Here’s a thing to restore your faith in humanity.
The Daily Mail and Times runs a knocking piece on the fact that two per cent of what they spend goes to help save lives across the world.
Just reflect on that. Saving lives of people in poor parts of the world is somehow A BAD IDEA. That’s where we are as a country, it seems.
Only…
Tthe RNLI rather than cower in the bunker come out fighting.
They took to Twitter to point out that it’s two per cent of their budget they spend and they’ve never tried to hide the fact.
In response to the @MailOnline & @thetimes:we are proud of our international work. Its saves (mostly kids') lives. And we haven't kept it secret – it's in our annual report, on our website and in the media. We spend just 2% of our expenditure on this work: https://t.co/STztOxG1OP
— RNLI (@RNLI) September 15, 2019
They also went to their Facebook page.
You may have read some misleading reports in the Mail and Times over the weekend about our international work.
We are…
Posted by RNLI on Monday, 16 September 2019
They also went proactive to thank supporters for their positive comments.
Thank you for your support and generosity, Danny.
— RNLI (@RNLI) September 16, 2019
But while that was good the cherry on top of the cake was the #rnli_disgrace hashtag that turned into an ironic British thing that echoed the exact opposite of what you may think the hashtag was saying.
People withdrawing #RNLI donations over their ‘audacity’ to use 2% of funds to support causes abroad are really the worst of society. My dad was a lifeboatman for 25 years and the work they do is incredible, brave and selfless. #RNLI_disgrace pic.twitter.com/r8UG2ZKF4q
— Lara Trubshaw (@LaraInCornwall) September 16, 2019
See? That’s exactly why sentiment trackers for British Twitter is utterly pointless and why we are – just – smarter than machines and Daily Mail and Times journalists.
Most human comms just shines a light on what the organisation does. This shows that the response to criticism can be pretty human, too.
Credit to them for thinking the same message across multi-platforms, too.
Credit also for mapping the rise in online donations in the light of the piece and swiftly communicating it.
Good work.