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Bringing The Meaning in Life: Why I Want to Be a Social Worker

Categories: Career Goals Social Work

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Words: 964 |

Published: Apr 15, 2020

Words: 964 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Personal experience as a driving force, embracing flexibility as an asset, the perfectionist's dilemma, works cited.

Humphrey, C. (2011). Social work, social justice and human rights: A structural approach to practice. Policy Press.
Mathiasen, H., & Larsen, L. B. (2016). Core social work values and ethics: A critical review of the literature. Social Work Education, 35(1), 11-25.
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics. NASW Press.
Payne, M. (2014). Modern social work theory. Oxford University Press.
Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social work in a digital age: Ethical and risk management challenges. Social Work, 58(2), 163-172.
Ruch, G. (2010). Relationship‐based social work: Getting to the heart of practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Saleebey, D. (Ed.). (2013). The strengths perspective in social work practice. Pearson.
Schiele, J. H. (2014). Social workers' attitudes toward self-disclosure in the therapeutic relationship. Social Work, 59(2), 145-153.
Todd, S., & Bohan, J. S. (2013). Online social work: Is it for everyone?. Journal of Social Work Education, 49(2), 212-226.
Vourlekis, B. S., & Greenfield, E. A. (2015). Ethical considerations in geriatric social work. In Handbook of geriatric social work (pp. 325-341). Wiley.

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Why I Want to Be a Social Worker, Essay Sample

Essay about my passion and purpose as a social worker.

It has been a long journey for me, but I have finally accepted that I want to be a social worker. After much deep reflection and consideration, I have realized that this career path best suits my values and passions. This essay, which I have written using a custom essay writing service , will explore why I want to become a social worker, what skills and qualities make me well-suited for the profession, and how I plan to use my knowledge in the service of others.

Why I Want to Be a Social Worker

First and foremost, my passion for helping those in need is why I want to become a social worker. From a young age, I’ve always been passionate about helping people. I have always had an insatiable curiosity about the world and its people. As I grew older, my passion for helping others turned into a desire to pursue a career as a social worker. It perfectly combines my love for people, my compassionate nature, and my dedication to social justice.

Whether it’s providing financial assistance or offering emotional support – it all matters. By becoming a social worker, I will be able to use my experience and education to directly help people who are struggling with various issues such as poverty or mental health problems.

What is Social Work?

Social work is a profession that focuses on improving the welfare of individuals and communities by providing counseling, advocacy, education, and other services. Trained professionals known as social workers provide assistance to individuals from diverse backgrounds such as children, families, immigrants, elderly persons, victims of abuse or neglect, veterans, and homeless individuals, to help them achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. They provide support services such as case management; counseling; referrals; crisis intervention; advocacy; community outreach; and education.

Skills Which a Social Worker Should Possess

There are many different jobs within the field of social work, but they all require knowledge of the law, psychology, and sociology. Social workers must be compassionate, caring individuals who can put themselves in another person’s shoes. They must be able to understand what it feels like not having food or shelter, or even just having someone to talk to when things get tough.

I have witnessed firsthand the struggles that some people face in their lives, including poverty, homelessness, and mental health issues. Seeing the impact of these issues on people’s lives has made me want to help in any way I can.

A Social Worker Plays a Really Crucial Role in Society

Social workers are essential parts of any community. They are always there when people need them most, and they always do what they can to ensure they get the care they need. Social workers also make sure that people have access to all kinds of services, such as mental health care or substance abuse treatment services if needed. By working in this position, you can help improve many people’s lives in your community!

Exploring My Calling to Become a Social Worker

I want to be a social worker because I believe everyone has the potential to lead fulfilling lives regardless of their circumstances. By working with vulnerable populations – such as marginalized groups or those facing poverty or displacement – I can help empower them to make positive changes in their lives and create better futures for themselves.

By the way, I am committed to advocating for social justice initiatives that combat racism and unequal access to resources throughout our society. Through my training as a social worker, I will be able to gain the skills necessary to advocate for these causes effectively.

Why I am Appropriate for This Job

In addition to my passion for helping people, I want to become a social worker because of the qualities that make me an ideal candidate for the job. As someone with strong interpersonal skills and an innate ability to understand people from different backgrounds and life experiences, I believe that these traits will serve me well when it comes time to interact with clients individually.

Conclusion

All in all, becoming a social worker has been one of my life-long aspirations because it allows me to combine my love for people with my commitment to advocating for social justice initiatives. With this essay, I have attempted to explain why being a social worker is essential and why this career path resonates deeply with me – my passion for helping others and the satisfaction of impacting someone’s life. If you share these values, perhaps you should consider becoming a social worker too!

Tips and Tricks on Writing an Essay About a Social Worker

Writing an essay about a social worker is both a rewarding and challenging task. It can be difficult to capture the complexity of the social work profession in one essay, but it is definitely possible. Here are some tips to help you write a personal statement essay that accurately portrays the work of a social worker.

Research Carefully

Before you start writing, it’s important to do your research. Look into what social workers do on a daily basis, their roles, and their responsibilities. Understanding these aspects will ensure that your essay accurately reflects the work of a social worker.

Organize Your Ideas

Once you have done your research, it’s time to organize your ideas into a cohesive structure. Start by creating an outline that clearly states the main points you want to cover in your essay and also includes any relevant facts or quotes that may be useful for supporting information. This will help ensure that your essay flows logically from one point to another and allows for easy reading for your audience.

Be Clear & Concise

When writing about social work, there is no need for lengthy explanations or unnecessarily complicated language – stick with straightforward sentences that get the point across without being too verbose or convoluted. Be sure to edit your work carefully, too; even small spelling errors can detract from the overall quality of your essay.

Why Someone Might Want to Become a Social Worker

Social work is a profession dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities improve their well-being and quality of life. Social workers play a critical role in advocating for vulnerable populations and providing support and resources to those in need. Here are some of the key reasons why someone might want to become a social worker:

Note that these are just some of the reasons why someone might want to become a social worker. Social work is a challenging but deeply rewarding profession that requires a strong commitment to helping others and promoting social justice.

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Why I Want To Be a Social Worker

Franklin cloud

By D'atra Franklin

Last night I cried for what seemed like forever. I cried for all the times I was misunderstood. For the times I was left alone. For all the times I was hurt. I cried because I was so different from my friends. Being different made me feel alone, and maybe if I could be more like them, I could be happy. But how could I make myself like everybody else and still be true to me? It was so confusing. Why wouldn’t my tears cease to fall from my bloodshot eyes?

From the time I was seven and I lost my mother, I felt different. I felt like my being on this earth was for a reason and that I was destined to do something great with my life. I did not fit in with my family. I spoke different, and I thought different. I had goals that no one could fathom. How stupid that a child would dream of saving the world, a world that she had not yet even experienced. But that would all change on my 14 th birthday.

I was abused emotionally, mentally, and physically at the hands of people who were supposed to guide me in the right direction, love me unconditionally, and help me to reach my goals, encourage, and never neglect me. Instead, I was emotionally abandoned. My childhood was taken from me. I was made to clean, cook, and take care of my infant sister and brother. I wasn’t a child learning to live; I was a slave with no worth in my own home. I had to leave, and I thought that any place on earth was better than living with my father and stepmother. Whether it was homeless or in a shelter, I knew I deserved to be treated better.

When I was fourteen, I ran away from home. I didn’t have anywhere to go, and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but one last strike of my stepmother's hand drove me into the streets of West Palm Beach, and the streets were no place for a fourteen-year-old girl. But I didn’t care, and I fled that hellhole so the voice inside of me, crying out for something better, wouldn’t die.

I lived with extended family members and a few friends until I found a shelter that would take me in. I lived in that shelter on and off for three years. It was home. I felt loved there. I made friends, and I even got a job. However, school was suffering, and I had to start anew and focus on school. When I was seventeen, I went into a more stable group home environment and lived there until I was eighteen. I was so happy there I actually got to celebrate Christmas, something other kids took for granted, but to me it was new and amazing. I was finally in a stable living environment.

And here I am now, at a job that I love in the social work field, where I’ve been asked many times; “Why do you want to be a social worker?” The answer is quite simple. I want to be a social worker because I have a passion and need to help people. My passion stems from years of abuse and neglect. My need comes from knowing that changing the world starts with helping one person and being able to empathize with them. I have been in their shoes. I want to be a social worker because it feels right. I enjoy seeing the smiles on kids' faces when they get to see their parents or family members who they haven’t seen in weeks, months, and even years.Those smiles are what make my pain and sad experiences tolerable.

I can say that being a social worker was never in my plans. I wanted to be a high school history teacher, and I thought I could change the world by sparking the love of learning in children, making history come alive. But then I took a job in the social work field, and I instantly knew that this is what I was meant to do. This is what makes me different. All over the world, there is and will always be abuse. That’s the reality of it, but here I am working toward changing a child’s reality one day at a time, changing my knowledge one class at a time, and changing my life one step at a time. It all starts with me, and while I may not be able to save the entire world, I saved myself and by saving myself, I will be able to save others.

D'atra Franklin's mother died when she was a young child, requiring her to take care of herself from an early age. She moved from relative to relative and friend to friend, which forced her to become self-sufficient to survive and eventually go into foster care as a teen. She aged out of care and became independent. She then enrolled in college, graduated with her associate's degree, and went on to Florida Atlantic University to earn her bachelor's degree. She loves to write, read, and dance.

All material published on this website Copyright 1994-2023 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Opinions expressed on this site are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Essay on Why I Want To Be A Social Worker

Students are often asked to write an essay on Why I Want To Be A Social Worker in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Why I Want To Be A Social Worker

A helping hand for those in need.

Social workers make a difference in people’s lives every day. They help people overcome challenges, find resources, and improve their quality of life. I want to be a social worker because I want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Passion For Helping People

I have always been passionate about helping people. I love making a difference in the lives of others and seeing them succeed. I believe that everyone has the potential to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals and I want to help them do that.

Making a Difference in the Community

Social workers play a vital role in the community. They help people who are struggling with a variety of issues, including poverty, abuse, mental illness, and addiction. They work with individuals, families, and groups to provide support, guidance, and resources. Social workers help people overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. I want to be a part of making a difference in the community.

250 Words Essay on Why I Want To Be A Social Worker

Why i want to be a social worker.

I want to be a social worker because I care about people and want to make a difference in their lives. I believe that everyone deserves a chance to live a happy and fulfilling life, regardless of their circumstances. As a social worker, I would be able to help people overcome challenges and reach their full potential.

Making a Positive Impact

I am particularly interested in working with children and families. I believe that children are our future, and I want to help them grow up to be healthy, happy, and productive members of society. I also want to support families in providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children.

Fulfilling Work

I know that being a social worker can be challenging, but I am also confident that it is incredibly rewarding. I am excited about the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of others and to help them overcome the challenges they face.

Skills and Experience

I have a strong academic background in social work, and I have also gained valuable experience through my volunteer work with various organizations. I am confident that I have the skills and experience necessary to be a successful social worker.

I am passionate about helping others, and I believe that social work is the perfect career for me. I am excited about the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others and to help them overcome the challenges they face.

500 Words Essay on Why I Want To Be A Social Worker

A passion for helping others.

My aspiration to become a social worker stems from a deep-rooted desire to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Growing up, I was surrounded by individuals who faced various challenges, whether it was poverty, illness, or discrimination. Witnessing their struggles firsthand ignited a fire within me to make a difference and dedicate my life to helping others overcome their obstacles.

Empowering Individuals and Communities

Social workers play a crucial role in empowering individuals and communities to take control of their lives and achieve their full potential. They provide support, guidance, and resources to those who are marginalized, vulnerable, or facing adversity. By working alongside individuals and communities, social workers help them identify their strengths, develop coping mechanisms, and advocate for their rights.

Addressing Social Injustice

Social workers are at the forefront of addressing social injustice and fighting for the rights of the oppressed. They work tirelessly to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequality and discrimination. Social workers advocate for policies that promote social and economic justice, and they provide direct services to those affected by poverty, homelessness, and other forms of oppression.

Creating a More Just and Equitable Society

Ultimately, my goal as a social worker is to contribute to the creation of a more just and equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Through my work, I hope to empower individuals and communities to overcome the challenges they face, and to advocate for policies that promote social justice and equality. I believe that by working together, we can build a better future for all.

Fulfilling Career Path

In addition to my passion for helping others, I am drawn to the diverse and challenging nature of social work. Every day presents new opportunities to learn, grow, and make a difference in the lives of others. The knowledge that I am making a positive impact on society is incredibly rewarding and gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Becoming a social worker is not just a career choice for me, but a calling. It is my way of fulfilling my lifelong desire to help others, empower the vulnerable, and create a more just and equitable society. I am committed to using my skills, knowledge, and compassion to make a meaningful difference in the world.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Why do you want to be a social worker? 7 sample answers

World isn’t a beautiful place for everyone . Just walk down the street of any big city and observe the faces of people you pass. Facing financial pressure, health issues, family problems , or even worse things, many people find it hard to cope, and they need help . Luckily at least in the “western world” everyone can seek assistance of social workers , regarding of their financial situation. And before we look at 7 sample answers to the question, I want to thank you for choosing this career . Because it matters, and every social worker who does their job with love and respect is incredibly important in our society. Back to the question though.

You can face this question when applying for your first job in social work , but also when trying to get to the college and study social work. As a rule of a thumb, you can always refer to the meaningful purpose you see in this type of work. But you should elaborate on it. Explain how the field is a good match to your personality and strengths , to your expectations and career goals. At the end of the day, they should get an impression that you really want to do social work , and aren’t just following a dream of your parents, or applying for jobs at random, because you need a source of income. Let’s have a look at the sample answers.

7 sample answers to “Why do you want to be a social worker?” interview question

I want to be a social worker because I am deeply concerned with the state of affairs in human society. The inequality is as obvious as ever, and many people struggle with bare survival. What’s more, it has an impact on everyone, including children , who often lack opportunities to study and develop their full potential…. I know I am not going to save the world as a social worker. But I can play my part in making a positive difference, at least in a local community. And it is incredibly motivating to me . Social work is a great match for my personality and for what I’d like to achieve in my professional career.
I’ve had great role models in my life. Honestly speaking, I did not have an easy childhood. My father left the house when I was just four years old, and we always struggled with money. Luckily enough, my mother loved me unconditionally, and she did what she could for me, including involving social workers from the municipality in our situation. They visited the house regularly, and helped me with study materials, gave us a computer, and did many other things for the family. What’s more, they gave me a lot of encouragement and in way one of them played a role of a father I didn’t have. To sum it up, they had a profound impact on my life , and I would love to do the same thing for a living–having a profound impact in the lives of underprivileged children. But first I have to earn a degree from social work, and that’s why I am here today.
Since I was young I’ve always felt a need to help someone . Nothing gave me the same feeling of satisfaction. I’ve always enjoyed volunteering in local organizations , be it for visiting lonely people in nursing homes, cleaning church, or helping with an organization of some events at school. Now I am a bit old for volunteering though, with bills to pay and everything that belongs to a life of an adult. But I would love to stay in the field, to see meaningful purpose in my job, instead of working for some corporation sitting in front of a computer, not really understanding what I am working on , and having little contact with the real world outside of the office. That’s why I decided for social work, and would love to work especially in gerontological care .
It is the next logical step in my career , one I’ve been pursuing for years. I’ve earned my bachelor in social work and later my masters in mental health social work , and now I’d love to provide therapy to, and coordinate the care of people with severe mental illnesses. Finally, after long years of studies, I’d like to apply what I’ve learned in practice, and cannot wait to start working at your mental health clinic. That’s why I want to be a social worker, and not, let’s say, a teacher or an engineer….
I know it may look strange, considering I’ve worked as a software engineer for fifteen years . Let me try to explain it though. I’ve worked super hard for the last seven years, often more than 250 hours a month. And I’ve experienced a complete burnout , and could not tolerate sitting in front of a computer for more than an hour a day any longer. I knew I needed a career change , and decided to take six months off, to reassess my priorities and see what’s next for me in this life. After considering everything I came to a conclusion that I want to work with people , and I want to help. I dream of having a positive impact on lives of real people with real problems , instead of just solving some coding riddles and designing one of the millions of mobile apps. That’s why I did my course, worked on my education, and now I am applying for jobs in social work. And I must tell you that I am incredibly excited about what’s ahead of me .
I’ve been doing social work for seven years already , and see no reason why I’d not continue in the field. I just want to switch from military social work to child welfare , because I learned by experience that children are the target group I want to work with . I do not want to say that I did not enjoy the work with the Veterans. But it wasn’t my cup of coffee, and I came to a firm conclusion that child welfare social work will be a much better match for my personality and strengths .
I’ve considered a lot of careers with the help of our counselor at school. Because I am a good student, was blessed with intelligence, and definitely have many options in life. Thinking about the impact I’d like to have in the country, as well as about typical day at work in various jobs, and my goals in other spheres of life , I eventually decided for social work. I find it a perfect match to my personality and goals, and at the same time it is a well-paid career in which one can have a real impact on the people they work with. I also like that we can specialize in different fields of social work down the road, such as clinical, forensic, pediatric, psychiatric and so on. These are the main reasons why I chose social work for my field of study.

Do not forget on your non-verbal communication

Your talk about your career choice should not sound like some rehearsed speech . They should not get an impression that you’ve saying what you are saying just because you need a job, or want to get your place in the study program. They should sense spontaneous joy in your voice , and see some sparkle to your eye . And that’s why I actually suggest you against preparing a word-to-word answer to this questions upfront.

You should know your “ Why? “, which can be one reason or more reasons , and you can find an inspiration on my list of sample answers. Then just keep the reason on your mind, and spontaneously talk about it, with enthusiasm, while explaining why you decided to apply for a job or study program in social work. In such a case your non-verbal communication will correspond with your words , and they will trust you…

The more specific you are the better

Social work is a broad field . When applying for a study program in it, or when getting this question on any other occasion, I suggest you to be specific when talking about your future plans and goals. You can pick one field of social work and explain why you want to work in it.

You can take this even one step further, picking a particular community of people , or even a particular institution or place of work , explaining the impact you’d like to have in it while doing social work for a living. Specific goals are always more motivating than some general goals (such as wanting to help people), and interviewers will also find it easier to imagine you in your future role, helping a specific community, following a specific purpose, and thriving along the way…

Ready to answer this question? I hope so! Do not forget to check also answers to other tricky interview questions for social workers:

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a social worker?
Have you ever worked on a project that was a failure?
Tell us about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma.
Recent Posts

Why I Became a Social Worker: 8 Inspiring Social Worker Stories

March is a month when many in the social work profession take time to reflect, recalling the stories and experiences and reflecting on “why I became a social worker.”

As community-focused professionals who may spend their days connecting with children who are struggling in school or coming alongside older adults as they transition into late-in-life care, social workers deserve to have such moments of reflection and celebration throughout the year.

But in March, we get to especially thank and honor them, because March is National Social Work Month, and additionally, March 15th is World Social Work Day.

Whether you are a veteran member of the profession or considering becoming a social worker, both of these special occasions present the opportunity to reflect on social work and its impact on the world. At the individual, family, community, and national levels, social workers have been making a positive impact in society.

At Keuka College, we would like to take this month to remember social workers of the past and celebrate the social workers of the present. We invite those who are interested in becoming social workers to read on and find inspiration, motivation, and next steps toward their career in this important field.

The Difference Social Workers Make: How Five Social Workers in History Have Changed the World

American history is full of stories of people who saw injustice in their communities and decided to do something about it. In doing so, they became the first known social workers in the United States. While there are many names that deserve to be remembered and honored for their contributions to their communities, the five described here represent some of the most prominent early Americans who took to social work to become change agents in their societies.

Jane Addams (1860–1935)

In the early 1900s, Jane Addams set out to make a difference in the lives of poor immigrants in Chicago. Addams founded Hull House, the first American settlement house with her friend Ellen Gates Starr. An advocate for the impoverished, women’s suffrage, and labor reform, Addams was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Due to her remarkable achievements on behalf of communities in need, Addams became known as “The Mother of Social Work.”

Ida B. Wells (1862–1931)

Born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Ida B. Wells dedicated her life to social justice. As the first person to document the lynching of African Americans, Wells took to writing to advocate for social change. Wells helped to found the Alpha Suffrage League, The Negro Fellowship League, and the NAACP. A few more examples of her many achievements include opening settlement houses for African Americans migrating from the South to the North and advocating for women’s rights. Wells also worked with Jane Addams to oppose segregated schools in Chicago.

Frances Perkins (1880–1965)

Frances Perkins was inspired to work on behalf of her community when she witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire in 1911. Just under 150 workers, including children, died in the fire because they were unable to escape due to locked doors. Perkins set out to lobby for industrial reform, which would ultimately lead to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointing Perkins as Secretary of Labor. In that position, Perkins was instrumental in changing the workweek for women from 58 hours to 48, advocating for a minimum wage law, and drafting several acts including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Social Security Act.

Harry L. Hopkins (1890–1946)

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Harry L. Hopkins began his social work career by the age of 22. Named Executive Secretary of the Board of Child Welfare in 1914, Hopkins would go on to lead the Gulf Division of the American Red Cross and Department of Civilian Relief’s Red Cross mission to aid Mexico. Hopkins drew the attention of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he founded a Red Cross relief program during the Depression. Roosevelt established Hopkins as director of the Federal Emergency Relief Agency and appointed him to the President's Draught Committee, the National Resources Planning Board, and the National Emergency Council. Hopkins also served as Secretary of Commerce for Roosevelt.

Alfred Neumann (1910–2002)

Born in Austria and forced to flee Nazi-occupied Vienna, Alfred Neumann came to the United States and received his master’s degree in social work in 1941. Building on his experience of aiding Jewish families as they fled to Austria, Neumann’s American work took the form of working in Jewish family and children's services agencies. Neumann consulted for the Office of Economic Opportunity and Head Start. He served as the executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Colorado for 28 years.

A Day in the Life of a Modern Social Worker

If you are thinking about becoming a certified social worker, you may be considering several potential roles. For example, you may be interested in working with children and families. Perhaps you have a passion for rehabilitation services provided to people struggling with addiction or substance abuse. Or maybe you want to embark on a career of service to veterans, the elderly, or people with disabilities. Whatever your specific interest is within the social work sector, learning about the day-to-day schedules of social workers can help you understand what current professionals in the field find most rewarding about their jobs and what it may be like to set foot on a social work career path.

Like the historical figures discussed earlier, these modern-day community workers personify the seven core principles of social work : service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Their examples demonstrate what social workers are passionate about and what motivates them to do the often difficult but deeply rewarding work that they do.

The Road to Rebuilding: A Mass Casualty Mental Health Social Worker

Mental health social worker John Weaver grew up with a keen awareness of mental illness due to his father’s own struggles. As someone who was passionate about combating stigma both around social workers and mental illness, Weaver told The Guardian that he set out to “advocate and educate around those issues and try to change some of the public perceptions.” Weaver specifically works with mass casualty situations. His days may look like meeting with the grieving widow of a plane crash victim or supporting children whose parents have died.

“I think some of the best social work I’ve done has been in the aftermath of some of those horrible plane crashes,” says Weaver. “Just to support families and friends of folk who were lost in those kinds of events, and help them get started on the road to rebuilding their lives.”

Commitment to the Role: A Suicide Hotline Social Worker

When Cassie Mills Flagler , a graduate of the Keuka College Bachelor of Social Work degree program, began her field practicum, it turned out that she was beginning the next phase of her career as well. At Contact Hotline & TeleCare at Contact Community Services in East Syracuse, New York, Flagler spent her practicum building relationships with hundreds of people through telephone conversations. She stayed calm, shared resources, and provided support to callers who were in a suicidal crisis.

Her excellent work not only served hundreds of people—thousands if you include the families and friends those people have—it led to Flagler being named Contact Community Services’ 2020 Hotline Scholar.

“Cassie immediately rose to the top of our list of candidates,” said Contact Program Manager Kristine Knutson. “This recognition is given annually to a hotline volunteer or intern currently in school. Cassie was recognized for her positive attitude, commitment to the role, and strong telephone counseling skills. In fact, we loved her so much that we hired her after her internship ended.”

Now a graduate of Keuka College, Flagler works at Contact full time as a training and data manager.

Providing a Small Space: A School Social Worker

Ericka Santiago-Diaz , a school social worker at College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School in New Jersey, knows that the key to student success is empowering them both in and out of school hours. That is why she delivers school supplies, technology equipment, food, and donated clothing to students at their homes. Santiago-Diaz conducts in-person home visits on a daily basis, ensuring that families and students have what they need.

At school, Santiago-Diaz works hard to ensure that students know her office is a safe place to come, process their feelings, share their struggles, and even “break down.”

Santiago-Diaz checks on students who are enrolled in school virtually by occasionally attending virtual class sessions and then sending private Google Meet link to students who seem like they could use some extra support. That way, she can meet with them individually, provide counseling and resources, and help them get on with their day in a more productive and supported way. Santiago-Diaz has office hours where students can come—either physically or virtually—and take a break from their day.

“I provide them that small space for them to just decompress if they need to,” Santiago-Diaz told The Hechinger Report. The same goes for the parents, Santiago-Diaz says. “They know I’m here for them.”

Write Your Own “Why I Became a Social Worker” Story with an Online Master of Social Work from Keuka College

If you find yourself saying “I want to become a social worker” after reading these inspiring accounts, the Online Master of Social Work (MSW) at Keuka College could be the ideal program for you.

Our clinically-focused MSW will prepare you to become a licensed clinical social worker with a fulfilling career and the skills necessary to meet critical needs in society. The curriculum is delivered through online courses providing the knowledge you need to become a social worker. Classes cover topics such as working with diverse groups, assessment, and treatment of trauma, professional ethics and examining social systems.

The Keuka online MSW features dedicated field placement services so that you will be supported in finding a local, hands-on setting to complete your practicum.

Our program offers two tracks: an advanced track for those with a BSW and a traditional track for those with a bachelor’s degree in another field.

If you already have a BSW degree, then you can complete your MSW degree program in less than two years, comprising 33 credit hours and 55 field placement hours.

If you earned a bachelor’s degree in another field, our traditional track is the best fit for you. Allowing students to continue working and study part-time, takes only three years from start to finish and includes 60 credit hours and 900 field placement hours.

Are you ready to find out if Keuka’s Online MSW is a fit for you? Download your digital guide.

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A young boy sits with his back to camera, alone on a playground roundabout

Why I became a social worker

To mark world social work day, six social workers from around the world share their stories of what attracted them to the profession

The social worker who changed my life

‘Good social workers can help silenced children be heard for the first time’

Carolyne Willow, former children’s social worker and children’s rights campaigner, UK

When I was 14, I put three things down on my list for the school careers interview: journalist, actress and social worker. From TV and films, it looked like journalism involved a lot of running about, and I had severe asthma, so that was out. And all the people I knew who were into drama were very extroverted and confident, and I didn’t feel I fitted. So I thought I should concentrate on trying to help people.

As a child, I was very ill, and spent time in a sanatorium. It brought me into contact with children who were far more poorly than me, and I had experience of friends in the sanatorium dying. I’m absolutely certain that my commitment as an adult, and as a young person, to treating people equally and including people and trying to ensure people are not made to feel inferior is related to those very early experiences.

I qualified as a social worker when I was 22. I feel very lucky that I was a children’s social worker in the late 80s and early 90s, when the climate was strikingly different in terms of what was expected of social workers. There was a real emphasis on working alongside people and understanding the predicaments they were facing. We had a lot more time, support and encouragement to build relationships with children and their families, than social workers appear to do now .

When I qualified as a social worker, I thought we could change the world. I still think that social work is grounded in pursuing social justice, and that social workers have unique and privileged opportunities to assist people to claim their rights and to improve their circumstances. Social workers on their own can’t change the world – but the social work function is about assisting individuals, families and communities to have more control over their lives and to fulfil their potential as human beings. Good social workers can help silenced children be heard for the first time.

When I was at further education college, I studied social policy, and was completely gripped by it. I remember in one lesson we were looking at the causes of poverty, and one theory in particular called the cycle of deprivation. And I said to the lecturer, “that explains why poverty goes from generation to generation, but it doesn’t explain how poverty came about in the first place”. And he looked at me with a broad smile, and said: “Keep asking those questions Carolyne.” And I think I have! Hopefully he’d be proud of me, that aged 49 I’m still asking those questions I did at 16.

‘Some of the best social work I’ve done has been in the aftermath of horrible plane crashes, helping people to rebuild their lives’

John Weaver, mental health social worker, US

I first went to college thinking I would become an English or maths teacher, but on the first day they told me there was a glut of teachers in the US at that time. I started to take psychology classes, enjoyed it and ended up majoring in it. And then I decided I’d rather get a graduate degree in social work than psychology, because it was a shorter path to being a clinician.

I’d never had any experience with social work, but when I was growing up my dad was dealing with serious mental illness. So I was familiar with what he was going through, and having grown up with that I thought it might be good to help people who are struggling to cope with, and help, a family member who has mental health issues.

Most people in the US think of a social worker as somebody who takes away a child who’s been abused or neglected in some way. And so in media portrayals, it’s pretty negative about social workers. But it’s also negative in the mental health field, there’s a lot of stigma around mental illness. So I thought being a social worker I could advocate and educate around those issues and try to change some of the public perceptions.

I’ve always worked in the mental health field, and I realised in the 1990s that I liked crisis work, so nights and weekends I would often be on call and work with people who were suicidal or threatening others. And then I started doing disaster work with the Red Cross; initially it was supporting people after fires and floods and things like that, but the third major disaster I helped them with was a US air plane crash. And after that I became a mass casualty person, so I’ve been associated with a lot of the major plane crashes that have happened in the years since then. I think some of the best social work I’ve done has been in the aftermath of some of those horrible plane crashes, just to support families and friends of folk who were lost in those kind of events, and help them get started on the road to rebuilding their lives.

John Weaver was recently featured in a film about secondary traumatic stress, Portraits of Professional Caregivers: Their Passion Their Pain . His blog about disaster mental health is Eye of the Storm .

‘It’s an honour when people tell me their stories’

Michelle McGee, older people’s social worker, New Zealand

I had vague notions of becoming a social worker or probation officer when I was at senior school. Our careers adviser did a quiz with me and that was my result. I then pretty much forgot all about it until I left an abusive husband when I was 32 with a young baby.

A social worker acted as an advocate for me with Work and Income New Zealand – the equivalent of the jobcentre in the UK – to obtain a temporary benefit. She arranged for the Women’s Refuge to furnish our new flat as we literally had nothing. I said to the social worker that I would like to volunteer for the refuge to give back once I was on my feet. She asked why I didn’t just become a social worker. I figured I needed to be able to support us financially so applied to study and it went from there.

Now I work with older people. It’s an honour when people tell me their stories, especially when I’m the first person they have spoken to about their concerns in years if not decades. To make a positive difference in people’s lives when they have resigned themselves to abuse is amazing. One one occasion, we moved a woman with learning disabilities from her home where her family had been severely abusing her and got her into residential care. When I visit her now and see the happiness on her face it brings tears to my eyes. When she was first showered at the home she was covered in bruises, and hardly spoke. Now you see her joining in with activities and chatting with other residents.

‘Social work is striving towards making the world a better world’

Rony Alfandary, social worker and academic at Bar-Ilan University, Israel

I qualified as a social worker in England in 1992. I chose this career after years of working as a counsellor and a photographer. I did lots of projects with people with disabilities, and became more and more interested in actually doing the work with people who needed help and support. And I thought social work would be a good profession; it can be applied in many different circumstances, it’s international, and it’s striving towards making the world a better world. This was more than 20 years ago, and I still believe that.

I moved back to Israel in 1993, after having grown up there. I believed the country was heading towards a big change, and wanted to work with the Israeli and Palestinian communities. And my family is Israeli and Jewish, so I wanted to contribute my abilities to that part of the community.

Israel is a young country, and it’s very diverse. We have people here from a hundred different communities and it’s fascinating living in such a multicultural society. It is a state which is still in a state of war with most of its surrounding countries, and there are at least two nations residing on the same part of land. I’m part of the community that believes this can be resolved peacefully. It’s a great challenge, because the reality is very often cruel and unsatisfying. But I think one has to persevere and teach and remain faithful to an inner belief that things can be changed. As a social worker, I work with all those communities and I have to adjust myself culturally to be able to understand and be empathic to those differences.

Social work is really a very wide practice, and some of the practice is dealing with just individuals. But in Israel social work represents a wide culture; you can’t just improve the fate of individuals. You have to think in larger terms.

‘I wanted to break the cycle of what I’d been through’

Dean Matthews, children’s social worker, UK

I really remember where I was when I decided to become a social worker. I was pacing up and down my front room one evening when I was about 24, going through all this stuff about what social workers do, what leads them to make decisions. It was quite a pivotal moment in my life. I was thinking about when social workers made decisions about me as a child, how did they make them, and were they the best decisions for me. And then it just struck me: this is something I’m going to do. I didn’t know how I was going to do it – I didn’t even know you needed a degree – but just decided I would do it.

My early experiences were definitely a driving force. When I was a youth worker, I could see that social work allowed you to have the greatest impact on people’s lives, and be able to drive positive change. I thought my experiences of social work meant I’d bring a lot of knowledge, and how beneficial that could be to the people I was working with. It’s not about saying: “I want to help people, I want to become a big powerful superhero type of person.” It was more that I wanted to break the cycle of what I’d been through.

There were so many short-term social workers when I was growing up, and I was moved around different placements so many times. And it all seemed very tokenistic, and that made it difficult – there were just people coming and going in my life all the time. I can see that now, and the impact it has on people. The biggest thing for me was about how I can do things differently, how I can perhaps get a service to do things differently.

I’ve been a social worker at a local authority since November. It’s been a massive identity shift, from care leaver to professional social worker. I still struggle with calling myself a social worker. But it’s been an eye opener, and it’s given me a different perspective on social work and the whole system.

‘I wanted to help protect people’s human rights and dignity’

Tegan Brazier, older people’s social worker, Australia

As cliched as it sounds, social work is something I was just drawn to. I never actively set out to be a social worker but I’ve always believed in the values of the profession. I honestly just wanted to help people. I wanted to help protect people’s human rights and dignity, particularly those who were most vulnerable in society. I also wanted to be available to people in need, to provide support to those who had nowhere else to turn. To provide the help that myself and others in my life didn’t get when we needed it the most.

Working with older people has been an absolute privilege. I think sometimes health and social care professionals can take away the rights and choices of older people as their health declines. It’s my role to advocate for the clients’ autonomy and capacity to decide for themselves, and to respect them and their social history.

My experience in social work has taught me to take the small victories and to assist a person to make small, positive changes in their lives. If that is my legacy to the people I’ve worked with, then I am happy and able to keep going. I think sometimes we, as a professionals, can overvalue our role in people’s lives. What we see as having made a huge difference may not have been as important to them. There are certain clients I think of from time to time, particularly the ones I have worked intensely with. But I think that’s the nature of our profession. We get involved when a person’s life is chaotic and they are in need of our help. We don’t get to hear many good news stories and we don’t get to follow up as often as we’d like. When the person is doing well and their life has stabilised, that’s when they get discharged from the service.

By far the greatest challenge for social workers in Australia is distance. Regional social workers have to travel vast distances to see clients. In my previous work, I had been known to drive a 614km round trip for one home visit. I also had colleagues who were required to travel to remote communities some 700km from their office on unsealed roads, carrying all of their water, food, fuel and sleeping equipment.

Join the Social Care Network to read more pieces like this. Follow us on Twitter ( @GdnSocialCare ) and like us on Facebook to keep up with the latest social care news and views.

social care network: international social work hub
Careers in public services
Social care
Social work
Mental health
Older people
Children (Society)

More on this story

Good social workers are invaluable. So let’s give them proper support

Why relationships are key to good social work

The role of social work in the refugee crisis

Leadership in social work: can Firstline be a force for change?

Social work in Zambia: 'Children have the right to love and security'

Golden handcuffs and hellos: the local authority bidding war for social workers

Why are social workers so reluctant to celebrate their achievements?

Is the social work bursary at risk – and what would happen if it's axed?

The state of social work: unity and leadership are needed

The social worker who changed my life

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Social work scholarship essay examples

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In April 2016, I won a full scholarship from the National Council of Social Services (Singapore) to read Social Work in the University of Nottingham.

I thought I would take the chance to share the examples from my scholarship essay that helped me to get into the interview. I hope students reading this will have a clearer guide on how to write their own scholarship essays.

Whilst the scholarship essays from Singapore might differ to other countries, I provide principles here to guide your writing. Throughout this article, I will also include examples from my own personal scholarship essay application. Through this, I hope you gain better ideas on how to use them for yourself.

Writing a scholarship essay can seem unnerving. For one, they ask many why questions. They also seem to expect you to know what you are going to do with your life in 5 years’ time. You might not even know what you are going to do with your life tomorrow!

1. Include stories

A public speaking coach once told me, ‘Facts tell, stories sell.’ Humans are story-telling creature. Without stories, our lives would be less rich. But more importantly, without stories, we make less of an impact on the panel of assessors reading through our applications.

When you tell your story, try to keep it to one. Unless it’s a full essay, including only one will help you to go in-depth into the story.

Focus on the things you did that might relate to social work. What impact did it make?

Write about what others might have said of your contributions.

2. Ask someone else to read through your essay.

Example 1: about yourself.

During Sunday afternoons, I volunteer my time with the intellectually disabled, and see them as no more different from any of us. One of my most impactful moments came when I was teaching one of the trainees how to write in block letters. We are trying out the alphabet “A”. After the umpteenth time, he looks at me, bites his lip, and exclaims, “I don’t know how to write this!” Although he is bilingual and looks like you and me, such a simple alphabet has spawned so much difficulty. They may be obsessive, compulsive and impulsive, but their flaws are no less than our own, and their flaws do not change the fact that they are still fundamentally human and deserve respect and dignity. In my search for a future career, I wanted one that would be able to help me to make a positive impact in the lives of others. (LINK TO SOCIAL WORK) Whilst social work may often be seen as lowly paid, and the fruits of our labor often taking a much longer time to ripen, I believe that the process is what is to be cherished, rather than the end product itself.

We are all prone to our own biases. That is why sharing your essay with someone else is good. I shared my own essay with a social worker, who led me to see certain stereotypes I may have unknowingly conveyed through my essay.

Encourage someone to read your essay and tell you the good, and bad about it.

2. Use every experience you have had.

Some people think that direct social work or social care experience might be more useful. But for many younger students who might be applying for an undergraduate scholarship, you might not have this experience. It’s good to draw a link between your summer jobs and your future ambition of becoming a social worker.

For example, even though I didn’t have any social care experience, I used my experience in the army to illustrate how we shouldn’t hold stereotypes towards the disadvantaged. Social work was my way of reaching out to them.

Hopefully, the following social work scholarship essay examples, drawn from my own application, help.

Example 2: Current work experience

One of my fondest memories of National Service came in the cookhouse as I was speaking to one of the more notorious men. Big and bulky, it is not easy to order him around, especially when we know his connections outside. And especially when we have heard about how an imprint of his fist is still on a locker somewhere, landed in frustration after he was charged and sent to the detention barracks. But as he sits alone in the cookhouse, I feel compelled to speak to him, knowing that his past is no reason to isolate him or to treat him differently. As I awkwardly place my plate in front of him, he looks up, eyeing me suspiciously. I break into a smile and try to make small conversation. Unprompted, he shares about his experiences inside jail, and it is clear that he has not had it easy inside. But as I hear about his plans to begin work as a car salesman before eventually setting up a zi char store, whipping up dishes people love, I greatly admire the hope he holds deep within. His face is lit with optimism of a better future, and his scowl has disappeared. Army has indeed exposed me to a myriad of different characters and has taught me that far beyond the shelter of my privileged environment, lie many people who have not had the chance to enjoy life as fortunately as I have. Social work gives me that chance to touch these lives. (LINK TO SOCIAL WORK)

4. Be clear about who you are.

Applying for a scholarship can be a gruelling process. Application essays and interviews will ask you multiple questions about what your motivations are ( why social work?) , what you are interested in, what you are good at, what you can add, and where you want to be. You don’t have to know the answers to all these. But you need to show that you have at least thought about some of these questions.

If you have not, I would deeply recommend Richard Bolles’ What Color Is Your Parachute. This is a book that leads you on 7 separate exercises that help you elucidate more about who you. Try it. It is worth the effort.

5. Be linguistically and grammatically accurate.

Scholarship panels dislike reading grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. This will be the first sign that you might not have spent as much time as you should on an application. There is no second first impression. Your first impression counts. Before you submit that application, take the time to run through the spell check multiple times. To be safe, I would recommend 3 times!

6. Print it and read it out loud to yourself.

It is powerful to read what you have read, out loud to yourself. For one, the spelling and grammar mistakes will jump out at you. It also allows you to see if you are cogent.

Do your arguments flow well?

Do your points make sense?

Recommended by Cal Newport’s book How To Be A Straight-A student, I have found it invaluable in editing better.

I hope that these social work scholarship essay examples help make writing easier. Don’t forget, you are not defined by the outcome of this application. Even if you do not make it, that does not necessarily mean that you should not be a social worker. If you make it, check out my post on interview tips.

Getting a social work scholarship is hard. With the examples above, and the tips for getting a social work scholarship here, I hope you get yours. The world needs more social workers like you.

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What is the NASW Code of Social Work Ethics

This essay about the NASW Code of Ethics discusses its fundamental role in guiding social workers through ethical dilemmas and decisions in their professional practice. It presents the Code as a crucial document that outlines key values such as service, social justice, integrity, and the importance of human relationships, which help navigate the complex nature of social work. The essay highlights how the Code serves not only as a set of guidelines but also as a moral compass that fosters strong, supportive relationships between social workers and those they serve. It addresses the evolving nature of the Code, particularly in response to new challenges like the ethical use of technology. Moreover, the essay emphasizes the collective identity and professional unity the Code promotes among social workers, thereby enhancing public trust and commitment to ethical practice. Overall, the essay underscores the NASW Code of Ethics as a declaration of the profession’s dedication to humanity and ethical integrity.

How it works

At first glance, the social work profession might appear as a straightforward endeavor primarily focused on helping individuals overcome life’s hurdles. However, beneath this service-oriented veneer lies a complex lattice of ethical dilemmas and moral decisions, navigated with the help of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. This pivotal document does not merely suggest guidelines; it anchors the very essence of what it means to engage in social work with integrity and empathy.

Think of the NASW Code as a compass in the often-turbulent sea of social work.

It steers professionals through the murky waters of ethical challenges, ensuring they uphold the dignity and worth of the people they assist. The code is built around fundamental values such as service, social justice, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These are not abstract ideals but practical imperatives that guide every decision and interaction in the field.

For example, consider the principle of ‘importance of human relationships’. This isn’t just poetic wording. It’s a directive that emphasizes the social worker’s role in fostering strong, healthy relationships, which are often the catalysts for client transformations. Social work is about more than just resolving issues—it’s about empowering individuals and communities to weave stronger societal fabrics, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Navigating the ethical challenges in social work can be akin to walking a tightrope. Every step, every decision matters—whether it’s maintaining client confidentiality amidst potentially dangerous situations, or balancing professional boundaries with genuine care. The NASW Code serves as a safety net, providing clear guidelines to help practitioners maintain their balance and make informed choices that are in the best interest of those they serve.

Moreover, the NASW Code is a living document, evolving alongside societal changes and new challenges. The recent emphasis on the ethical use of technology is a prime example. As digital tools become more ingrained in our daily interactions, social workers must adapt to maintain confidentiality, ensure access to services, and provide support through these new mediums without compromising on ethical standards.

The impact of the NASW Code extends beyond individual practitioners. It fosters a collective professional identity, uniting social workers under a shared ethos of ethical practice. This unity is crucial, reinforcing public trust in social workers as agents of change who are committed not only to effective service but also to ethical integrity.

Ultimately, the NASW Code of Ethics is more than just a regulatory framework. It is a declaration of the profession’s dedication to humanity—a reminder that at the heart of social work lies a commitment to fostering hope, nurturing healing, and championing the collective well-being of society. It’s this moral foundation that not only guides social workers in their daily responsibilities but also illuminates the path towards a more empathetic and just world.

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A growing share of Americans say affordable housing is a major problem where they live

A "for rent" sign is posted on an apartment building on June 2, 2021, in San Francisco.

Prospective homebuyers and renters across the United States have seen prices surge and supply plummet during the coronavirus pandemic . Amid these circumstances, about half of Americans (49%) say the availability of affordable housing in their local community is a major problem, up 10 percentage points from early 2018, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2021.

This Pew Research Center analysis about the levels of concern among Americans about the affordability of housing draws from a Center survey designed to understand Americans’ views and preferences for where they live.

The survey of 9,676 U.S. adults was conducted from Oct. 18 to 24, 2021. Everyone who took part is a member of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

References to White, Black and Asian adults include only those who are not Hispanic and identify as only one race. Hispanics are of any race.

“Middle income” is defined here as two-thirds to double the median annual family income for panelists on the American Trends Panel. “Lower income” falls below that range; “upper income” falls above it. Read the methodology for more details.

References to respondents who live in urban, suburban or rural communities are based on respondents’ answer to the following question: “How would you describe the community where you currently live? (1) urban, (2) suburban, (3) rural.”

A bar chart showing that younger Americans, urban residents, and those with lower incomes are more likely to express concern about the availability of affordable housing

Another 36% of U.S. adults said in the fall that affordable housing availability is a minor problem in their community, while just 14% said it is not a problem.

Americans’ concerns about the availability of affordable housing have outpaced worries about other local issues. The percentage of adults who say this is a major problem where they live is larger than the shares who say the same about drug addiction (35%), the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 (34% and 26%, respectively) and crime (22%).

Opinions on the question of housing affordability differ by a variety of demographic factors, including income, race and ethnicity, and age. A majority of adults living in lower-income households (57%) say availability of affordable housing is a major issue in their community, larger than the shares of those in middle- (47%) or upper-income households (42%) who say it is a major problem.

Fewer than half of White adults (44%) say that availability of affordable housing is a major problem where they live – lower than the shares of Black (57%), Hispanic and Asian American adults (both 55%) who say the same.

Adults under 50 are more likely than their older counterparts to say affordable housing availability is a major problem locally. More than half of adults ages 18 to 29 and 30 to 49 say this (55% in both age groups), compared with smaller shares of those 50 to 64 and those 65 and older (44% and 39%, respectively).

Americans’ perceptions of this issue also vary based on where they live. About six-in-ten U.S. adults living in urban areas (63%) say that the availability of affordable housing in their community is a major problem, compared with 46% of suburban residents and 40% of those living in rural areas.

Regardless of income level, city dwellers generally tend to view affordable housing availability as a bigger issue than those living in the suburbs or rural areas. Two-thirds of urban adults with lower household incomes (66%) say affordable housing in their area is a major problem, compared with 56% of suburban dwellers with lower incomes and 52% of those with lower incomes living in rural areas. Among upper-income adults, 58% of those living in urban areas say housing affordability is a major problem, compared with 43% of upper-income Americans living in suburban places and 25% of upper-income rural residents.

There are also regional differences. Around seven-in-ten Americans living in the West (69%) say affordable housing availability is a major problem locally. This compares with 49% of Northeasterners, 44% of Americans in the South and 33% of those living in the Midwest.

A rising share of Americans say affordable housing in their area is a major issue

Since 2018, there have been increases across demographic groups in the shares who say that the availability of affordable housing in their community is a major problem. For example, 55% of adults under 30 now say this is a major problem – a 16 percentage point rise from the 39% who said so in 2018. The share of adults ages 30 to 49 who hold this view has also risen from 42% in 2018 to 55% last year.

About six-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean to the Democratic Party (59%) said in 2021 that affordable housing availability is a major problem in their community, compared with 36% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents.

A chart showing that Americans living in urban areas are more likely to see affordable housing availability locally as a major problem, regardless of party affiliation

These partisan differences remain when looking separately at those who live in urban, suburban and rural communities. Among urban residents, two-thirds of Democrats (67%) see the availability of affordable housing locally as a major problem, compared with 54% of Republicans in urban areas. In suburban or rural communities, smaller majorities of Democrats hold this view (56% in the suburbs and 54% in rural places), compared with around a third of Republicans in those areas (35% and 31%, respectively).

Note: Here are the questions used for this report, along with responses, and its methodology .

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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How to use Meta’s new AI chatbot that you can’t avoid

Facebook, instagram, messenger and whatsapp are all pushing a new ai chatbot.

With seemingly fewer friends posting to their main Facebook and Instagram feeds, Meta has introduced a new feature its users can talk to: an AI chatbot.

The feature, named Meta AI, is rolling out to the company’s main apps including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. It’s primarily a conversational chat window where you can ask questions and generate AI images, similar to other AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Co-Pilot and Google’s Gemini.

Despite over a year of artificial intelligence being everywhere, this could be many people’s first interaction with the technology. Meta has billions of users across its apps, and anyone who has managed to avoid the bots so far will find this one nearly impossible to escape.

Should you trust that AI?

Why is this ai chatbot here.

Facebook and Instagram users probably weren’t banging down Mark Zuckerberg’s door demanding an AI chatbot, so why is this feature suddenly everywhere? The technology is still new and its utility debatable. However, the major tech companies have decided that, like voice assistants and scrollable vertical videos before it, AI is the next big thing. Now they are competing to push out their versions. Facebook and Instagram used to rely on users’ friends, family and communities to keep their attention. Now, as these platforms are aging, the companies may hope a chatty bot can replace some of the human interaction.

How do I find it?

The chatbot is integrated in search and messaging features across Meta’s apps, and may appear in your feed under some posts as well. If you don’t see the AI features it yet, check back later. Its presence is marked with its logo: a thin ring that’s mostly blue and occasionally animated. The AI tool can also be accessed online on the stand-alone website meta.ai . It is not included in the company’s app for children, Messenger Kids.

On Facebook, tap the search icon on top and you’ll find that the usual search bar has been replaced with one that says, “Ask Meta AI anything.” As you start typing, it will auto-suggest searches. Anything with the blue circle next to it is going to bring up the AI chat window. You can also tap the messages icon and engage with Meta AI as if it’s another pal to talk to. If you see it under a post in your feed, it will suggest questions to ask related to the content you see.

In Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, you’ll also find Meta AI has taken over the search bars and appears as another chat. If your accounts are connected to each other, the Meta AI conversation should pick up where you left off, regardless of what app you’re in.

How do I turn it off?

There’s no way to get rid of Meta AI in search, confirmed Meta. In WhatsApp, there is an option to hide the new Meta AI button by going to Settings → Chats → Show Meta AI Button. However, it’s still in the search bar. Other apps have an option to mute its replies. I asked the AI chatbot how to turn it off and got multiple incorrect answers with instructions that did not work and for settings that don’t exist.

You can delete a chat with Meta AI to remove it from recent conversations in the same way you would any other chat. Swipe left on the chat and select Delete in Instagram, More → Delete on Facebook and Messenger, and More → Delete Chat on WhatsApp.

How do I get started?

Start typing full sentences or random words in any of the apps’ search bars or in the conversations with Meta AI. If this is your first time using an AI chatbot, you can begin by asking simple questions and even for a list of ways to use it.

I did the first things any normal person does when testing an AI tool. I asked it to be my pretend boyfriend, told it to generate images of ducks writing breakup letters and tried to push its boundaries. I discovered it avoids partaking in overtly sexual conversations or generating photos of the Pope (entirely unrelated questions). As with all artificial intelligence, there are creative ways to get around its filters.

Meta AI includes options for shortcuts. Type a forward slash and command, like /joke:, /imagine: or /story: and type your description after. However, these aren’t really necessary since you can make the same requests in a conversational way, such as “tell me a story about depressed hamster who ran for mayor.”

What should I use it for?

An AI chatbot is like having an enthusiastic but unreliable friend. You can ask it almost anything — but never assume it’s telling the truth. With that in mind, use Meta AI for fun and for noncritical tasks. Ask random questions like you would with Google, start conversations to feel less alone and use it to brainstorm.

Meta AI can also generate images, though in our tests they have the typical flaws associated with artificial intelligence. Most share the hyper-realistic lighting that AI images are known for, fumble details like fingers and eyes, and frequently give women exposed, ample cleavage.

There are plenty of other things you can try. Ask Meta AI to animate images, request a summary of the day’s news or ask it to take on the personality of a specific character when speaking to you. Because it’s integrated with Meta’s other products, you can use it to search things like “Reels of people learning to roller skate.”

To get the best results and avoid bland responses, ask follow-up questions and give as many details as possible. For a list of starter ideas, check out Tech Friend Shira Ovide’s recommendations of useful things to ask a chatbot .

What should I not use it for?

Don’t use AI as an authority for anything of consequence. For example, don’t rely on a chatbot for medical advice or as a source for school or work. Ethically, you shouldn’t use it to write papers for school, though Meta AI is happy to spit out wooden essays on demand.

Experts warn there is a danger of misinformation from tools like Meta’s chatbot. To steer clear, avoid using it as a go-to for anything sensitive or political. Turn to human sources instead like reporters, experts, even Wikipedia and Reddit, before artificial intelligence. For more advice on avoiding misinformation, check out our guide.

How is it different from other AI bots?

For the basics, Meta AI appears to spit out the same generic answers as its competitors. I asked five different chatbots about the best taqueria in San Francisco, a vegetarian meal plan, if God exists and how to know if a polycule is right for you. For the most part, they all gave incredibly similar, mundane but neutral answers with the exception of Microsoft’s Co-pilot, which does not enjoy shenanigans.

Is it keeping my information?

Use the same precautions typing questions and thoughts into an AI chatbot as you would a Google search. Meta does save the conversations but to protect privacy, the data is anonymized, meaning it’s not connected to your name or identity. While this is standard for technology companies, experts say it’s possible to re-identify people using additional data points. If you want to delete a chat, you can use the shortcut “/reset-ai” and Meta claims it will remove the conversation from its servers.

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

Katherine Maher
uri berliner

The Psychology of Short-Form Content: Why We Love Bite-Sized Videos

Updated: April 10, 2024

Published: April 09, 2024

Let me tell you the most challenging part of my job. Often, I will delete TikTok and Instagram from my phone because I can't help but waste time endlessly scrolling through these apps, watching dozens of short-form videos in one sitting.

A person watches a short-form video on their smartphone

Then, like clockwork, I redownload these apps because I must write about them for work. Thus, the cycle of endless scrolling continues.

Sure, I could blame the nature of the job, but my endless scrolling stems from the fact that I love short-form videos.

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And I'm not the only one. 73% of consumers prefer to watch short-form videos to learn about a product or service, and 56% of marketers reported that short-form video was the top trend they planned to invest in in 2024.

So, why are short-form videos so popular? Turns out there are a few reasons, one of which involved a bit of psychology. Let's get into it!

What are short-form videos?

Why are short-form videos so popular.

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Short-form videos are videos that are less than 60 seconds in duration. However, some marketers and content creators agree that short-form videos can be up to 3 minutes. But, if you want my opinion, I would stick to the 60-second rule.

I take this stance because attention spans are getting shorter, but we'll get into that later.

Anyway, short-form videos deliver information in a digestible, bite-size format so viewers can quickly watch and bookmark the content if they're on the go or watch it multiple times.

There are a few reasons short-form videos are more popular than ever among consumers and marketers, and I‘ll visit those in a bit. For now, I want to get into the psychology of it all—that’s why we're here, right? Walk with me.

Consumer Attention Spans are Shrinking

Science tells us that one of the crucial reasons we love short-form videos is that our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.

Dr. Gloria Mark, a psychologist, recently wrote a book called Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness, and Productivity , and she says her research indicates people's attention spans have been shrinking over the last 20 years.

Dr. Mark shared her findings on Speaking of Psychology , an American Psychological Association podcast.

Her findings came from a decades-long experiment she participated in, which was first conducted by shadowing participants and tracking their activities via stopwatches.

“We would record the start time and the stop time,” she said.

She explains, “So you're on a screen where you're working in a Word doc. As soon as you get to that screen, we click start time. As soon as they turned away and checked the email, we clicked stop time for the Word document and start time for the email.”

Over time, logging techniques became more sophisticated as technology advanced, and it only made the pattern of shrinking attention spans clearer.

“So back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average,” Dr. Mark recalls during the interview. “Throughout the years, it became shorter. So around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds.”

Dr. Mark says the number continued to dip as the years went on.

“And then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds—and others have replicated this result within a few seconds. So it seems to be quite robust,” she says.

And this trend of dwindling attention spans is affecting how we consume content. And I'm not just talking about social media videos — even television and film shots are getting more brief, according to Dr. Mark.

“They started out much longer. They now average about four seconds a shot length,” she says. “If you watch MTV music videos, they're much shorter. They're only a couple of seconds. So we've become accustomed to seeing very fast shot lengths when we look at TV and film.”

Dr. Mark explains during the interview that it‘s a chicken vs. egg situation — she’s unsure which came first or what's influencing the other.

However, the fact remains that we‘re becoming more accustomed to shorter bursts of content, and it’s bleeding into the kind of content we consume and what's being created.

Studies found that most consumers will only watch an entire video if it's less than 60 seconds long . Then you have apps like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels that push short-form videos to users in an infinite scroll format.

Furthermore, our 2024 Marketing Trends Report found that almost a third of marketing professionals say their company will leverage short-form video content in 2024, and 53% said they'll boost their investment in the content type this year.

This makes sense since most marketers in our survey say short-form video content yielded them the highest ROI last year.

In case you're curious, here are a couple more reasons why many of us love short-form videos.

1. They are cost-effective and easier to create than long-form videos.

With long-form videos, marketers and creators must work extra hard to keep their audience engaged. That means strengthening the content with dynamic shots, mood-setting music, and a long but compelling script.

All that takes more time, effort, and (most importantly) money.

Short-form videos are more to the point and often require fewer frills to be effective.

For example, language learning platform Duo Lingo's TikTok account has over 10.8 million followers and is one of the most well-known accounts on the app due to its short, funny, and slightly unhinged videos.

Its most popular video has 57.7 million views and is super simple in terms of execution.

It shows a plushy of the Duo Lingo owl getting tossed down the stairs at the company's office, sitting outside on a rainy day, and getting soaked in a shower.

The caption of the video is “When you ignore my notifications.”

The video was clearly shot on someone's smartphone without fancy angles or lighting. The music is from a viral song already available via its sound archives. So simple, so cheap, yet so effective.

@duolingo sad g(owl) hours #duoplushie #duolingo #languagelearning #emo ♬ Rio romeo - .𝖒𝖊𝖓'🎧★

2. They can provide valuable information in a short amount of time.

According to a recent Adobe Survey , 2 in 5 Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and nearly 1 in 10 Gen Zers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine.

I even find myself taking to TikTok to look up recipes or figure out how to style a denim maxi-skirt (the trick is to experiment with different layers and silhouettes).

Between work, family, hobbies, and rest — time is precious, and short-form videos allow us to absorb the information we need in under a minute. Who doesn't love that?

3. You can watch them almost anytime, anywhere.

Bored on the train downtown? Scroll through TikTok. Need to kill some time in between classes or appointments? Pull up YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels on your phone.

Want to use your 5-minute break between meetings to figure out why everyone is talking about the latest JLo documentary? Let's circle back to TikTok.

Short-form videos are easy to watch almost anywhere and anytime from our smartphones.

Not only is this convenient for consumers, but it also helps marketers because it means we can repurpose our content on various platforms knowing someone will see it from somewhere.

There are different reasons to love short-form videos.

Some reasons are a little more concerning than others (seriously, why are our attention spans so short?), but no matter the reason, the fact remains the same —short forms aren't going away anytime soon.

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Viral claims about Donald Trump's hush money trial, fact checked

By Laura Doan , Rhona Tarrant

Updated on: April 17, 2024 / 9:35 AM EDT / CBS News

As former President Donald Trump's historic criminal trial gets underway in New York this week, the CBS News Confirmed team has been tracking potentially misleading narratives that have gained some traction on social media. Here are three of the viral claims that have emerged during the trial so far and what to know about them.

Claim 1: Judge Juan Merchan won't let Trump go to his son's graduation

On Monday, Trump posted to his nearly 7 million followers on Truth Social that Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, likely will not allow him to go to his 18-year-old son Barron's graduation in May.

"Who will explain for me, to my wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony, something that we have been talking about for years," Trump wrote in a post that had garnered over 18,000 likes by Tuesday.

The claim was echoed by others online, including his son Eric Trump, who posted on X that "Judge Merchan is truly heartless in not letting a father attend his son's graduation."

Merchan has not yet made any decision about whether Trump can attend his son's graduation. But on Monday, he signaled that he's open to it, although it is also possible that if the trial is behind schedule, he will not allow it. In an excerpt from the court transcript obtained by CBS News' Graham Kates, Merchan said this:

Regarding counsel's request that the Court adjourn on Friday, May 17th for Mr. Trump to attend his son's high school graduation and Friday June 3rd to allow a member of the defense team to attend their son's graduation, I cannot rule on those two requests at this time. It really depends on how we are doing on time and where we are in the trial. If everything is going according to schedule without unnecessary delays, then I am sure we will be able to adjourn for one or both of those days, but if we are running behind schedule, we will not be able to.

Claim 2: Stormy Daniels denies having an affair with Trump

In a tweet from April 10 flagged by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Monday as a potential violation of Trump's gag order, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Look what was just found! Will the fake news report it?" The post included a picture of a 2018 letter written by adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, which included the statement, "I am denying this affair because it never happened."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican operative Roger Stone, and others shared the same picture in posts on X that attracted over 60,000 "likes."

Although it was presented by Trump as being new, this letter from Daniels has been public knowledge since January 2018 — and she has since recanted it. A few months after she signed her name to it, in March 2018, Daniels went on " 60 Minutes " to say she had been pressured into signing and releasing the letter by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and others. Daniels said that she did have an affair with Trump.

Here's what she said on "60 Minutes" to correspondent Anderson Cooper:

Anderson Cooper: So you signed and released — a statement that said, 'I am not denying this affair because I was paid in hush money. I'm denying it because it never happened.' That's a lie? Stormy Daniels: Yes. Anderson Cooper: If it was untruthful, why did you sign it? Stormy Daniels: Because they made it sound like I had no choice.

She went on to tell Cooper that she felt there might be legal repercussions for not signing the letter.

"The exact sentence used was, 'They can make your life hell in many different ways,'" she said. She believed "they" in that case was Michael Cohen.

Claim 3: Trump's gag order is unconstitutional

Trump posted on Truth Social Monday, "This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me. Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them!" The claim was later echoed by others on social media.

Merchan's  April 1 gag order prohibits Trump from speaking about witnesses, court staff, the family members of court staff, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's family, or Merchan's family. The judge said the order was necessary because some of Trump's rhetoric might keep jurors, lawyers and court employees from performing their duties in the court.

"This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to [Trump's] cases serves no legitmate purpose," Merchan wrote of Trump in the gag order. "It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings, that not only they, but their family members as well, are 'fair game' for Defendant's vitriol."

Trump is still allowed to criticize Merchan and Bragg. And the former president may talk about the case publicly and call the trial political if he wishes.

Many legal experts argue Merchan's gag order is lawful and doesn't interfere with Trump's First Amendment rights. Duncan Levin, who worked in the district attorney's office before Bragg, told Politifact that gag orders "with very limited exceptions have long been found not to violate the First Amendment… [Trump] is free to discuss the criminal justice system but not to make ad hominem attacks on particular people associated with the case."

However, Trump's lawyers have challenged the order and said it is unconstitutional because it curbs his free speech rights. Trump's request to lift the order will now go to a five-judge panel for consideration.

Donald Trump

Laura Doan is a reporter and associate producer for "Prime Time with John Dickerson." She covers the climate crisis, science and technology, and U.S. politics.

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Viral claims about Donald Trump's hush money trial, fact checked
"The exact sentence used was, 'They can make your life hell in many different ways,'" she said. She believed "they" in that case was Michael Cohen.