Grabbing the Third Rail: Taking a Deliberate, Direct & Depolarizing Approach to Controversial Topics

Our April 2024 webinar focused on taking on difficult topics

In an era fraught with divisiveness, it may be tempting to shy away from tough topics. Since at least the late 1980s, issues that are so charged as to seem untouchable have been called “third rail,” a reference to the high-voltage line next to electric train tracks.

Touching those controversial issues may seem like political or professional electrocution. But how can we create a just and peaceful world if we don’t solve big problems?

Over the course of his filmmaking career, Lance Kramer of Meridian Hill Pictures has dived deeply into several seemingly intractable problems, including an attempt to pass bipartisan criminal justice reform during the Trump administration in "The First Step" and an effort to hold conversations across political divides during the 2016 election cycle called “The Messy Truth.”

He has seen the benefits of addressing tough issues that are top-of-mind for your audience but that people aren’t talking about productively - yet. In an era when individuals and organizations may worry about being canceled, this conversation explores how to advocate around tough topics in a way that is deliberate, direct, and depolarizing in order to achieve your mission.