This article could well be entitled the power and responsibility of communications, hence of the communicators.  However, I rather choose portraying the heart of the responsibility involved when it comes to narratives.  Although the topic might seem to be of interest for a very specific professional group, those of professionals dealing with communications, public relations or marketing, it is in fact a piece that a much wider audience should make note of.  This is for a very simple reason, regardless of whether we are aware of it or not, we are all active participants in the narratives we are exposed to.  As this is the case, one might just as well be aware of the significance they have and the power they hold.

THE MYTH OF THE MESSENGER

For as long as we are aware of our civilisation, the role of a messenger and his words is recognised as the one that brings epiphany indicating the right way to go.  By articulating the essence of one’s purpose, it illuminates the path forward.  This is what the story of Gabriel or Gavrilo bringing the good news is about.  The story captures the very essence I refer to when I talk about the significance the words hold for human being and the civilisation.  It is both the power and the intention of the message that carry the evolution of the humankind.  All of it justified with the very opening statement that goes:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The divine intervention highlights the sacredness of the process.  The significance, hence the immense responsibility, of the narrative as a carrier of meaning, value, and drive, is its creation power.  The story of Gabriel conveys the message of a miraculous act that births life, in all aspects of its meaning. This is the ultimate symbolism describing the way human beings operate on individual and collective level.  Humans use words to articulate their sense of themselves and of the other, which helps them form identities and establish social interactions. Telling stories is at the heart of both individual and collective dynamics. The tales told at the hearth, the place where the individual virtues meet the common good, form the community and the morals as its guiding principles. Thoughts and ideas framed by words inspire and guide actions. It is what shapes our identity, our reality and guides the ways of living. This is where the creation power of the narrative lies.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATORS

Such a level of significance and impact implies that those who work with words and messages carry the responsibility.  The authors, the poets and the artists expressing their inspired visions; journalists, columnists and the non-fiction writers presenting a certain view of an issue; communications professionals articulating a business to employees, consumers and stakeholders; politicians sharing positions to citizens…  This is to name only a few vocations and to remind of all others that do it by sharing content in any other shape or form, from mouth-to-mouth via publishing to social media.

They all invest endless efforts in shaping accurate and purposeful messages, while being constantly aware of the wider context they create by doing so.  As they shape the reality on behalf of their audience, they set the value system, beliefs and mindset that underpin actions and guide personal or collective doings.

It should not be overlooked that thanks to technology, the potential for sharing messages to large segments of an audience is now widely available.  One side of this coin shows that we are all put in a position of communicators who should assume responsibility for the contents produced, regardless of whether we are professionals or not.  On the other side of the same coin we see that as consumers we are exposed to immense quantity of content produced by professionals and non-professionals. Considering all this it should not be underestimated to what extent messages, stories and content can be damaging when false, misleading or wrongly intended.

The concerns the matter raises grows further at the verge of the growing use of AI for content creation.  Thus, the need to talk about the responsibility of communications and raise awareness about the impact of messages and narratives is an important social priority.  Absurdly enough, or not, as the consumption of the content eases towards becoming a seamless and effortless act, the higher level of knowledge and consciousness about what is consumed is required to discern the nuances in the meaning. 

PURPOSE LED BUSINESSES

If we were to think about the communications in the business context the responsibility case is a rather hot topic.  As the corporate citizenship is on the rise, we witness that the importance of corporate narratives move to the centre of the business and take the central role in the business operations underpinning all business structures.  Just as explained above, it articulates the business purpose, defines the role for all individuals involved and gives clarity about the direction forward that creates value for individuals and society.   

In the current condition marked with technological innovations and ongoing social changes, there is no business without a solid communications strategy.  The communications in fact are the business strategy; they are the heart of it.  The companies are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate the authenticity of not only their doings, but the intentions and motivations behind them, as well as the long term contribution to a common good.  We see businesses evolving from focusing on what they do (product and service quality), adding to it how they do it (integrity and responsibility), and now adjusting why they do it (purpose or contribution to the common good).

Even though consumers may seem highly motivated by the price, the purpose of a company behind the product is what makes a brand-story authentic.  It is a brand’s authentic story that creates loyal partnership with its consumers and partners.  The brands have long outgrown being mere products, instead they are lifestyle defining and that’s why we select them very carefully.  And even if a good price may attract a consumer for purchase, an ill intended purpose or a phony one will certainly alienate him or her for good, never to return.  So, well intended and authentically embodied purpose is what makes business a success.

IT IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION, NOT MANIPULATION!

We are all communicators. Be it with people we encounter, at home, within our small community unit, within our company or, as technology now permits, with an entire global audience.  This is not only a professional matter. However, it does require of us to grasp it at a proficient level.

The communications, in any social segment or context, articulate, set the value system and the mindset, and guide the way towards a vision.  There is no communication without awareness of the role it plays on an individual level and in a wider context while contributing to the common good and a thriving community.  Therefore, the work of communications is to be done with knowledge, virtue, respect and the good intentions for the vision of a better world.