“Advocacy Through Social Media at Lift Louisiana”
by Katie Craig
For my 2022 summer, I was privileged to work alongside the Lift Louisiana communications team with the job of posting on their main social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook. Lift Louisiana is an organization based in Louisiana with its mission to “educate, advocate, and litigate for policy changes needed to improve the health and wellbeing of Louisiana’s women, their families, and their communities.” A passionate group of individuals who care deeply for the Louisiana population and the security of reproductive rights, justice, and overall healthcare run Lift Louisiana. During my time at Lift Louisiana, I grew and strengthened my passion for ensuring health equality through the diverse team I worked with.
When I first began at Lift Louisiana, I was unsure of the material they would instruct me to promote. Right from the beginning, the team invited me to pitch my ideas and conduct my research on what to post on social media. Several times throughout the week, I would have to read through local and national news articles, think of the questions I had regarding reproductive healthcare, and interact with other social media platforms to formulate ideas for postings. I greatly appreciated the creativity the team asked of me, as I felt encouraged to work harder on my own to come up with unique but educational posts. My semi-weekly posts on Instagram and Facebook expanded my skills in researching and developing content. I created posts that ranged from spreading the word on upcoming events, informing the public on current legislative initiatives, advocating for support around state and nation-wide issues, and even resourceful pieces on birth control and resources.
I set up several goals before beginning my internship with Lift Louisiana. I wanted to learn more about the Louisiana legislative process and how to advocate for and against various pieces of legislation. Especially during the first few weeks of my internship, the team instructed me to post urging people to support or oppose bills in Louisiana. I found it very interesting to follow the legislative process in the State as bills went through the House or Senate and onto the Governor. Through my posting, I learned much about our current Governor and current politicians’ stances on abortion access, contraceptive protection, and pregnancy care.
Another goal was to become more familiar with social media content and how to create graphics. I used apps such as Canva to create content and edit photos. By the end of my internship, I became an expert at editing photos, using cohesive graphics, and creating catchy captions for posts. Before working with Lift Louisiana, my content creation skills were minimal. Yet, after the summer of working on social media posting and management, I feel a lot more confident in my skills to develop and create content.
Our society is currently living in a post-Roe v. Wade world, which is incredibly daunting. At a time like now, staying informed and educated about reproductive rights, justice, and healthcare access is critical. I urge those with a platform or opportunities to advocate for themselves and others. The future of reproductive health and protection is unknown. Still, I am determined to continue to do my part to educate others and keep those I can reach, physically and virtually, informed about current events, provided with resources, and supported