False Information and topic specific training and talks

Topics

• Tactics to respond to false information

• Climate short course

• Reframing Crime and Justice

This training is for those who want to connect people with good, factually correct information  in their work or in their daily lives. We all do better with a healthy and thriving, inclusive information environment. Where people value, trust and can utilise good information. Where people have the freedom (from false information) to be well-informed. To achieve a healthy information environment we need to be prepared for difficult conversations and have evidence-based ways to address false information that really work. 

In this training we share three evidence-based strategies you can use when leading difficult conversations and addressing false information.

What you’ll learn

The strategies we teach you will prepare you to:

• get ahead of information you expect but hasn’t arrived yet

• respond to incorrect and false information that is already out there

• respond to difficult conversations 

• respond to information in one-on-one settings both on social media and real life. 

Before the course you will receive the training handbook which supports the training and includes about 1 hour of pre-reading that we ask participants to do before the day of the training.

In this workshop we’ll explain why these strategies work, what they look like in practice, share some tools to support the strategies and we’ll have a go at using the tools.

What to expect

We deliver this training in both live-virtual via zoom and in-person formats.

Before the course you will receive the training handbook which supports the training and includes pre-reading. The pre-reading, which covers why information is so sticky and why arguing the facts doesn’t work, is a prerequisite for attending the course and we ask that participants please prepare by completing this reading before the day of the training.

Who should attend

• People responsible for public consultation

• People planning for difficult conversations

• Communications and social media teams

• People on the front line dealing face to face with the public

• People encountering false information in their daily lives’

• People working on climate, health, te tiriti, justice, and other topics where they regularly encounter face incorrect information

Upcoming public trainings

Public training is perfect for individuals or small groups. We are running in-person training in Wellington, as well as live-virtual training via zoom.

In-person training

The in-person Tactics to respond to false information half day trainings are scheduled the day after in-person Introduction to Framing and Narratives training in case people want to do both.

Our next training is in Wellington on Friday 6 December 8.30am - 1.00 pm. We are offering two discounted places for grassroots activists and advocates working in a volunteer role. These discounted places are for the first two people to book using voucher code GRASSROOTS.

Live-virtual training

The live-virtual format for Tactics to respond to false information training includes two 2-hour zoom sessions on consecutive days with our expert trainers. Our next live-virtual training will be held on 20-21 March at 10am. We are offering two discounted places for grassroots activists and advocates working in a volunteer role. These discounted places are for the first two people to book using voucher code GRASSROOTS.

What people say about the training

"Excellent, practical training that gives you the tools to understand what false information is and techniques to counter it.. with a group of like minded people. " - Amanda Kelly, Community Housing Aotearoa 

"A really valuable workshop that will help me more safely navigate both my work, and my personal life." - Ben Sarten, Every Gender

"Don't wait to go, because you'll want to do loads more learning afterwards so better crack on with it!" - Adam Rohe, Every Gender

"Do it! It’s practical and will help! " - Andrew Galloway, Alcohol Healthwatch

Book private training

If you’ve got a group of 16 or more people wanting to work together on Countering False Information, then talk  with our team about booking private training.

training@theworkshop.org.nz

Advanced Training on Climate is designed for people who want to build on what they’ve learnt in Foundations training and apply it to their work changes that make the biggest difference for our climate. Delivered over five, 2-hour zoom sessions, this training draws on our climate change specific insights and has a strong focus on implementing narrative strategies. 

What you will learn

In Advanced Training on Climate we'll give you a refresher on Narratives for Change and you’ll learn about the narratives that are most helpful and unhelpful for climate communications. You’ll be able to practise using narratives for change strategies and tools with support from The Workshop’s trainer and other people doing the course.

Over the five weeks you’ll work through the five communication shifts that build support for changes that make the biggest difference for climate change.

At the end of the 5-week course, you’ll be able to:

• Explain what narratives and mindsets are and how they relate to the stories we tell about climate  

• Identify helpful narratives for climate change, and start building change strategies around them

• Describe different audiences, plan for your audiences information needs, and identify appropriate messengers 

• Create a vision of a future where your changes have been implemented 

• Write a message about climate that leads with values shown to connect people to climate action

• Start to create  better explanations about the origin of the problems and solutions

• Use a story structure to support your narrative

• Create stories that work to amplify helpful narratives, using the 5 shifts

Who should attend

• Scientists, researchers, writers, advocates, campaigners, communicators, organisers, fundraisers, policy makers, and leaders of organisations who want to deepen people’s thinking on climate issues.

• People working on climate related issues like emissions, agriculture, co-governance of natural spaces or transport systems.

• Anyone who wants to motivate people to support big social and environmental issues over the long-term, and build a more just, sustainable and democratic world.

This is an advanced training course where we expect you to have already completed our Foundations training. 

Upcoming public trainings

Public training is perfect for individuals or small groups.

We don’t currently have an Advanced Training on Climate scheduled. Please email training@theworkshop.org.nz to register your interest in our next Climate focused training.

Book private training

If you’ve got a group of 12 or more people wanting to work together on climate topics, then talk  with our team about booking private training. Private training runs just like our public training but you’ll get the extra benefit of building connections and learning alongside other people who are working on a similar topic.

training@theworkshop.org.nz

Training: Reframing Crime and Justice Training

Reframing crime and justice training is designed for people working towards fairer and more compassionate justice outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand. This training combines content usually covered in our Foundations training with specific crime and justice content that would usually be covered in our advanced training. Our crime and justice training draws on tested narratives and strategies from The Workshop’s ‘How to talk about Crime and Justice’ guide. This training and the guide are based on research done in collaboration with JustSpeak, funded by the Borrin Foundation, Tindall Foundation and the JR McKenzie Trust. 

Delivered over five weeks as a combination of online content and live facilitated sessions, Reframing Crime and Justice training allows participants to move through the online modules for each week at times that suit them. The course includes information to read and watch, forums, individual and small group activities. Live virtual sessions hosted on zoom create opportunities for interaction and collaboration with The Workshop trainers and others on the course.

What you will learn

In this course, you’ll learn how to use your expertise and experience to put together communication in a way that:

• improves people’s understanding, based on best evidence, of why we need a shift in crime and justice policy away from reactive punishment and incarceration and towards prevention, rehabilitation and restoration;

• allows better conversations with the public;

• motivates people to act in support of these justice reforms

You will explore how to use consistent, helpful narratives that can gradually deepen people’s understanding and influence shared mindsets. We will give you Narrative for Change tools to help you communicate convincingly about big change work in the issues of crime and justice. 

At the end of the 5-week course, you’ll be able to:

• describe Narratives for Change and explain why, when, and how to use it

• understand the importance of a narrative strategy to shift mindsets

• begin to identify the dominant, unhelpful narratives in crime and justice

• begin to recognise, name, and describe the helpful narratives to amplify in your area

• understand the importance of audience and messengers

• create a vision of a future where your changes have been implemented 

• understand the importance of values shown to connect people to justice reform

• start to create better explanations about the origin of the problems and solutions

Who should attend

• Community advocates and people working for change from outside the public service and criminal justice system

Upcoming public trainings

Public training is perfect for individuals or small groups.

We don’t currently have a Reframing Crime and Justice training scheduled. Please email training@theworkshop.org.nz to register your interest in our next Crime and Justice focused training.

talk: latest insights for Journalists and communicators

The way we talk about and report on social issues like crime, criminal justice and gangs has an impact on how people understand those issues. That is why we have updated our 2020 research on framing crime and justice with a focus on gang harm.

In November 2023 we delivered two public talks which covered what research and testing shows are ways of writing and talking about crime and criminal justice that work to deepen public understanding, and avoid reinforcing shallow and inaccurate ideas.

We shared our most recent work which draws on interviews with experts on gang harm and gangs, reviews of international evidence and includes recommendations on effective ways to deepen public understanding about gangs and gang harm. 

We don’t report into a neutral space. People come to our reporting with existing beliefs and ideas about the issues. When most people's understanding of an issue is shallow, as is the case with crime, gangs and criminal justice, our reporting is filtered through those shallow understandings, making it hard to have productive public conversations.

The research informing this work was funded by three philanthropic organisations: the J R McKenzie Trust, the Borrin Foundation and the Tindall Foundation.

Upcoming PUBLIC and PRIVATE TALKS

We don’t currently have a talk on Reframing Crime and Justice scheduled. If you are interested in a private talk for your organisation or registering your interest for a public talk please email training@theworkshop.org.nz.