Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash
When I taught Freshman Composition to college students, I learned a method of giving feedback on their essays that was compared to a sandwich. I’ve heard various labels that use this method for delivering criticism, like “compliment sandwich” or “critique sandwich,” but I preferred to call it a “feedback sandwich.” I also taught students to use feedback sandwiches when reviewing their classmates’ essay drafts in class.
The top slice of bread in a feedback sandwich consists of a positive statement about the essay, the filling is constructive feedback to help improve it, and the bottom slice of bread is an encouraging statement about the student’s efforts or ideas. The filling was usually thicker than the bread.
I recently joined Indivisible’s Truth Brigade. The name itself is worth signing up for. Who wouldn’t want to be a purveyor of truth, when trust in news reporting is at an all-time low? We used to say, “pictures don’t lie,” and “a picture tells a thousand words,” but neither is true anymore.
AI pictures and videos have infiltrated virtually every social media outlet and masquerade as news. And Trump’s Piggy Pork Proposal would make it impossible to stifle it. I’m actually intrigued by that provision. I don’t know what motivates it, other than creating another precision misinformation tool. You can be sure someone benefits bigtime, and it won’t be American citizens.
Speaking of misinformation, the Truth Brigade’s purpose is to counter it. The group has existed since 2017, but I’d never heard of it. Since Trump’s reelection, it has been growing dramatically. I was delighted to learn their strategy is to question inaccurate information by creating “truth sandwiches.”
In a truth sandwich, the top slice of bread is a statement that establishes common ground between you and others. The filling is a question or statement that directly challenges a piece of misinformation. The bottom slice of bread makes a positive statement that you think would make life better for everyone. The primary purpose is to encourage critical thinking without being contentious.
The current Truth Brigade campaign is about medical misinformation, which is well-timed, since our Secretary of HHS just fired the entire Vaccine Advisory Committee. Of course, there is much more to be concerned about, including the suspension of medical research and clinical trials. The American public is in for some sickly—if not deadly—times, it would seem.
The organization will provide some sample truth sandwiches for members to post on social media or to use in personal conversations. I don’t use Twitter any more, so my only consistent social media messages go on Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram. And, of course, Substack. Beware!
Here’s an example of a truth sandwich from the Truth Brigade website:
The freedom to vote is important to me because it gives us power over politicians.
When I see politicians pushing for laws to make it harder to vote–I have to wonder what they’re afraid of.
It’s simple- protect our freedom by protecting our voting rights!
I tend to be verbose, so the greatest challenge for me will be keeping a message this short. But I need to practice, right? I’ll try my hand at one now, just to kick things off.
I eat healthy foods, take vitamins, and exercise, but sometimes I still get sick.
When I hear politicians saying you can fight off infections by taking supplements, I wonder if they’re trying to enrich the supplement industry.
It’s simple – live a healthy life AND fight infections with proven vaccines and antibiotics!
Still a bit longer than their example, but pretty short for me. What do you think?
Janice Airhart 