VDC Blog: Communications news, links and tips

New Chicago News Bureau Will Produce Content for New York Times

2009-10-22T12:13:00.001-07:00

A new Chicago News Cooperative (CNC) has been formed to provide high quality, professionally edited news and commentary to the Chicago region on the Web, in print and over the airwaves, according to Poynter Online today.

CNC has a contract with the New York Times in which journalists will provide two pages of CNC branded news and commentary to The New York Times twice a week in its Chicago editions on Friday and Saturday. It will also produce a Web site called Chicago Scoop that will provide news, commentary and investigative reporting. Expected to go live in early 2010, reports will also appear on WTTW. It is in discussions with Chicago Public Radio about providing content as well.

CNC editor is James O'Shea, former editor of the Los Angeles Times and former managing editor of the Tribune. James Warren, former Tribune managing editor will write a regular column for CNC that will appear in the NY Times Chicago pages.

Who Wants One Year of Free Design?

2009-10-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

Firebelly Design awards an annual Design + Marketing Grant to nonprofits in need. Recipients chosen receive one year of of design plus strategy plus marketing skills.

Check it out here.

Three Easy Steps For Going Viral

2009-09-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Recently Greenpeace conducted a series of actions at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh.

As a Board member I was asked to let people in my network know about the actions, and Greenpeace made it easy by giving me the tools to spread their news quickly and easily.

Here are three tips for getting your network to pass your news on to friends and colleagues.

Click here for more!

Three Steps To Going Viral

1) Send out a brief paragraph in advance of your event that describes what you will be doing and that motivates people to participate remotely

Example:

“[Organization] will release a report on local food production in Illinois and then visit with legislators in Springfield. Follow us throughout the day and stay up-to-date as we post new images, photos and stories on our landing page.”

2) Provide multiple ways in which interested audiences can follow along.
Be organized and prepare to report on your activities throughout the day in a wide variety of ways

-Website address
-Location where photos are being posted
-Location for video or interviews
-Twitter hashtag

3) Give your audience a way to help pass the information along
Suggest various ways for your audience to stay involved and make it easy to do by giving them tools for doing so.

Example:

“We’ll keep you posted as the day goes along. But, in the meantime, we could use your help spreading the word.”

Facebook Users: Ask people to post a status message and Give people a short paragraph to put up on their Facebook page. Include the url of your landing page.

Urge people to leave a comment on their own status update or to copy the message and post it as their own status

Twitter users: Provide copy and ask people to post it as an update. Urge people to retweet new info as it develops throughout the day.

Email to external listservs and coalition groups: Give your audiences the text for a message and encourage them to send it to all of their networks – listservs, groups, coalitions, etc.

Krugman Nails It On Climate Change (As Usual)

2009-09-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Article is here. Money quote:

But the larger reason we’re ignoring climate change is that Al Gore was right: This truth is just too inconvenient. Responding to climate change with the vigor that the threat deserves would not, contrary to legend, be devastating for the economy as a whole. But it would shuffle the economic deck, hurting some powerful vested interests even as it created new economic opportunities. And the industries of the past have armies of lobbyists in place right now; the industries of the future don’t.
Nor is it just a matter of vested interests. It’s also a matter of vested ideas. For three decades the dominant political ideology in America has extolled private enterprise and denigrated government, but climate change is a problem that can only be addressed through government action. And rather than concede the limits of their philosophy, many on the right have chosen to deny that the problem exists.

Still Trying to Figure Out Twitter?

2009-09-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Twitter has been a hot topic at a number of parties I've been at recently. My peers (the 50 - 70 year old crowd) are a tolerant group, but many shake their heads when it comes to Twitter, perplexed about what the big deal could be. ("who wants to communicate all the time," is a common question.)

I confess, I haven't found a way to work it into my routine much -- I'm still working on learning to blog regularly. Who knows, by the time I get that down, we may have moved on to something else.

Nevertheless, here is a great article in the Wall Street Journal that shows exactly how Twitter works, if you work it.

One-Paper Town?

2009-09-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Chicago is coming dangerously close to becoming a one-paper town. Chicago financier Jim Tyree has made a $25 million offer, but union members say concessions needed to seal the deal are too much.

If things don't change soon, Chicago will become a one-paper town. And that's shame. Lots of good thinking people left the Chicago Sun-Times when Murdoch took over, and they never came back even though that was years ago.

But still the Sun-Times, small, scrappy finds its way to stories that nobody else seems to find. Case in point the recent pension stories or a lovely piece that Dave Roeder did just today on re-development plans in Englewood.

Neither paper is what it used to be, but we still need them both.

Webinars: More Like a Talkshow Than a Workshop

2009-09-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

I did one of my first webinar trainings yesterday and, while it wasn't terrible, it was much more difficult than the in-person trainings I am used to doing.

This article expressed my feelings exactly:

What I hadn't bargained for was the deadly quiet, the utter lack of audience interaction. No eye contact. No heads nodding. No "sense of the room"-that vital sixth sense experienced speakers hone to alert them to the audience drifting away. Worse than the sound of one hand clapping, this was the sound of one voice yapping.

A colleague from Community Media Workshop, who was listening in, advised me to think of a webinars as more like hosting a talk radio show than conducting a traditional workshop.

Three quick points that I will definately use the next time after the jump

Click here for more!

Three tips for better webinars:

1) Get all the words off the PowerPoint slide. As my colleague said: Just put up a funny picture and start talking.

2) People used to tell their audience what they were going to tell them and then summarized at the end what they just told them. That doesn't work well in the webinar world. You need to engage and re-engage your audience by telling stories related to the topic.

3) Continually remind and cue people on how they can come into the conversation much like a talk show host does, for example, "people who want to share a similar experience, click the chat button in the lower left or press star six to unmute your phone."

Nonprofits Fail to Adapt to New Media

2009-09-16T07:15:00.001-07:00

Seth Godin takes nonprofits to task in a strongly worded essay for their failure to join in the new media revolution. He cites a severe case of risk aversion as the cause. According to Seth, marketing techniques just haven't filtered down from the for-profit world where they are revolutionizing how people communicate. "No excuses," Seth says.

Thanks to Hugh McMullen, former VDC staffer and now with Fenton Communications in New York City, for this tip

Google News Puts "Spotlight" on In-Depth News

2009-09-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

Google News has added a new section that highlights “in-depth pieces of lasting value.” Called Spotlight, and like the rest of Google News, the stories are selected by an undisclosed algorithm. The Spotlight seems to shine on longer features that have bounced around blogs for a few days. Lifestyle and opinion pieces seems to appear often, and The New York Times is a frequent source.

In this era of "fast news" - I'm curious to see if readers will flock to the Spotlight.

A New Reporter I'd Love to Work With

2009-08-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

Damon Weaver has interviewed politicians and celebrities alike, yet is only 11 years old. Dubbed the "Future of Journalism", Weaver has become a viral superstar for the interviews he conducted for his elementary school's station, KEC-TV. His fame has already landed him a college scholarship and appearances on CNN, FOX and MSNBC.

Recently, he sat down with President Obama. When asked by Time Magazine about his expereince with the President, he remarked:

He was a very nice, tall guy. And he gives very good details. I liked interviewing him. He's just like a normal person.

You can check out the interview in its entirety here.

Tribune.com

2009-08-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Tribune's incessant quest for an identity continues with today's debut of yet another new design for its website. The site has been reinvented at least three times since Sam Zell purchased the paper, ushered in a new management team and presided over a bankruptcy at the one-time corporate colossus.

I like the current design, but the repeated overhauls administered to both the print and web versions of the paper suggest an ownership without a coherent plan to compete in the fluid media marketplace.

Click here for more!

REST OF POST

Oh the Woes of Bloggers

2009-08-06T07:30:00.001-07:00

I found this humorous post on one of my favorite sites, gawker.com, about a Wall Street Journal story reporting on new blogger woes. Apparently, the unemployed are invading blogger home turfs: coffee shops with free wi-fi access. As Gawker eloquently puts it:

...places that used to be exclusively blogger wi-fi campgrounds have been infiltrated by the unemployed who are too poor to afford wi-fi in their apartments, so they have to go to coffee shops for internet access to look for jobs...

Luckily, I get to blog from my office. Internet access included.

(image via gawker.com)

Obama's Apology

2009-07-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

This hastily scheduled press conference by President Obama illustrates the perils involved when a public official disowns his remarks. There's little doubt that the president's communications consultants wrestled mightily with the decision to make this quasi-apology. As often as not, these disavowals end up perpetuating the very discussion they're intended to quash.

Click here for more!

The White House obviously felt that the attention showered on the President's remarks about the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, threatened to overshadow more important subjects. But as often as not, these sorts of apologies compound the problem, first because they fuel more discussion on the original problem and then because the apology becomes problematic, in itself. In this case, Obama's apology "choice of words," gives risk to a new risky narrative: President defensive over remarks on race.

So now the White House may not only need to contend with protests over his comments on a racially charged issue, but also allegations that he lacks the courage of his convictions.

The irony, of course, is his comments represented a rare moment of frank, authentic emotion for a President who has so assiduously dodged discussions of racial dynamics in America -- a tendency that has perturbed Obama's pivotal supporters in the black community.

Because they seemed out of character, the media magnified the remarks, and at least the illusion of a national "controversy," as the Tribune account describes it, ensued. Whether the reaction to Obama's comments truly resembled a "controversy" is debatable. Obviously, the media was obsessed with the remarks, and the Republicans tried their best to enflame racial tensions. But there's not a lot of evidence that the mass public is fixated on the issue.

In the end, Obama's original remarks were intended to acknowledge the pain of longstanding racial wounds. Let's hope that in backtracking from those comments, he hasn't inflicted his own political wound.

Will Public Housing Residents Benefit from Transformation?

2009-07-24T08:30:00.001-07:00

One of the sadnesses of public housing transformation has been that it can take up to five years before new, mixed income housing gets built and becomes available. Residents, whose income, by definition, is limited may have moved several times in that period and either are not locatable or don't want to move again.
In the larger, global sense, it may not matter who inhabits the new units designated for low income people in the mixed income developments scattered around the city. After all, it is meeting the needs of someone who needs help with safe, decent, affordable housing.
But in the immediate, personal sense, it is sad that many of the people who were uprooted to make the change, probably won't benefit from it.

Politics in Color: Sources for "Race-Based" News

2009-07-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Among the usual talking heads that dominate news circuits, very few are people of color.

However since the election, more African-American and Latino pundits and scholars are offering their take on the political scene. The blogosphere is also bubbling with commentary from a race-based perspective.

In this era of Obama and Sotomayor, we should examine how our new multicultural political leaders impact future policies and society as a whole. A few of my choice sources for "race-based" news after the jump.

Click here for more!

Danielle Belton, provides her daily take on politics and pop culture as the self-proclaimed "The Black Snob." I can't get enough of her hilarious and often spot-on commentary on the Obamas in the White House. A must read!

Many of us in Chicago know Roland Martin from his days editing the Chicago Defender, but Roland hit the national scene during last year's election as a regular on CNN. He's due with his own show Washington Watch with Roland Martin on TV One this fall, focusing on African-American issues.

@UrbanJibaro fills my Twitter feed with fascinating links and info on the urban Latino community. From cultural trends to what the Sotomayor nomination means to young Latinas everywhere, blogger George Torres brings a unique voice to the online world and encourages other Latinos to join the dialogue.

Ester Cepeda, Chicago's first Latino metro columnist, chronicles immigration, education, and other topics of importance to Latinos at her blog, 600 Words. She recently featured 10 Latinos making a difference, to give props to Chicago Latinos always being left out of mainstream publications’ "Who’s Who" lists.

So these are the folks I'm checking out these days - give 'em a visit and let me know what you think in the comments section.

In Case You Haven't Gotten Enough Twitter Info Yet

2009-07-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Good Wall Street Journal article - Software That Makes Twitter So Much Tweeter - on tools that make it easier to use Twitter.

Tribune Gets Into User Generated News

2009-07-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Check out this new feature of the Chicago Tribune. Select your town, write your own local story and then post it, with pictures, to the site. It includes tips for writing and even editorial assistance.

Though the site looks neat and works well, there is a disturbing problem: Neither Chicago or do many of the predominantly African American suburban communities appear to be options on the click down menu for choosing the city you want to report from.

Can it be possible that the Tribune is only soliciting stories from predominately white communities? What am I missing?

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-07-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

One more publication, The Printed Blog, closed up shop this week. This new kind of newprint publication--which compiled posts from local blogs in a printed format-- was, in my opinion, a novel idea. But due to lack of outside investment capital, The Printed Blog folded. And alas, bloggers will continue to find their audiences online, and not in newsprint.

How Bad Are the Illinois State Budget Cuts?

2009-07-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

Progress Illinois has developed an online tracking system and is asking groups to send in their information. This is a badly needed tool in helping people around the state understand that these cuts affect everybody.

How Much is Your Brand Worth?

2009-06-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

In today's New York Times, there's a story about a study conducted by Cone on the most valuable nonprofit brands in America. Not suprisingly groups like the Y.M.C.A., Salvation Army and United Way top the list, and all of these organizations have spent considerable investments ensuring the public knows who they are.

What is surprising is that while environmental groups had less name recognition, their revenues from donors are the fast growing in the sector. This suggests these groups have done a lot to raise awareness of environmental issues, but not as much with their organizational brand.

Nonprofit groups seeking to boost their brand, should check out the full analysis here.

Best News Source on Iran

2009-06-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I've read Andrew Sullivan for years and thought his blog was a terrific place to listen in on discussions for many of the issues I am interested in.

But he has outdone himself with the Iranian situation. One of his strengths is that a lot of interesting people write in to him and he posts comments from a lot of sources.

He has become the go to aggregator for all news Iranian right now -- an especially important role now that all of the media have been kicked out.

Check out this example and then keep reading. I guarantee you that you will find something interesting.

On Line in Iran

2009-06-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

Excellent post on how information flow from the Iranian protests was entirely new media. Even cable news, which made its bones on reporting first when there was trouble in the world was no where to be seen when this story started breaking over the weekend.

People on line knew about it; people who were relying on other media did not. Simple as that.

The New York Times let The Daily Show in?

2009-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

O gosh. This is sad, uncomfortable, baffling, and hilarious:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

End Times

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Newt Gingrich Unedited Interview

Preserving Our Green Infrastructure

2009-06-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

When I want to relax, I put on my bike helmet and hit one of the many bike trails in Illinois or Indiana. Like me, almost everyone in the Great Lakes region has their favorite place to relax in the outdoors, whether it is out in a boat on Lake Michigan, walking the dog in a nearby neighborhood park or hitting a bike, canoe, or hiking trail.

This year a centennial anniversary of the Burnham Plan of Chicago is drawing attention to 22 Green Legacy Projects -- projects that, when completed, will close critical gaps in the region's 3-state "green infrastructure"-- an interconnected network of open spaces and natural areas, that includes greenways and trails, wetlands, parks, forest preserves and native plant vegetation.

Click here for more!

These natural areas not only offer residents recreation and a way to enjoy nature, they are essential for reducing CO2 emissions, effective storm water management, reducing flooding risk and improving water quality.

Nearly a century ago, Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett unveiled their 1909 Plan of Chicago, a framework for growth in the greater Chicago area. Their vision included access to Lake Michigan for everyone and a network of parks and forest preserves, that have become a legacy unique to this region.

White House Press Corps RESTRICTED!

2009-06-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

First, I need to mention that I just love Gawker.com. Its contributors are snarky, smart and just down-right funny.

Anyway, they posted a story about rules the White House Press Corps must follow when in Saudi Arabia. I imagine these restrictions are maddening, especially for this group of journalists...

The Saudi government is permitting journalists accompanying President Obama entry into the country without a visa or the usual customs procedures. While in Saudi Arabia, therefore, journalists are expressly prohibited from leaving the hotel or engaging in any journalistic activities outside of coverage of the POTUS visit. Those who do so risk arrest and detention by Saudi authorities.

Check out the rest of the post here, and what Gawker has to say about it.

Engrossing posts, YouTube new media views, and tweeted releases

2009-05-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Some good reads for social media communications:

Can you squeeze that press release into 140 characters? Learn the value of making some important announcements on Twitter : Digital Connections
You spent a couple hours on that blog post - how can you make sure it lives more than a few minutes?: Traffikd
Want a deeper understanding of the internet and social media and what it all means? Get bummed out by reading too much? Check out this list of 80+ videos that enlighten and inform: open thinking

Yes, the title is not very SEOed - I couldn't help myself. Do as I say, not as I do.

(perplexing image from Jenkins Computer Service & Repair Webpage Design & Hosting web page, which is under construction)

Judge Calls Evidence Against Burge "Staggering"

2009-05-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

On a remote corner of the Criminal Courts complex on Chicago's gritty Southwest Side, the word "honor" is etched into the facade of the building where justice is dispensed. It is a relic of a bygone era when public institutions were designed to flaunt a mood of righteous properiety and historic grandeur.

These days, as the County scrounges for operating cash, the word is slighly tarnished by dirt and weathered by time. Its form is dulled, and it's easily overlooked.

Today, however, something happened that restored the honor that had been left to decay within the building. For three decades, scores of African-American men who had been tortured by infamous former Police Commander Jon Burge and his underlings, were sentenced to prison -- and sometimes to death -- for crimes they didn't commit.

Click here for more!

One of those men was Victor Safforld, formerly Cortez Brown. In 1990, three of Burge's subordinates assaulted Safforld with a flashlight, withheld food and water from him and denied him access to a lawyer until he capitulated and falsely confessed to the crime. He was subsequently sentence to death -- which was later commuted to life in prison -- and he lived behind bars for 19 years.

Today, Cook County Circuit Judge Clayton Crane voided Safforld's conviction and ordered a new trial in his case, concluding that the evidence against Burge and his fellow rogue cops was "staggering" and "damning."

Judge Crane's decision represents an important milestone in the effort to repair the corrosion to the integrity of the Cook County criminal justice system that occurred during the years that Burge ran rampant and African-American men were wrongfully imprisoned.

Victor Safforld will have another chance to contest the charges against him, this time in keeping with the U.S. Constitution.

It's likely that after a few more years of acid rain, pollution and grime, that word "Honor" won't be recognizable on the side of the Cook County Criminal Courts building. But today, inside those walls, it was in plain sight.

Blog lists, Twitter widgets, and print versions

2009-05-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few interesting ideas, tools, and resources I came across from around the web this week:

Get a start on navigating blogs, etc. with ten New Media blogs: Blogs.com
Bring all that Twitter content you, your followers and/or your event attendees are creating to your website: Duct Tape Marketing
PrintFriendly makes blogs printable, so when you print out blog posts and clips to show linkphobic colleagues, there won't be SECRET TO A FLAT BELLY OBEY ads that make it 25 pages long: Mashable!

Hve you found any useful apps or lists lately?

Great Online Sources for Women's News

2009-05-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I attended The Working Lunch, Women Employed's annual fundraiser. This "power luncheon" brings together women from all over the city to affirm their commitment to ensuring economic advancement for all women.

I couldn't help but be inspired and appreciate being around smart, driven women. Its a shame we rarely hear critical stories that impact women - usually they take a back seat to the latest gossip or fashion trend.

When I seek relevant and engaging information specific to women's' issues I turn to a few key sources...check them out after the jump.

Click here for more!

Tuesday Blast - the Chicago Foundation for Women's weekly E-Update. My favorite section is their weekly take on a media story; CFW deconstructs reporting on women's issues and uncovers the myths and stereotypes that still get perpetuated. Last year after the Eliot Spitzer scandal, CFW notes the real issue left out was how women get caught up in the sex-trade industry in the first place.

Jezebel - Now this website may first strike you as a landing place for all things fluff, but its written with such sass and wit, its almost laughing at you not with you. While giving you the latest celebrity and pop culture news, the bloggers touch on very important issues of self-image, domestic violence and gender equity.

Women Employed - Check them out on Twitter and read tweets about important issues regarding pay fairness. I'm partial to WE because I serve on their Advocacy Council, but they are truly are a valuable resource for information affecting working women.

Viva La Feminista - Chicago mom, activist and Latina blogger (and fellow WE Council member) Veronica Arreola shares powerful commentary on issues surrounding diversity, feminism and parenthood.

Julie's Health Club - Chicago Tribune fitness and health writer Julie Deardorff's blog is my go-to spot for personal health information. Julie touts her blog as the place where "alternative and mainstream health meet." From best foods to eat after working out to best fitness apps for iPhones, Julie covers a wide range of issues for health-conscious women.

Again these are my favorite sources - I know there are tons of others. Tell me what you like to check out in the comments below!

Image by www.webtvwire.com

Ten great Great Lakes restoration blogs

2009-05-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

The Great Lakes are in trouble - the danger from toxic pollutants, contaminated sediment, and aquatic invasive species is growing every worse and more expensive to deal with every day. The economic and and environmental health of communities in the region are threatened if steps aren't taken to restore and protect them.

Fortunately the effort to restore the Lakes is gaining momentum. The Great Lakes Compact, a law restricting diversions outside the watershed, was passed last year by state and federal legislators last year. Also, after years of underfunding by the Bush Administration, Great Lakes programs got a boost in President Obama's FY2010 Budget to the tune of $475M, which now must be appropriated by Congressional committees.

So how can Great Lakes lovers - boaters, birdwatchers, paddlers, fisherpeople, photographers, hikers, and beach bums alike - stay up to date on ongoing efforts to restore the Great Lakes and ways to help keep up the momentum? Subscribe to or bookmark these ten Great Lakes restoration blogs listed after the jump.

Click here for more!

1) Great Lakes Town Hall: The Biodiversity Project runs this website that serves as sort of like a Daily Kos or Huffington Post for Great Lakes topics - folks from around the region blog and comment about Lakes ecological and political issues in a moderated space. There are good thoughts aired here from a variety of interests and personalities.

2) Great Lakes Echo: This is a project of Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism gathering original journalism about environmental issues in the Great Lakes region. They post good articles about about the science and big picture implications of problems and proposed solutions.

3) Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives: This is the blog of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, with whom VDC works through a Joyce Foundation grant. The Coalition is focused on making sure federal funding of comprehensive restoration finds its way from DC to the Great Lakes watershed. Read this if you want to be up to date on the politics and implications of Great Lakes restoration - it also has updates and advice about contacting your representatives in Congress about supporting bills and funding.

4) Great Lakes Blogger: Dave Dempsy is and one of the most prolific Lakes writers around. He's written award-winning conservation books and is now Communications Director for Conservation Minnesota. His blog is a great read to get an opinionated and informed take on Great Lakes restoration news.

5) The Political Environment: James Rowen's blog keeps a close eye on water issues, especially in Southeast Wisconsin. He posts good links and informed takes on environmental debates in the area and the wider region.

6) Great Lakes Law: Noah Hall teaches at Wayne State University Law School and University of Michigan Law School and is also the founder and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. His blog looks at water and Great Lakes issues from a legal perspective- great stuff for folks looking to get into the legal details on restoration efforts.

7) Great Lakes For All: Steven Huyser-Honig is a photographer and lighthouse enthusiast who keeps up with Lakes news at this blog and posts photographs at his other blog, Beauty Worth Preserving. He's a good one to keep up with to remember why all the effort is needed to protect the Lakes.

8) Great Lakes Guy: Andy Guy is a thinker on how to make "Rust Belt" economies more sustainable and robust, and he considers restoration an important component. His blog has good links and thoughts, but these days he's more active on Twitter as @GreatLakesGuy.

9) Black Bear Speaks: Jerome Alicki keeps up with environmental news throughout the region, with a special focus on Western Michigan.

10) Great Lakes Boating: These guys post news and opinions about restoration from the point of view of the boating community, a major proponent of Great Lakes restoration. Their blogs are a good source of news for anyone who has fun on the Lakes and wants to keep them toxin- and invasive-free.

(photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Burge Won't Appear at Hearing for Torture Victim

2009-05-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

A Florida judge refused to subpoena former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge requiring his appearance at a hearing for torture victim Cortez Brown who was forced to confess to two murders he did not commit. The judge argued that the subpoena was essentially pointless as Burge would no doubt take the 5th Amendment at the hearing.

Previously, Cook County Judge Clayton Crane ruled that Burge was a matieral witness in Brown's wrongful conviction case and requested that the Florida judge issue a subpoena.

While Jon Burge won't appear at at hearing scheduled for Monday, May 18, the three detectives who directly worked for Burge and took part in the savage beatings--John O'Brien, John Paladino and Tony Maslanka--will be questioned by Locke Bowman, attorney for Brown and Legal Director of the Roderick MacArthur Justice Center.

Attracting web readers with smart titles and headlines

2009-05-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Communications folks moving from brochures and press releases to blog posts and tweets need to consider key differences between writing static printed content and dynamic web content. SEO, RSS, metatags and other web doodads might take a while to internalize, but one thing social media newbies (or n00bs, in the parlance of our times) can optimize right off the bat are titles. Poynter Online's E-Media Tidbits blog pointed out a good list of things BBC web editors do well with their headlines - these are also good for communicators to consider when titling a blog post or other piece of information:

Keep it short so that it can be read quickly and fit into aggregators and social media tools.
Clearly summarize your item and make it understandable out of context - most folks will come across your item in an aggregator, social media site, search, feed, widget, or some other way - don't get so artsy or clever that a person seeing the title alone won't know what the heck it is.
Front-load the title with the most important keywords, since most people when reading lists of titles just scan the first couple words. This also helps Google and other search engines find you.
It should be predictable. Make sure those who click on your title get what they were told they would and are not disappointed when they come to your content.

For example, I wanted to title this post "Crafting a crafty title can make your content fly into the world wide web like a majestic eagle, or magical fairy," but I didn't. With this shorter and more explicit title, you can share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc. (just click on "SHARE THIS" below) and your friends, pseudo-acquaintances and other readers will know what it is about and if they want to click.

Remember: if you do things right on the web, your content is not only sitting on your website or blog waiting for people to find it - it's showing up in searches and Facebook feeds and aggregators and sharing sites. A thoughtful web-optimized title makes a big difference in who and how many engage with your message in the pixelated world.

Greenpeace creates iPhone app for responsible tissue shopping

2009-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

Have an iPhone? Want to make sure the toilet paper or paper towels and other paper wiping products you buy are not made with virgin rain forest timber?

Treehugger found the app for you - The Greenpeace Tissue Guide is an index of tissue brands and how good they are for the environment. The (free!) app includes:

Over 100 brands of toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins
Search by brand or product category
Expert ratings
Recommended brands, brands that could do better, and brands to avoid

What a great idea to give people (with iPhones) the tools to make good choices. What other smart phone apps could help people do the right thing? Is there a way to make this information available to folks like me with prehistoric phones that just have text-messaging and a calendar and an alarm clock and a camera and video games...?

Give WBEZ $20 or Peter Sagal will annoy you at your cubicle

2009-05-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

WBEZ has a cool campaign going to get folks to donate twenty bucks. They made four videos - three imagine what might happen if they didn't have enough money for for Kai Ryssdal, Peter Sagal, or human interviewers. Another is of local reporter Rob Wildeboer showing what donations pay for in his reporting kit, which is interesting to nerds like myself. A box on the site invites visitors to imagine what their own lives would be like without WBEZ.

What would the world look like without your organization or movement? This question a great starting place not only for creating good online video or campaign, but for thinking of the overall identity and brand of your organization.

Expect Fewer Cameras At Your Press Event

2009-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Four the city's five major television news departments have reached an agreement to share a pool of two cameras for news events. News reports say that WMAQ (5), WGN (9), WFLD (32) and WBBM (2) made the decision in order to cut costs. WLS (7) opted out.

It looks like those seeking news will call a special managing editor for this camera pool, but the details have not been released yet.

Looks like the days of standing up at a press event in front of 5 or even 7 cameras is over.

Illinois politicians on Twitter

2009-05-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Libertarian org Illinois Policy Institute has created Tweet Illinois, a website collecting the Twitter feeds of state politicians obviously inspired by Tweet Congress.

Doesn't look very populated yet - no one representing me is on Twitter. It will be interesting to see how many jump aboard, especially when election season nears.

How to manage media at your big event: Different journalists, different needs

2009-05-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

One of VDC's most interesting clients is The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, who bring world leaders and leading thinkers to Chicago. Since they do so many programs about so many topics, we work with a wide range of local, national, ethnic, business, and foreign press on any given day.

These busy past couple weeks are a good example. VDC managed press for addresses by Former UK PM Tony Blair and Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, and a panel discussion on the Financial Crisis featuring Caterpillar CEO James Owens.

These events attracted very different groups of journalists with their own needs - communicators who find themselves working in press situations like this should try to anticipate them and adapt accordingly. More after the jump.

Click here for more!

Two things to do for any event that could be attended by a variety of press are:

Try to get RSVPs from press by including language encouraging or requiring them in your press materials. This will help you plan your event and keep interested media abreast of changing event or security situations.
Make sure you are properly staffed. One person dedicated to 4 camera crews, 10 writers, 3 radio reporters, and 8 photographers won't cut it. Recruit staff or volunteers dedicated to managing the media at your event.

A major world leader such as a current or former head of government or head of state (HOG/HOS, as they are known in the business) like Tony Blair come with a lot of rules - security, protocol, etc. Many media people don't enjoy rules, but if you are up front about them and maintain constant communications before and during the event, they are usually more amenable. HOG/HOS events can attract a lot of attention from a wide range of press outlets - three in particular are good to consider:

Camera crews for local and national stations need space, light, and decent sound to get the footage they need. If you are expecting camera crews to your large event: create a space or press riser for them to set up, make sure the lighting of your stage or podium is not dim, and reserve a mult box and hook into the PA system (most hotels have this in-house).
Wire photographers, who take photos for services like Getty Images or Associated Press, want good, iconic shots of leaders that can be used in current and future stories about that person, so they want to get very close to the speaker and, since they are used to fighting for shots in tightly-packed throngs of photographers and camera crews, they can be pretty aggressive. If you expect wire photographers at your event, create space for them in the floor plan where they can get their shots without disturbing your audience. If that isn't possible, set rules before the event and make sure they know you will work with them as best you can to get them to the angles they need.
"Fakers" - sort-of-journalists who just come to your event as media to get in free or to get a better seat - are a complicated set. They'll come with a beat up old business card from their cousin's suburban ethnic paper that hasn't been published in two years and expect the same treatment and access as The New York Times. You want to be open-minded and helpful to all media, but you don't want these folks to take time and space from real press and, in a HOG/HOS situation, you don't want to comprimise security protocols. To deal with Fakers, establish clear identification rules (ex: must have photo ID and business card from currently published organization) ahead of time and include them in press materials - this will filter out many of the more egregious cases.

Some foreign leaders, like the Chen Deming of China or some HOG/HOS speakers, bring their own press corps as well as attracting local ethnic press.

Local ethnic press are usually excited for the opportunity to speak with an important person from their native country or region, but sometimes aren't as professional as some of the major media. Give them all the opportunities you can for access and make sure they have all press materials so they get all the details right.
Foreign press corps follow their subject around the world for weeks in a very controlled environment, looking for any nugget they can to send home. They will usually totally ignore prepared remarks and look for an opportunity to rush the stage or ambush the speaker, which will encourage the domestic press you're working with to get that access. They also usually don't speak a lot of English (or looking at it another way, you don't speak their language). Try to establish good contact with the local consulate or other representatives of the speaker to gauge how many press people are coming and how they will fit into the structure of the event. When surprised by a large, aggressive group, try to bend, not break - mitigate the chaos, because you aren't going to stop it.

The words of a speaker or panel of speakers who are prominent in the business and financial world, like representatives of The Fed or a CEO of a major international company, can be important and timely - business writers for wires and bureaus need to get the information out quickly.

Wire reporters for outlets like Reuters or Bloomberg want to update stories by the minute. Make sure you have electrical outlets and if possible, internet access available if you are expecting these types of journalists. They may want to write, post, and update their stories on their laptops during the event.

When you find yourself if a big-time media situation, knowing who's who can help you help the press while keeping the event pleasant and your VIPs happy.

(photo from Associated Press via LA Times)

Tan Hong Ming's crush

2009-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

What a brilliant video:

I would point it out as a great use of video by a nonprofit, but the tag says Petronas, which from seconds of research looks like an oil and gas company. Wonder what's up with that?

Judge: Burge Can Be Subpoenaed in Torture Case

2009-04-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Judge Clayton Crane surprised a Cook County courtroom by paving the way for former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge to testify about the beating inflicted on Cortez Brown during a 1990 murder investigation. This would mark the first time in more than a decade that the embattled Burge would appear in open court.

Locke Bowman, Legal Director of the Roderick MacArthur Justice Center and attorney for Cortez Brown, will now seek supoenas for Burge and former Detective Tony Maslanka in their home states so they can testify at an upcoming hearing on Brown's wrongful conviction.

Click here for more!

In 1990, Brown was arrested for the murders of Devin Boelter and Curtis Sims. Brown alleges that Area 3 police detectives John O’Brien, John Paladino and Tony Maslanka—all of whom worked directly under Burge –verbally threatened him and beat him repeatedly with fists and a flashlight until he agreed to submit a bogus confession to the crimes.

At trials for both murders, Brown’s coerced confessions were the principal evidence used to tie him to the alleged crimes. And in both cases, the larger pattern of atrocities that Burge inflicted on other black suspects was not revealed. Burge is currently under federal indictment for perjury and obstruction of justice based on his sworn denials that suspects were abused and tortured. Brown finished serving the 30 year sentence imposed on him for one of the murders, but seeks release from his natural life sentence for the second.

(photo from Huffingtonpost.com)

WindyCitizen Deal With CBS2 Website May Be Wave of the Future

2009-04-30T06:47:00.000-07:00

CBS2 now prominently hosts a feed from WindyCitizen on the front page of the local section of its web site.

This is a good example of how MSM (mainstream media) is creating partnerships with smaller players to obtain content that they don't have the resources to gather.

WindyCitizen is a "reader-edited" news site where anyone can recommend, rate and discuss local news.

WindyCitizen gives CBS2 a granularity to their coverage that they can't get on their own, and is a good example of how organizations can work their way up the media food chain by posting on sites like WindyCitizen.

Recession To Push 400,000+ Illinoisians Into Poverty

2009-04-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

As many as 405,000 more Illinoisans are likely to have been pushed into poverty as a result of the recession, according to a new report today by He a rtland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty .

The 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty - the only annual comprehensive analysis of poverty indicators in the state - notes that nearly 1.5 million state residents were already living in poverty way before the recession began.

More on the study and news coverage after the jump...

Click here for more!

The projected increase, based on expectations that national unemployment will reach 9 percent this year, would represent a 27 percent bump in the number of people living in poverty over the past two years.

In the Chicago area, as many as 253,000 more residents - 87,000 of them children - are expected to go into poverty.

The new report also assess the well-being of each of Illinois 102 counties and assigns them to a "Poverty Warning or Watch List". The report found that poverty worsened in many areas of the state before the recent economic crisis, increasing in 58 counties. A total of 24 counties were placed on the Poverty Warning List and 46 counties appeared on the Poverty Watch List.

Media outlets from around the state have published the report's findings. Check out stories from Associated Press, Daily Herald, and the Peoria Journal Star. We'll be updating the post with new stories as they come in.

Here are some more compelling stats from the report.

COVERAGE UPDATES:

Blogs, etc.

Progress Illinois: "Heartland Alliance Finds Deepening Poverty In Illinois"
Chicagoist: "2009 Poverty Study Released"
Capitol Fax Blog: Morning Shorts
Beachwood Reporter: Item in The Papers column
On the Frontline: "those in poverty increase"
Poverty News Blog: "Numbers of poor spreading in Illinois"
The Sixth Ward Blog: "Quarter-million Chicagoans on brink of poverty: study"
From Poverty To Opportunity Campaign: "News Round-up on 2009 Poverty Report"
Illinois Pro Bono: "Heartland Alliance Releases 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty"

Chicago

Eight Forty Eight on WBEZ: Interview with report author Amy Terpstra
Crain's Chicago Business: "Quarter-million Chicagoans on brink of poverty: study"
Chicago Tribune: "Victims of economy: 250,000 more forced into poverty in Chicago area, report says"
ABC 7: "Social service providers see spike in need"
CBS 2: "Report: Recession Drives 400,000 In IL To Poverty"
Fox Chicago: "Economy Pushes Illinoisans Into Poverty"

Suburbs

Northwest Herald: "Study finds rise in Ill. poverty"
Kane County Chronicle: "Recession taking heavy toll on Fox Valley"
The Courier News (Elgin): "Institute adds Kane Co. to 'poverty watch list'"

Downstate

The Journal Standard (Freeport): "County on poverty warning list: Mid-America Institute on Poverty gives dire designation"
Journal Gazette/Times Courier (Charleston & Mattoon): "Study: Recession pushing Illinoisans into poverty"
The Telegraph (Alton): "Four area counties among 46 on poverty list"
Review Atlas (Monmouth): "Warren County Off Poverty List"
Daily Journal (Kankakee): "Local counties on poverty list"
NewsTribune (LaSalle): "Area counties on poverty list"
Galesburg Register Mail: "Knox County poverty rating improves"
The Times (Ottawa): "Agency worried about county's poverty"
Rock Island Argus: "Whiteside County added to poverty warning list"
WIFR-TV (Rockford): "Study: Recession Pushing Illinoisans into Poverty"
WGIL-AM (Galesburg): "Group Places Knox County on Poverty Watch List"
Jacksonville Journal Courier: "Group places Morgan on poverty warning list"
Pekin Daily Times: "Mason County named to poverty warning list"
The Southern Illinoisan: "Bankruptcy claims rise in the region"
Mt. Vernon Register News: "State poverty figures released"
Mt. Carmel Republican Register: "Wabash County placed on watch list for poverty"
WMBD/WYZZ-TV (Peoria): "Pushed into poverty"

Editorials/Opinion

Daily Herald: "Driscoll teaches a lesson for hard times"
The Southern Illinoisan: "Poverty is not a permanent condition"
Northwest Herald: "Give during tough times"
The Telegraph (Alton): "Poverty statistics speak of the truth"
Galesburg Register Mail: "Numbers show improvement, but poverty still growing here"

How Well Do the Media Cover NonProfit Issues?

2009-04-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

NP Communicator, a blog published by Community Media Workshop (CMW), is conducting research on the future of local news in Chicago. The chart on the right is from a survey of selected keywords in Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times news articles over the years. (Click on the chart to enlarge it and see the keywords)

Tribune Cuts: Naming Names

2009-04-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Chicago Reader's Michael Miner has names of the 53 cuts at Tribune.

Blogger Breaks Waterboarding Torture Story

2009-04-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

If anyone has any lingering suspicion that blogs are taking over the world of journalism, consider this.

It was a blogger who uncovered this week's top story that the CIA used waterboarding more than 266 times on two Al-Queda suspects.

Marcy Wheeler from emptywheel.com discovered that atrocious figure had not been redacted from the memos released by the U.S. Justice Department late last week.

The new information on the number of waterboarding episodes came out over the weekend when a number of bloggers, including Marcy Wheeler of the blog emptywheel, discovered it in the May 30, 2005, memo.
The sentences in the memo containing that information appear to have been redacted from some copies but are visible in others. Initial news reports about the memos in The New York Times and other publications did not include the numbers.

MacArthur Justice Center Attorney Joe Margulies is working to secure the release of Zubaida who endured waterboarding 83 times based on suspicions the government has tacitly conceded were misinformed.

Torture New and Old: Abu Ghraib & Jon Burge

2009-04-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Anyone shocked by today's top story, must not have read Wednesday's paper. Unfortunately, the "dark and painful" disclosures of clandestine memos authorizing U.S. officials to torture terrorism suspects seemed uncomfortable reminiscent of the atrocities inflicted on African-Americans by former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge.

The traumatic legacy of the Burge torture spree will resurface again on April 29th when a Cook County Court is expected to rule on a motion lawyers for Cortez Brown have filed seeking to compel Burge to testify about his misconduct. Burge oversaw the police detectives who beat Brown with a flashlight until he falsely confessed to murders he didn't commit. Brown is represented by the MacArthur Justice Center, affiliated with Northwestern University School of Law.

Click here for more!

Seventeen years later, Brown remains in prison, along with more than 20 other men wrongfully convicted due to spurious confessions extracted through torture.

President Obama has already closed the shadowy offshore prisons where the CIA abused terrorism suspects. Now it's up to Cook County Courts to atone for gross abuses of justice that took place in our own backyard.

(Image via Ron Paul Forums)

What's your public radio name?

2009-04-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

As a huge NPR/WBEZ fan, I always wanted a public radio-worthy name, like Sylvia Poggioli or Kai Ryssdal or local favorites Amad Omarr or Rob Wildeboer.

Luckily some Twitter buzz led me Tumblr blogger Liana Maeby's excellent system:

You take your middle initial and insert it somewhere into your first name. Then you add on the smallest foreign town you’ve ever visited.

Yes! I am now Ahugh Samet. What's your NPR name?

Beachwood Reporter, Chicagotalks win awards

2009-04-14T14:35:00.001-07:00

Tribune is laying off more folks and Streetwise is in trouble. How about some good Chicago media news?

Beachwood Reporter and Chicagotalks were recognized for journalistic excellence recently. "Out of Order" and "Off the Record," investigative pieces by Erica Christoffer and Becky Schlikerman about the lack of transparency in Chicago City Council committee meetings, won a Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative reporting.

Today Beachwood proprietor Steve Rhodes wrote about the award and also how he feels about the value of news professionals sharing and linking. It will be interesting to see if big MSM organizations come around.

Streetwise Endangered

2009-04-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

In a disheartening twist of timing, two days after a NY Times article declared that "newspapers produced and sold by homeless people in dozens of American cities are flourishing" (see Valerie's post), today's Tribune reports that Streetwise, Chicago's own homeless-oriented journal, is on the brink of collapse.

Valerie's exhortation to support Streetwise reverberates with unprecedented urgency now.

Frontline spotlights 'Poisoned Waters'

2009-04-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

The PBS show Frontline is doing a special report about polluted waters and it looks pretty intense. They focus on Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound, but a lot of the problems they highlight - agricultural and industrial toxic pollution and combined sewer overflow (CSO) - are the same problems we have here in The Great Lakes. Looks like it makes a compelling case pollution and isn't just a concern for hippies and tree huggers - toxic waste hurts the health and well being of every person in every community.

The premiere is April 21 - you can check out the press release and other clips at their website.

Street papers growing

2009-04-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

According to an article in the New York Times:

Newspapers produced and sold by homeless people in dozens of American cities are flourishing even as the deepening recession endangers conventional newspapers. At many of them, circulation is growing, along with the sales forces dispatched to sell the papers to passers-by.

According to the article, the current recession has brought new and, in some cases, highly skilled vendors to the industry, and the "offbeat" coverage is attracting new interest.

So don't forget to buy that copy of Streetwise when you see someone selling here in Chicago.

Chicago Fosters New Media Models

2009-04-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

You may have received a copy of The Printed Blog at your neighborhood El stop. Another new Chicago news aggregator called Newser, is also trying to engineer a new financial model for delivering the news. According to the Sun-Times, this new company is employing 11 full-time employees (note: the article doesn't say "reporters"). Like a lot of new, news sources, it searches far and wide for content developed by others. One more news "source" that is attempting to make money by purveying a product paid for by others. It can't work in the long run. If the people who create high quality content can't make a living or profit by doing it, they it's just going to go away.

CTDN tells the story of a Cabrini-Green musical

2009-04-10T11:19:00.001-07:00

There's a great audio slide show up at Chi-Town Daily News telling the story of a musical that kids are writing about Cabrini-Green through the Music Theatre Workshop. Check it out.

Pizza for the Birds: Tweeting about DiGiorno

2009-04-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Everybody is Twittering these days, even if they don't know what it means. And in the latest sign that social media has equaled the stature of their print, radio and TV predecessors, this story from Crain's (the on-line version, of course) reports on a new product launch conducted via Twitter.

Kraft's DiGiorno Pizza brand will hold parties for Tweeters to showcase a new pie. Perhaps what's most notable about this story is not the fact that DiGiorno is tapping the Tweeter community, but the highly calculated way it's going about it.

Click here for more!

After all, word of mouth campaigns tend to flourish precisely because they seem unrehearsed. Whether the outlet is YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or a blog, on-line cultural sensations resonate in part because they appear to have originated organically. People trust their friends more than they trust a professional pitchman.

But by announcing these Twitter parties, the DiGiorno marketing team is making little pretense about their attempt to orchestrate their street cred.

It would seem to buck the current orthodoxy in the communications world that traditional PR methods -- news releases, press conferences -- won't work with upstart social media that pride themselves on resisting marketing manipulation.

But the new frontier of social media is still so uncharted that there really can't be any orthodoxies. So it will be interesting to watch how this DiGiorno campaign fares.

In the meantime, the marketeers at DiGiorno have done of savvy job of generating news coverage on the mere fact that they're engaging Twitter. They've already leveraged the campaign without generating a single tweet.

Illustration taken from utdummies.com via Google Images.

Five Great Event Spaces in Chicago

2009-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a great party?

As VDC's resident "event guru," I manage and coordinate special events for our clients. From a 900-person conference to an anniversary celebration, I've helped organizations plan dynamic events at some of Chicago's most unique venues.

I'm also a self-proclaimed social butterfly and love going to networking events around the city to check out new spaces. Here's my pick on five great places to hold your next meeting or fiesta.

Click here for more!

Midtown Kitchen + Bar

If you're looking for a trendy and fun (but not pretentious) place to host a mingler or cocktail hour, Midtown is the spot for you. The upstairs space offers plenty of room for networking, I've coordinated two events here for Women Employed's Advocacy Council. Wide windows offer a great view of the Loop and provide nice natural light. It's also conveniently located on Lake and LaSalle streets, near all major CTA train lines. Midtown also has great drink and food specials - I recommend the brie-apple quesadillas. 203 N. LaSalle St. (312) 379-5086.

National Museum of Mexican Art
Located in the heart of Pilsen, the former Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, is the nation's largest Latino arts institution. I've been to several events here and its always a treat to view the amazing exhibits and learn more about Mexican culture. And you can cater in delicious Mexican fare from local restaurants. 1852 West 19th St. (312) 738.1503.

UIC Forum
Hosting a conference or symposium at one of the usual Loop hotels doesn't have to be your only option any more. The UIC Forum, UIC's newest event venue on Halsted St. and Roosevelt Rd., offers a convenient space for large meetings. I coordinated one of the Forum's first major events last year with the New Communities Getting It Done conference. While I did encounter some glitches (usually associated with any new place), the accessibility to downtown and public transportation, as well as spacious, versatile rooms make this an ideal venue for a large gathering. 725 W Roosevelt Rd. (312) 413-9875.

Catalyst Ranch
Need to spice up a meeting? Check out the quirky and creative rooms at Catalyst Ranch. I never knew this place even existed, but the had the pleasure of spending time here during a board retreat for Women Employed a few years ago. Its like preschool all over again - fun, kitschy decor and toys from head to toe, including hammocks, play dough, tinker toys, and candy. Definitely a fun environment to foster some creative brainstorming outside the conference room. 656 W. Randolph St. Suite 3W. (312) 207-1710.

The Grand Ballroom
An urban jewel, the Grand Ballroom is tucked away in the Woodlawn community; one step inside and you're transported to a whole new world. The vibe is old-school Chicago jazz glamour: gorgeous hard wood floors, a 60 foot long bar, band shell stage, and ornate light fixtures. The Ballroom dates back to the 1920s when it was formally known at the Cinderella Dance Hall (note the slipper accents in the decor) and was fully restored in 2005. We hosted the Chicago Community Loan Fund's 15th anniversary here in 2006 and it was a magical evening. 6351 S. Cottage Grove Ave. (773) 324-0000.

What are your favorite event spaces in the city? Comment and let me know. I'm always looking for a new spot to check out.

Photo by John Booz for LISC/Chicago's New Communities Program

Great Lakes documentary on The History Channel

2009-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

The History Channel's How the Earth Was Made series covered the formation of the Great Lakes the other night - saw some buzz about it on Twitter. So far it looks like a treat for Great Lakes nerds like us.

You can watch whenever you want online here. Sadly, it isn't embeddable.

Side note: I love how The History Channel tries to make everything, no matter how fun and nerdy, as hardcore as a bad Steven Segal movie. They use metal guitar riffs, a movie-trailer voice over and quick edgy cuts to make make geologists talking about fossilized sponge creatures as sexy and dangerous as possible. Why not let me just enjoy my fun learning in all its nerdiness?

Dual Monitors With Two Different Wallpapers

2009-04-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Two computer monitors are better than one. Much better. I use a dual monitor setup in my office at VDC and I absolutely love it. Having dual monitors makes it so much easier to work. They are fantastic!

Like many of you, I try to change my desktop wallpaper on a regular basis. It's like a change of scenery without leaving office. I wanted to see if there was a way to have a different picture on each monitor, because Windows only allows you to put one image on both screens. Well luckily for me, I came across a program that allowed me to do just that. It is called DisplayFusion and can be downloaded here. It's quick to download and easy to use. I downloaded the free version of the program and I was able to create some magic. See for yourself - the picture above is my actual desktop.

The DisplayFusion program allows you to do some pretty cool things with your desktop. The premium version obviously has alot more features. However, the regular version was just what I was looking for. It allowed me to customize my desktop just the way I wanted it.

Lastly - the pictures on my desktop are from this fantastic new blog I came across a few weeks ago. It's called The Windy Pixel. Their blog posts show some amazing Chicago photography and their contributors are extremely talented. If you like Chicago photography (or just photograpy or Chicago in general) I highly recommend you take a look.

(Photo taken by PSK, screen images from www.thewindypixel.com)

What NOT to do on Twitter

2009-04-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

VDC engages folks on Twitter for one of our clients and individually - if you are considering or already using Twitter for your organization, this list of what not to do on Twitter by B.L. Ochman is very useful. A lot of these "don'ts" apply mainly to businesses, but they are good lessons for nonprofits and activists as well.

The advice on the list I think is most important is that your main goal should be to be interesting and add value to the community - try to make only every few tweets about your organization specifically. In between promoting the work of your group, link to interesting articles about your subject and retweet and respond to folks talking about it. Most importantly, "listen" to what is being said on all sides of the discussion - you can search for key terms and monitor conversation in real time. Doing this will postition your org as trusted and useful to people who care about your cause - if all goes well, in turn, these followers will share your content and message with their friends who may not be as familiar.

Remember, principles for engaging people on Twitter are similar to all social media tools: the quality of your relationships and interaction matters more than the quanitity.

How to consume a lot of internet in a little time

2009-04-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

A question I get asked a lot about blogs and social media is "how the heck do you find time to read all that crazy bloggedy blog stuff?"

Well, A) I'm a big nerd and look at the internet many, many hours a week when I could be exercising or learning Spanish or something. and B) I use Google Reader.

If you are overwhelmed with content - your browser is clogged with bookmarks and you forgot to type in the the URL of that hilarious kitten blog your daughter told you about - you should try Google Reader. It organizes posts from all the things you want to read into one easy-to-use website, making reading many blogs, social media sites, and even newspapers an hour or so commitment per day.

How to get started and ideas on what to read after the jump.

Click here for more!

Google Reader uses RSS feeds to bring you content so you don't have to go get it. An RSS feed is like a subscription to the content of a website - there are RSS feeds to almost any web content - news organizations, trade publications, Craigslist postings, social media tools and blogs (like this one). This terrific Common Craft video explains it very well:

So you went to Google Reader and signed up. Now what to subscribe to? Here are some ideas:

Newspapers you already read every day have RSS feeds - not only for news articles, but you can also choose to just subscribe to your favorite subject or columnist (or sports team). Here are pages of RSS feeds for Chicago papers: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business.
Chicago's got a healthy blog and social news scene. Chicagoist, Gapers Block, and Windy Citizen are good daily reads for absorbing the local Internet zeitgeist. Chi-Town Daily News and EveryBlock can help you stay up to speed on Chicago's neighborhood news.
You can even get an RSS feed to a Google search, like "Great Lakes restoration," "TIF District," or "Hugh McMullen." Just do a Google News Search for your subject and click "RSS" in the lefthand column.

Remember, if you find a blog or website you like in your Internet travels, just find the little orange RSS button and click on it to add it to your Reader and you won't have to remember to go back. When you get really savvy, you'll be sharing and organizing your feeds and items like a real Internet nerd.

I know what your first subscription will be. Any other feeds to suggest?

The 200 Million Faces of Facebook

2009-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

The explosive growth of Facebook is about to reach new heights as its membership approaches the 200 million mark -- double its volume of just six months ago.

Facebook's population is the equivalent of the fifth-largest nation in the world, and my guess is that some members are using the site to organize their own military, so move over Brazil. That aside, Facebook, like Youtube and Twitter, is a burgeoning medium for word-of-mouth communications, which are increasingly dictating the mainstream media's agenda.

And, of course, the site can also be used to stay attuned to every last mundane thing your friends are doing. Excuse me while I log onto Facebook and update my status to "yawning."

Part of the Problem?

2009-04-01T11:45:00.001-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Better Know a Lobby - Newspaper Lobby

comedycentral.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

NASA Name Contest

I was rooting for this spokesperson for the newspaper industry, but I ended up cringing

New study: Supportive housing - pay now, not later

2009-04-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

In this tough fiscal climate, state services are feeling the pinch as more people need their help. But Illinois could save millions of dollars from the most expensive users of public services with more supportive housing, according to a new report released today by Heartland Alliance Mid-America Institute on Poverty (MAIP) and Supportive Housing Providers Association (SHPA).

More on the study and news coverage of the release after the jump...

Click here for more!

What is supportive housing? It's affordable housing coupled with supportive services for the homeless, mentally ill and other distressed populations. There are currently 6,000 supportive housing units in 28 Illinois counties.

Today's report found an overall 39 percent cost reduction in the use of state public services from a sample of 177 supportive housing residents. That translates to more than $850,000 - an average saving of $2,400 per resident per year.

And MAIP acknowledges that's not the full scope of savings. Based on other national studies, the cost savings per resident could be more than 7 times higher than the $2,400 figure.

VDC publicized the report's findings, which appeared in stories by the Associated Press and Chicago Public Radio. You can also check out what Google News has picked up here.

Image via United Property Tax Consultants

Framing A Social Change Message

2009-04-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

How target audiences view your issue depends in large measure in how you "frame" it.

People use mental shortcuts to make sense of the world. Since most people are looking to process incoming information quickly and efficiently, they rely upon cues within that new information to signal to them how to connect it with their stored images of the world. The "pictures in our heads," as Lippmann called them, might better be thought of as vividly labeled storage boxes - filled with pictures, images, and stories from our past encounters with the world and labeled youth, marriage, poverty, fairness, etc. The incoming information provides cues about which is the right container for that idea or experience. And the efficient thinker makes the connection, a process called "indexing," and moves on.

Put another way, how an issue is framed is a trigger to these shared and durable cultural models that help us make sense of our world. When a frame ignites a cultural model, or calls it into play in the interpretation, the whole model is operative. This allows people to reason about an issue, to make inferences, to fill in the blanks for missing information by referring to the robustness of the model, not the sketchy frame.

This quote comes from FrameWorks Institute, which is devoted to the science of how audiences take in and process new messages. Check out their issues page for important suggestions on your issue and other excellent tools located on their website.

(Image via Frameworks Institute)

A surefire way to get cameras to your press conference

2009-03-31T18:03:00.000-07:00

Bring a baby leaf monkey, obvs:

I mean, I know it is really cute and everything, but does The Media really need one hundred cameras taking one hundred photos per second? Imagine if he also tried to sell a Senate seat...

Upgrade to Antiquated County Jail Computer System Desperately Needed

2009-03-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

The computer system for Cook County Jail is more than 30 years-old, DOS-based and has a history of crashing. This system, installed when disco was popular, has the immense responsibility of tracking the day-to-day operations of the jail and ensuring it doesn't violate the 1982 Consent Decree, which prohibits overcrowding by even one person.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners already authorized the $2.7 million to upgrade the system, yet they are now dragging their feet to appropriate the funds.

Recently, MacArthur Justice Center attorneys asked a federal court to require the board to act. And Sheriff Dart wants action as well.

"We need this computer to be replaced," said Steve Patterson, a spokesman for Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. "The concern is that the wrong person gets released or the right person doesn't get released because of a computer malfunction."

To read the full article in the Chicago Tribune, click here.
(image from www.alexhophotography.com)

Sun-Times Files for Chapter 11

2009-03-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

This morning, CNN.com reports that the company that owns the Chicago Sun-Times and 58 other newspapers filed today for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The Sun-Times joins other publications currently in bankruptcy, including the Chicago Tribune, while many others are on the brink.

“The significant downturn in the print advertising environment that has affected newspapers across the country has continued to severely impact us,” said Jeremy Halbreich, chairman and interim chief executive of the Sun-Times Media Group. “Unfortunately, this deteriorating economic climate, coupled with a significant, pending IRS tax liability dating back to previous management, has led us to today’s difficult action.”

Halbreich said the company would explore the potential sale of assets or new investment in the company to help it remain viable.

HBO's "No. 1 Ladies" in Chicago

2009-03-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

A lot of folks don't know that Valerie Denney Communications does press outreach for some of HBO's midwest screenings, which can be a fun change of pace for us. Last week we got some buzz going about the new series "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency," a fun story set in Botswana that made its local premiere at the DuSable Museum. Costar Anika Noni Rose came to Chicago to promote the film and appeared in Redeye and on ABC 7. It was great hearing Anika's stories about Botswana and its people and feeling the excitement of the crowd who made it to the screening.

You can read about our work promoting "No. 1 Ladies" and other past projects with HBO at our website.

Checking in with Chat Daddy

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was on the phone a couple weeks ago with one of VDC's favorite media people, Chat Daddy (aka Art Sims), who writes a fantastic advice column for Chicago Defender. I learned that in addition to his column, Art is also helping people in the community at South Central Community Services, Inc. You can read about Art's work in a post I wrote for the Community Beat blog.

Cortez Brown: A Forgotten Victim of Police Brutality

2009-03-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, the trial began for the 3 Chicago police who were videotaped beating 4 businessmen in a bar brawl.

This example of alleged police brutality has captured the attention of the city and news media, but there are other victims of police brutality that have been virtually forgotten.

One such victim is Cortez Brown.

Click here for more!

Brown was convicted in 1990 for two murders because he falsely confessed to the crime after three of Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge’s underlings bludgeoned him with a flashlight.

Originally arrested for a traffic violation, Brown was taken to the notorious Area 3 Chicago Police Department where three detectives—John O’Brien, John Paladino and Tony Maslanka—chained him to a wall, verbally threatened him and beat him repeatedly with fists and flashlights until he agreed to submit a bogus confession to the crimes.

Today, Brown languishes in jail and has been there for 18 years, 12 of which was spent on Death Row before former Gov. Ryan commuted the sentence to life. Brown and his attorney, Locke Bowman from the MacArthur Justice Center, have asked the court to overturn his sentence and an evidentiary hearing is scheduled for May.

Like the 4 businessmen allegedly attacked at the West Loop bar, Brown was brutalized by Chicago’s police. His story deserves to be told.

Gamesmanship: Obama and the Mainstream Media

2009-03-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

There was a strange echo of disdain in both the NY Times and Tribune accounts of the President's news conference Tuesday. For straight news stories -- neither was labeled as a news analysis -- they both strayed into something akin to a theater review.

Both articles led not with what Obama said during the news conference, but how he said it.

Click here for more!

Reporters for both papers characterized the President's demeanor as pedantic, with the churlish NY Times going so far as to liken Obama to a professor boring his class into a trance.

Rarely do White House correspondents seem so preoccupied with a President's mood. And rarely do they report on Presidential news conferences as if they were dramatic monologues delivered in an acting class.

But rarely, if ever, has a President dealt with the mainstream media at a news conference as Obama did Tuesday, when he conscpicuously catered to specialized outlets and took fewer questions from their "establishment" counterparts. And I can't help but wonder if there is a connection here -- if somehow the harsh tenor of the Times and Tribune stories reflected a wounded mainstream media intent on returning a slight.

After all, media relations is to some extent a power dynamic. The media has the power to determine the news the public consumes. Sources have the power to determine which media outlets have access to the news. Both parties can use their power to groom relationships or to express a grievance.

For instance, if you're releasing news and you give one media outlet an opportunity to cover the story in advance, don't be surprised if a chief competitor ignores the story altogether. Still, that strategy may be worth it, if the outlet you favored rewards you in return by granting the story better placement.

Likewise, if a reporter lacks interest in your material or exhibits a bias against it, don't hesitate to consider how you can use access to either cultivate a better relationship with her, or minimize her opportunity to do you harm.

(Photo via Doug's Travel Blog)

Filter-Free News: Lessons from Obama's Communications

2009-03-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sure, you can still catch President Barack Obam a on traditional mainstream media outlets like 60 Minutes, but he is effectively reaching out to niche media as well. Who didn’t see ESPN’s coverage of the president’s picks for the NCAA basketball tournament.

Politico.com had this article about Obama's outreach plans, and it's something we can ALL learn from.

Obama himself plans to meet soon with liberal bloggers, according to an administration official. With little fanfare, he’s already sat for interviews with Black Enterprise magazine, Telemundo and Los Angeles-based Hispanic radio host Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo…

…Obama can exploit the fact that the traditional newspapers and networks are weakened by competition from cable and the Web, and by a faltering business model. What’s more, the proliferation of outlets has been embraced in recent years by a newly energized liberal base — eager to match the decades-old success of conservatives in building media channels to circumvent what they see as a biased or trivia-minded Washington press corps.

So in an age where traditional newspapers and networks are weakened, where it’s tougher to land that story in the Trib or Sun-Times, take a lesson from the President and include bloggers and other niche media in your next outreach plan.

(image from ESPN.com)

Super Mario takes on Chicago

2009-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is a really fun video of Super Mario making his way through Chicago:

Warp Whistle
by MatthewDominick

At first it looks almost like a video promoting Chicago tourism or something - then the ending makes me think it was funded by White Castle, unless the creators were just looking for a castle to end the "level." In that case, they could have also used Binny's Beverage Depot.

(via Boing Boing)

Twitter to introduce paid pro accounts

2009-03-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Millions use Twitter, but the service is absolutely free and features no ads. I'm sure Twitter's investors are eager to see it make some money on its own.

Looks like they'll be getting down to it soon, as it was confirmed the other day that Twitter will introduce paid pro accounts and other products to companies and heavy Twitter users. Twitter cofounder Biz Stone told Business Insider:

Commercial entities like Whole Foods, Starbucks, Mission Pie, 52 Teas, JetBlue, even the Korean taco truck guy are all on Twitter—users and businesses alike are finding value.

Our question is, how can we help? What can Twitter offer for a fee that will improve the experience? Will it be account verification? Will it be lightweight analytics? Will there be opportunities for introducing customers to businesses on Twitter.

So many questions. But the key is to understand that Twitter will remain free for all to use—individuals and companies alike. We are thinking about simple business products that enhance and encourage what is already happening.

I wonder if these products will be affordable for nonprofits and activists who use Twitter to communicate their message.

CUB to Fight Gas Rate Hike

2009-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today's news that Illinois regulators have approved another increase in energy costs for the state's financially embattled consumers is the latest reminder of why we value the Citizens Utility Board (CUB).

Yes, CUB is our client. But my connection to the organization predates my work history. I interned for CUB when I was in college, and the organization was still its infancy. But this year, CUB, the state's largest consumer advocacy organization and a vital check on utilities that enjoy a near-monopoly, celebrates its silver anniversary. And the money the organization has saved us in those 25 years -- more than $10 billion -- is pure gold.

Click here for more!

As consumers have learned to expect, CUB is contesting the proposed NICOR rate hike approved today. CUB has also become an expert on reducing costs of phone usage. I recommending visiting CUB's Local Phone Cost-Cutter and CellPhone Saver, two on-line resources that analyze your conventional and wireless phone bills and direct you to money-saving plans that could reduce your bills dramatically.

A global city without global news?

2009-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tribune Co. announced that foreign coverage for all its papers will be consolidated in L.A., in much the same way it reorganized its DC bureaus.

From their business perspective I understand this move. Personally, I get news about from all sorts of sources - FP Passport, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, etc. - not a lot from Chicago Tribune. Many other heavy news consumers are the same way, and I'm sure Tribune sees this and figures, why not just get the AP copy and whatever a smaller and consolidated foreign desk can get for all its papers?

I am worried about what this means for Chicago and the Midwest, though. Why after the jump.

Click here for more!

I worry about who will explain how world events affect Chicago and the Midwest in these tough times for the region. Even more importantly, who will be our public voice as we become a more globalized world?

A commenter on Michael Miner's post on the subject said:

I mean, here we are in the Midwest, the "rust bucket," the section of the country most devastated by globalization, outsourcing and offshoring. We're really hurting here, and we could use a powerful voice speaking on our behalf. The Trib is the top newspaper in the region, and once had a creditable national and foreign staff.

It's a fair point. What does all this mean for a Chicago trying desperately to be considered a global city?

(photo via The Portage Park Blog)

The Future of Independent and Small Press

2009-03-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

Tracy Van Slyke is program director fo the The Media Consortium and editor of Build the Echo. In an interview recently with Feministing.com, she talked about how well the alternative media and independent press are faring in this media environment.
She had some interesting advice to small publications.

Read her thoughts after the jump.

Click here for more!

1) Allow your audiences to play. Loosen up control on your stuff and offer opportunities for your audience to get involved in story generation, creation and dissemination. Bring them into the idea generating/story planning process. Allow them to help gather resources, relevant articles, interviews and more that can be integrated into the final product! They will have much more buy-into your journalism, donating and supporting, and disseminating the media to their networks, friends and family.

2) Provide the space for your audiences to self-organize. Diving into the previous concept a little more, take a page from the Obama playbook to allow your audiences to use the media to activate themselves and their networks. Instead of just commenting on articles, provide the space/platform to allow audiences to self-organize that allow them to take action, whether it's creating action groups, petitions, fundraising for a specific cause and more.

3) Collaborate. Coordinate. Share resources. Where you may be weak on editorial focus, distribution, audiences, partner with someone who is strong. Work together on editorial projects. Don't be competitive and close yourself off to new partnerships that can strengthen your journalism, help it reach new audiences, and potentially bring more revenue in or save you money on the back end. You don't have the option to be a lone ranger anymore!

Presidential Press Conference

2009-03-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

This was a precarious stance for Obama to take in the currently venomous climate toward Wall St.

As usual, the President talked to us like adults and asked us to behave accordingly. And he's right. But from a public relations perspective, he risked sounding sympathetic to a class of investors that have become public pariahs. And his comments came one day after he proposed a bank bailout that some people have characterized as a hand-out to the rich.

Click here for more!

Certainly the administration knows that any effort to temper public enmity towards Wall St. could make the President sound too conciliatory in an atmosphere where the electorate wants revenge. But this only underscores the depths of Obama's predicament: If he fuels that populist anger, he raises political barriers to the additional money Congress will need to authorize to aid the ailing economy.

So Obama has opted for a message of peacemaking. And he probably figures that Republicans can hardly quarrel with Obama's remarks, since they, too, need to make nice with their Wall St. base.

The prediction here is that Obama will pay a short-term price for his "don't demonize" remark, after the media finishes dissecting every word of the speech. The media began rumblings last week that Obama might be out of touch with the intensity of the public's spite, and unfortunately, his comment Tuesday night could be misconstrued as more evidence of that myth.

What is perhaps most admirable here, is that Obama is his message mavens are hardly oblivious to the criticism such remarks might provoke. But that hasn't deterred the President from saying what's necessary in a world of adults.

Michigan To Lose Four Dailies

2009-03-23T16:36:00.001-07:00

The decimation of the print newspaper industry continues with the announcement that four Michigan daily publications will eliminate editions and one outlet will be entirely extinct by the summer. A cost-cutting spree at parent company Advance Publications will reverberate throughout the country as staff at major dailies in Cleveland, New Orleans and other cities will be required to take two-week furloughs.

The Danger of a Paperless News Media

2009-03-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

At a time when the President consistently urges us to topple the barriers that divide the nation, Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times claims that the demise of traditional newspapers is reinforcing the ideological segregation of America.

Tribune lists Twitter handles instead of names on masthead

2009-03-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Chicago Tribune is listing Twitter handles instead of names on its masthead:

If you're signed up on Twitter, you can find out what Tribune Publisher @twhunter, Editor @gerrykern, Editorial Page Editor @BruceDold, Managing Editor @jjhirt, Digital Media Editor @Bill80, and Associate Editor @jwinnecke are all having for lunch (or writing about) every day.

If you want to know what I'm having for lunch (or what I'm reading or ranting about), I'm @hughadam.

Tomorrow is the first day of spring

2009-03-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Chicago. I am proud to say that I have lived here all of my life. With that said the winters here are a little rough - lots of cold and lots of snow. However, starting tomorrow, we get to officially break out from the cold winter and welcome the fantastic weather (hopefully - fingers crossed) that spring has to offer. Along with the warmer weather comes one of my favorite things - fresh produce.

As some of you may know, in addition to being the operational guru here at VDC, I am also the resident culinarian. I am a classically trained chef and a fantastic cook. When I cook, I really take the time to find the best ingredients I can. This is much easier in the spring/summer/fall months as the Chicago area has some fantastic local produce farmers.

One of my favorite organizations is Growing Home Inc. They are a nonprofit organization that utilizes organic agriculture as a vehicle for employment, job training and community development. In addition to providing these social services to the community, they also grow and sell their own organic produce. Growing Home currently provides some of Chicago's best restaurants with produce. Their produce is also offered at local farmers markets and through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Here is a pdf list of the crops offered by Growing Home and which months they are usually available.

I am really looking forward to participating in the CSA program this year. The program allows me to get some great produce and allows Growing Home the opportunity to grow their social enterprise. I am really hoping to create some new and fantastic dishes using their organic produce. It's shaping up to be a great summer.

For more information on Growing Home, please call (773) 549-1336 or visit www.growinghomeinc.org.

(Photo: Growing Home Inc.)

Leaving Newspapers You Can Hold Behind Part I

2009-03-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Many people who grew up loving newspapers can't get used to the idea that their news might not come in the form of a paper that they spread out on the breakfast table every morning.

I can understand that. My father read Mike Royko aloud to my mother at night while she fixed dinner, and my love affair with newspapers and the worlds they could open me up to started there. Over the years I came to love the wide variety of information a newspaper could provide. Somewhere along the way in my 30s I decided I wanted to understand the world of business and finance. I used the business pages of newspapers as my textbook, wading through articles I barely understood, until, little by little, I gained a basic understanding basic financial concepts.

Click here to read more!

I always thought of the newspaper as the average person's college -- a place where, if you spent the time, you could learn something about anything you really wanted to know about and at very little cost.

Best of all a good deal of the joy came from the way a newspaper could unexpected introduce me to new and fascinating information that I had no idea I wanted to know about.

Though I still read print newspapers on the weekdays, it's mainly because they come to my office that way. At home, my Sunday morning routine now begins with me settling into my easy chair with my cup of coffee and Google news on my laptop.

And, you know what? It's better. The variety of news and information is so vast. I started really understanding this during the Obama campaign, when I, like everyone else, was searching everyday (multiple times) online for some new scrap of information that would show we were winning.

That activity opened me up to numerous new information sources and the wide variety of content available online -- much more than a newspaper could ever provide and much more varied.

Yes, you can't spread the online world out on the table, but, if you have a laptop -- and that's essential -- you can enjoy it from an easy chair.

I'm not a tech geek, but my next post will tell you what I think are the basics for shifting over to an online news world. It's really not that hard.

Cuts at Crain's

2009-03-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Crain's Chicago Business is looking at a company-wide 10% pay cut and three staff layoffs, reports Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal .

In happier news, Crain's columnist Greg Hinz joined Twitter yesterday - you can also read his newish blog.

Bonus Coverage

2009-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today's top story represents one of the rare instances where the fledgling Obama Administration has struggled in the face of an emerging storyline.

Obama's message machine hummed like a Corvette (prior to GM's collapse) through the campaign and into the first six weeks of his Presidency. But when the public blew a gasket over AIG's plans to award misfits with bonuses, the administration appeared to be backtracking. As a result, today's storylines characterize the administration as out of sync with the public, rather than in control of the situation.

What could have been done differently?

Set Expectations

From his acceptance speech on Election Night through virtually every publicly utterance since, Obama has tried to prepare the public for a prolongue economic slump. Strangely, that kind of perception-shaping was neglected in the case of AIG.

This predicament underscores the importance of setting expectations and releasing bad news on your own terms. We're learning today that the Administration knew about the bonuses for months. It would have spared itself some damage if it had disclosed months ago that 1) the bonuses were planned; 2) it would be legally difficult to derail them; but 3) the administration would do everything it possibly could to outmanuver the lawyers and stop the gluttony at AIG.

Had that transpired, recent stories might be focused on and administration fighting to keep greedy bankers in check, rather than an administration giving greedy bankers a government check.

Practice Message Discipline

Perhaps because it didn't anticipate the intensity of the public wrath against AIG, Obama Administration members exhibited a rare display of mixed messages over the past 48 hours, alternately expressing resignation to the bonuses and determination to undo them. From the NY Times:

Still, the president’s directive to his Treasury secretary to “pursue every legal avenue” against the payments seemed to conflict with statements over the weekend from the Treasury Department and from Lawrence H. Summers, Mr. Obama’s chief economic adviser in the White House, that the Treasury already had reviewed its legal options and concluded the administration had no power to stop the payments .
“We are a country of law,” Mr. Summers said on ABC-TV’s Sunday show. “This Week”:There are contracts. The government cannot just abrogate contracts. Every legal step possible to limit those bonuses is being taken by Secretary Geithner and by the Federal Reserve system,”

Unfortunately, by getting behind the story, today's coverage has focused less on the substance of the President's proclamation than the political expediency that informed it. That threatens the authencity of the message.

With today's statements, Obama may be well on his way to regaining control of the message. But for a day, at least, it appears that the Administration paid a price for bankers run amuck.

The State of the News Media 2009

2009-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Post Intelligencer publishes its last print issue on Tuesday. The Rocky Mountain News is no more. These are two venerable publications that I never thought I would see disappear in my lifetime.

It's a good time to read a new report from the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, The State of the News Media: An Annual Report on American Journalism.

Here's a taste:

Newspaper ad revenues have fallen 23% in the last two years. Some papers are in bankruptcy, and others have lost three-quarters of their value. By our calculations, nearly one out of every five journalists working for newspapers in 2001 is now gone, and 2009 may be the worst year yet.
In local television, news staffs, already too small to adequately cover their communities, are being cut at unprecedented rates; revenues fell by 7% in an election year—something unheard of—and ratings are now falling or are flat across the schedule. In network news, even the rare programs increasing their ratings are seeing revenues fall.
Now the ethnic press is also troubled and in many ways is the most vulnerable because so many operations are small.
Only cable news really flourished in 2008, thanks to an Ahab-like focus on the election, although some of the ratings gains were erased after the election.
Perhaps least noticed yet most important, the audience migration to the Internet is now accelerating.

How to turn a PDF into a Word document

2009-03-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well, you just go to the aptly named website PDF to Word. I just found this user friendly and free tool on the very cool productivity blog Lifehacker, which reports on ways to make your life easier and improve your on- and offline productivity.

All you do is upload the PDF you want to change and give them your email - the site will email you the new Word doc. Saves some headaches when you want to copy or edit downloaded reports or archived documents.

Reader revamps its web look

2009-03-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Chicago Reader got a new look on the web:

What do you think?

You can follow Reader web editor and blogger Whet Moser on Twitter at @whet.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet?

2009-03-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Twitter is the latest social media/communications/networking/online gadget that everyone seems to be on.

With only 140-characters for messages (aka “tweets”), people post daily musings, trade food recipes, or provide real-time commentary on special events.

Many organizations are tapping into this network to reach audiences in a new way. VDC recently launched a Twitter feed for one of our clients, the Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition (@healthylakes). We see it as a great tool to provide instant updates on advocacy issues, links to media reports, and find other individuals interested in our cause. Before you hop on, check out this article on finding the right "brand voice" for your organization.

Chicago media outlets and reporters are all over Twitter too - here's a good round up on where to find them.

I myself started a Twitter account (@FirstLadyA). At the moment I've been using it as a tool to connect with my sister and read tweets by my favorite media sources - from David Gregory to Perez Hilton. My tweets are pretty random though - but feel free to check me out!

The Emerging Media Ecosystem

2009-02-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this? (Click for a bigger version)

Wow. In my opinion, this gets it right.

In these interesting times, good communications strategies need to take into account a lot more than the colors of the brochure or what the headline is in the Tribune - we'll need to take into account the filters and aggregators and the sharers of this content as well. The way I like to think of it, these people and programs at the top and bottom of the graph represent conversations about the news people have been having for years and years, only now they are bigger, more public and easier to jump into.

For communications people and activists, our messages are a lot harder to control, but there is so much more opportunity to engage people.

What do you think?

(graphic from inju via Community Media Workshop)

How nonprofits can use YouTube

2009-02-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Social media blog Mashable posted 10 of the Smartest Big Brands in Social Media, which is some pretty interesting reading and viewing. Tops on the list is Blendtech, who increased sales by a lot through their YouTube campaign "Will It Blend?" Here's my personal favorite:

Mike and I saw the person who came up with this speak at a conference last year - he gave a really great presentation, but Mike and I were trying to figure out how YouTube ideas like this can work for a wonky policy report or an ask.

While it isn't as easy as destroying stuff and taping it, I think there are some ways nonprofits and activists can engage people with YouTube. Here are some examples:

Show the faces of your work or issue in a documentary style, like AFL-CIO and ACORN did in their Seven Days at Minimum Wage campaign. This can help the public, decision makers, and funders see what your work means at a human level:

Make a targeted ask for action or funding, like this video by the League of Young Voters. Depending on the audience, it can be a good change from a letter or postcard:

"Punk" the bad guys, like Greenpeace did by infiltrating a Kleenex campaign (Kleenex uses virgin rainforest their products):

It's easy to get started - all you need is a camera and a computer. Google has even implemented a program specifically for nonprofits.

Have you seen a great use of YouTube by a nonprofit or activist org?

VDC is starting a blog

2009-01-27T12:54:00.001-08:00

Stay tuned!