Am I Allowed To Talk About This?

George Floyd’s life mattered. Many in our format have no trouble posting about racial injustice on our Facebook profiles, but we wouldn’t dare tread that ground on-air. You might instantly say to yourself (or me) “that’s not what she comes to us for.” Or perhaps “we’re not an Urban station. These things are sad but don’t fit our format.”

There are times when format filters have to be set aside for our Kingdom Purpose. For our stations here in St. Louis, the death of George Floyd was one of them. If you’ve ever wondered whether you should go there or HOW, here are some things shared with our teams at 99.1 JOY FM and BOOST RADIO:

1. Unity in our racially divided market is at the center of the mission for both of our stations. We can’t claim to be about it if we aren’t speaking on matters most crucial to it.


2. When we talk about these topics, we filter what we say through who BOOST and JOY claim God is to our listeners. Yes we abhor racism and injustice, but above all, we come back to the unity only found in Jesus Christ. Every outlet can talk about racism and injustice, but we’re one of the few who can speak with credibility about Godly unity.


3. Rules about what makes great radio apply in these times more than ever. If it’s important to talk about, make it count. Begin the break with the end in mind. Know how you’re going to get there. Don’t forget to briefly reset for listeners who don’t know what prompted you to bring a topic like this up. (Maybe even practice off-air. Record and edit. Do what it takes to do it right.)


4. Rise above trigger words and phrases. Sadly, even a word like "justice" has become a polarizing word. Use words and phrases that inspire empathy from those who may not understand why this stuff matters. Avoid words/phrases that tend to put people in one camp or another. I don't just want to preach to the choir of those who already feel the way I do about racism, I want to IN LOVE inspire people who aren't there yet to take a step in my direction.


5. Sidestep assuming motives. There's a difference between saying the officer who killed George Floyd did a racist deed, and saying a black man died an unnecessary death. The first approach assumes motives and sows a seed for division; the latter approach is true and can be agreed on almost universally. This goes back to speaking from a place of wanting unity more than a place of combating racism. Achieving Godly unity ends racism.


6. Because of who we are and Who we stand for, it's ok if your angle sounds similar to some other DJ's angle are times where we want a unified message. And, given how people use the radio, odds are the person that heard my take didn't also hear your take.


7. How much is too much? It's going to vary with each situation, with the number of proper/possible angles, and with who you are as a radio station. BOOST, our hip hop station with a diverse audience, might go there more often than JOY FM, our CCM outlet. With BOOST, many of our listeners expect us to talk about these things. Yet for both stations, it’s not ALL they come to us for. Many come to us to escape the awfulness in the world. So we look for the right balance. It’s intangible and delicate.


8. Don't go anywhere you aren't comfortable going. When we talk about these things, it needs to be from a place of authenticity. If you're not comfortable there on-air, hang back. For our team, I encouraged them to seek me out when they feel compelled but aren’t sure what’s next. If you aren’t confident every air talent on your team can be trusted with this kind of content, designate the ones who you do trust to go there and cook up a plan together. For the rest, coach them up when possible, so maybe things change in the future. You can do more harm than good by forcing something to happen from a place that isn’t real.


9. Have off-air conversations with your team, your friends, etc. to help explore where your on-air angles could go. Take a look at the social media profiles of artists and public figures who have things to say on these things. They can help you know what to say (or NOT).


10. Be honest about how you feel to your listeners. As always, filtered through the values of the station brand. That’s probably going to mean somehow pointing people to seek God in all this. It doesn’t have to be a trite “put a bow on it” type of break, but if people are coming to my station for hope, and I end a heavy break like this without it, I’m not delivering on what I promised them and what they want from me.

Some things I’ve tried this week:

• A short reset about what happened. (“George Floyd was a black man who died under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis. Maybe you’ve heard about the video.”) My reaction (“I’m mad. I’m sad. So many of my friends are just tired and numb.”). The mayor of Minneapolis' reaction ("being black in America should not be a death sentence.") I talked about George Floyd as a person instead of a news headline. Just like us, he was knit together by God in his mother's womb. Our hearts should break when this happens; his life mattered just as much as mine. As a Christ follower, I'm called to crave Galatians 3:28 for all of us: "We are all sons of God...there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Closed with: what can each of us do in real life today to take that message into our world?


• When the Romans tortured Christians, the tomb of Christ was empty. When Native Americans walked the trail of tears, the tomb was empty. When George Floyd was killed by the police, the tomb was still empty. God WILL prevail. Keep the faith and mourn with those who mourn. (Did this on a :15 intro…not everything meaningful has to be a long, drawn out break.)

Speaking on what matters most might cost you. Anything worth doing often comes with a cost. Do it well so, if nothing else, it’s worth the cost. Prayerfully lean on God and Godly counsel. Ask your peers and even community leaders to share their wisdom.

May those who consider your station to be their friend never be able to say that you didn't speak about the things they most cared about.