A multimedia piece created by Katherine Schreiber in the format of a magazine article with photographic illustrations by Nathaniel Welch is devoted to the identification of toxic or oppressive behaviors in the workplace. The context for the article is the increasing number of “poison people” who manipulate, demean, and deflate others through negative attitudes and toxic behavior (Schreiber 51). The content includes the author’s explanation of toxic individuals, their behaviors, and the ways of coping with them in the form of written pieces of advice and illustrative photographs. The idea of toxicity is used consistently in the piece; it is evident in the font chosen for headings and the stylistics of the photographs, in all of which there are yellow and black stripes implying toxicity.
The creator of the piece is a freelance writer who writes from the perspective of an individual who has experienced toxic communication and knows how to deal with it. Since the article is written in an explanatory and advisory tone, the target audience includes people who are exposed to toxic relationships either at home or in the workplace. The piece is created by means of a thoughtful combination of text and images for the purpose of enhancing the message of negativity of toxic people and the necessity to manage them.
In response to the analyzed piece, I would suggest the following ideas:
- Compose an audio-visual blog post;
- Add posters with concise and clear pieces of advice and tools for dealing with toxic people;
- Include more positive examples of preventing bullying in the workplace;
- Add videos;
- Add photos portraying interpersonal interactions showing how to withstand manipulation.
Reference
Schreiber, Katherine. “Chopin, K. “Poison People.” Psychology Today, 2017, pp. 51-88.