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Welcome to Meyer Memorial Trust's collaborative learning and sharing space for Communicating in the Age of New Media. We hope that this space provides a real-time and on-going arena for notes, comments and conversations based on the information and discussion of our events.
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Social Networking (Event #3)
Held December 7th, 2007, at IRCO in Portland, this event featured Beth Kanter and centered on social media tools that nonprofits are and can be using. Use the links to the left to see specific work groups and discussions!
Chris Brogan (a social media guru) has a great overview on social media!
Beth's reflections on the event can be found on her blog!
Distributing Content (Event #2)
Held October 19th, 2007, at PNCA in Portland, this event featured Holly Ross and focused on ways to distribute your content online. Click on the links to the left to learn more about specific work groups!
Creating Content (Event #1)
Held March 9, 2007, at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, attendees learned about telling their story and the digital video format.
For a long long time, nonprofits have struggled to get coverage in mainstream media. And while those efforts continue and are important, it’s not enough anymore. Many nonprofits are finding they get further faster with new media tools.
Of course, to effectively use any kind of media, a communication plan/strategy is needed. Why do you need to communicate? Who do you want to reach? What outcomes are you looking for?
Answers to those questions will help you decide what kind of media will be most effective, and what tools are best suited to your needs.
Drawing from their experience helping environmental organizations develop communication strategies, Drew Bernard and Gideon Rosenblatt from ONE/NW presented an overview of communication strategies and their relation to new media tools in Beyond Hello: Communications that Build Relationship and Influence.
Several things characterize new media and make it different from old media…
1. Changes very fast
2. Decentralized, no central control
3. Open. Creative Content license
4. Users create content
5. Video is VERY important
The focus of this first session is looking deeper at one of the elements that distinguish new media from old. In old media, power is concentrated in a few hands that tightly control the flow of information. A few people in ownership or leadership positions in media companies determine what content is broadcast or print, severely limiting the information available to consumers. In new media, users create content. It’s a much more participatory kind of media. Anyone can say and post anything. And they do.
To illustrate content creation, we focused on creating video content. Laura Mansfield discussed the power of video (its ability to engage both heart and mind), the importance of quality…she showed examples to illustrate the kind of quality she thinks is critical. Since that quality can be expensive, we later showed examples of nonprofits that have done so for very little money. To inspire and empower nonprofits to create video content if and when it furthers their communication needs and goals.
Examples:
1. Inkind volunteers model
Media professionals volunteer their services to nonprofit they believe in to create video for nonprofit (Big Brothers Big Sisters – Little Moments Big Magic)
2. Nonprofit/community media collaboration model
Nonprofit organization works with community media organization who makes video to bring attention to nonprofit’s important issue (Southeast Uplift –Transforming Homelessness)
3. School/student/community partnership model
Students in nonprofit film program make video about subject interesting to them requested by nonprofit organization (Outside In – Project Erase)
4. Nonprofit production company collaboration model
Nonprofit video group makes video that nonprofit organizations can use to move communities to environmental action (Green Fire – Common Ground: Oregon’s Ocean)
5. DIY model
Volunteers who love a nonprofit takes classes in documentary production from nonprofit organization in order to create video for the nonprofit to use to deliver its message (Free Geek / NW Documentary Arts and Media – Welcome to Free Geek)
