Community agreements
Exposure Labs uses stories as a tool for social change through: developing and producing our own social impact film projects and impact campaigns; supporting organizers to use film as part of their advocacy work; and supporting other social impact storytellers. As part of this work, we often find ourselves in community with many different people and partners – from the general public, students and policymakers to other storytellers and social justice organizers.
The purpose of these community agreements is to set expectations for how we want to show up together in the same spaces – whether on social media, at in-person or virtual events, in meetings, or one on one. By practicing the below communication ethics, we can co-create a safe, respectful and welcoming environment that allows everyone to participate.
Curiosity | We will bravely lean into tensions that can lead to growth, learning, and clarity by seeking out perspectives that differ from our own, asking questions to better understand others’ needs and where they’re coming, embracing nuance and healthy debate, and maintaining the open-mindedness needed to challenge our own beliefs.
Inclusivity | We will respect others, recognize our privilege and power, and refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, hateful or harassing behavior or speech to ensure people of any race, ethnicity, gender identity/expression, political party, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, age, physical appearance and body size, language spoken, and immigration or economic status can participate in conversations and access resources without feeling alienated, unsafe or disempowered.
Humanity | We will lead with love and compassion, focusing on what we have in common over what sets us apart without tokenizing, stereotyping, assuming, or contributing to simplistic, polarizing narratives that pit us against each other. We will treat others how THEY want to be treated and respect others by being mindful of how we use and take up time and not interrupting or disrupting people.
Humility | We will acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers, seek perspectives from others with expertise and lived experiences whenever possible, acknowledge our potential blindspots, and give credit where credit is due.
Accountability | We will create a space of accountability and allyship by disrupting harm as soon as it happens and treating mistakes as opportunities to deepen our understanding and self-awareness.
Through upholding these commitments, we strive to create a community defined by inclusivity and integrity. Violation of these agreements can lead to exclusion from future Exposure Labs events and initiatives.
If you have questions, or if you believe you have witnessed or experienced a violation of this Community Agreement, please send an email to info@exposurelabs.com with “COMMUNITY AGREEMENT” in the subject line. Our team will respond within 2 business days.
Social Media Code of Ethics
As our film The Social Dilemma revealed, social media and exploitative technology can destabilize democracies, exacerbate hate and discrimination, and undermine our mental health. On the other hand, it can also fuel social change and create community. As an organization operating at the intersection of storytelling and social justice movements, our team sees our active participation in social media – today’s public square – as an essential part of our work to use storytelling to change the world, namely by elevating our films and advocacy partners.
We also believe that a more humane technology future is possible through design and regulatory changes. But we can all practice and model using social media in more ethical and less exploitative ways that bring out and maximize the good in these platforms. We’ve outlined how our team is working to respect the time, attention and humanity of our social media community below.
We will not:
Set posting quotas to optimize for the algorithm.
Further amplify sensational stories, employ opaque “curiosity gaps,” or use copy as clickbait.
Collect any data that isn’t provided with your express consent or necessary for the basic management of our web properties (more in our privacy policy).
Monetize our content through the use of interruptive or targeted ads, or any ads for that matter.
We will:
Prioritize sharing genuinely valuable content about our programs, films, the issues, and our broader community. We will always ask ourselves why we’re sharing something and, if we don’t have a good reason, we won’t share it.
Abide by The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a rigorous EU regulation to protect privacy and human rights, in our data collection practices
Do our best to clearly explain the purpose of each post we share.
Work to include context within our posts that help you manage your own attention (e.g., estimated read times)
Invite in dialogue and comments on our posts, but will not tolerate hate speech or other inflammatory attacks (e.g., revealing personal information, using obscene language, etc.)
Be as responsive as possible while respecting and supporting the capacity and mental health of those on our team who are managing our social properties.