Guaranteed Basic Income: Framing a Pro-Jobs Narrative

How strategic communications turned dense research into a media-ready story

The Challenge

In 2024, the Workforce Development Council partnered with an independent researcher to publish results from a groundbreaking pilot combining direct cash assistance with workforce interventions. The study had powerful findings, but the report I received had not been created with public release in mind (and now it was my job to “make it work”).

It was dense, technical, and missing the headlines that could drive a public conversation. With the budget already spent out on the study, I had to find a way to make the results accessible, credible, and media-ready with my lean team.

Independent evaluation report (50+ pages): valuable but highly technical, without a clear or accessible framing for public release.

The Strategy

I worked closely with the program manager and report author to review all supporting materials, and created a designed executive summary to append to the front of the report. This served as a contextual “cover” — highlighting the most compelling findings while leaving the independent research intact. From there, I developed a complementary press release that distilled the study’s complexity into a story the public and media could quickly understand.

I created a concise findings summary to surface the key headlines and make the research accessible for media and public audiences.

A key strategic choice was how to frame the data. While colleagues prioritized metrics like savings and mental health, I recognized that given the politics around this type of program, the most powerful finding would be the increase in employment among participants. By emphasizing employment gains, we could reframe the narrative around GBI — from “paying people not to work” to a story about expanding opportunity and economic mobility.

“Employment nearly doubled from 37% to 66%, and job quality dramatically increased with greater employee benefits coverage: retirement plans nearly tripled, and life and disability insurance participation showed considerable improvements.”
– Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Report Press Release

The Results

The release was highly successful: the story was picked up by The Seattle Times, Business Insider, and 10+ other outlets, reaching a conservative estimate of 200,000 people. Nearly every story led with the employment statistic, validating the decision to center it as the headline finding. Engagement was especially strong — 404 comments on The Seattle Times piece before its 72-hour comment window closed, plus 558 likes and 378 comments on Reddit.

Coverage spanned national and local outlets, from Business Insider to The Urbanist. Stories generated high engagement, including 404 comments on The Seattle Times and nearly 1,000 interactions on Reddit, amplifying reach well beyond traditional readership.

Beyond media coverage, the release elevated the Workforce Development Council’s profile locally and nationally, sparking new interest from philanthropic partners, including a gift of $10,000 from a private donor who explicitly tied their donation to the program and the media coverage.

200K+ reach

Estimate based on total readership and engagement

10+ outlets

Local and national media coverage

$10,000 donation

Outside of usual funding channels

Why It Matters

This project showed how a carefully framed release strategy can transform a dense research report into a catalyst for public dialogue, funding, and credibility. By balancing the integrity of independent research with a communications lens, I helped ensure innovative program results broke through in the media and contributed to shifting the narrative on guaranteed income toward one of work, dignity, and opportunity.