are on Twitter you can do the same thing. Just search for #TruthBrigade and #TruthBrigadeIllinois and retweet those posts (it’s that little square box with arrows)
Instagram is a bit more complicated because you are supposed to get permission from the original poster to repost but you can like them or comment on them or you can message them and ask and repost those as well or you can create and post your own.
The national Truth Brigade campaign (#TruthBrigade) and the Illinois Truth Brigade (#TruthBrigadeIllinois) each regularly create Truth Brigade campaigns around various issues like vaccination, gun control, democracy reform. If you just go to the group page or search for #TruthBrigadeIllinois or #TruthBrigade you should be able to find messages to share.
The “I’d like to get more involved” Option
If you would like to create your own truth sandwiches and participate more fully or suggest campaigns there is a lot you can do! Join the Truth Brigade Illinois Facebook group . You can also join the Truth Brigade Illinois listserv to get updates and share information.
Truth Brigade Illinois meets meetings on Wednesday’s before the Indivisible Illinois regular weekly call. Join the Truth Brigade Illinois listerv for meeting reminders and updates.
Indivisible National has extensive Truth Brigade resources. If you join the Indivisible National Truth Brigade team you can participate in a “Slack channel” where you can access information on truth brigade campaigns along with all sorts of tools and where you can communicate with other team members. Join the National Truth Brigade Slack channel here. Slack is like a group text but it also allows you to share tools and files with other Truth Brigade members. Indivisible National offers calls twice a month for Truth Brigaders, currently the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Meetings on the fourth Wednesday are workshops with Qs&As, message Practice and orientation. You can learn to tweet and use Instagram and more effectively fight disinformation. You will also receive email updates. If you join the Truth Brigade using the link above you will receive more information.
Please join us and help share the truth!
Truth Brigade Illinois Co-coordinators,
Etta Worthington, Indivisible Western Front
Candace Davis, Indivisible Evanston
Linda Kallas, Indivisible DuPage
