PR is changing: Chicago Media 2.0

Two notable reports and two events happened this week in support of PR 2.0--in Chicago, New York, London and Tehran.

The British government recently launched Digital Britain, a report on the development of the Knowledge-Based economy and internet access in the UK. In the US, a Chicago organization launched its own inquiry on digital access—reporting on how new media is changing the face of local media outreach. Also this week, liveblog feeds from 140 Character Conference in New York (#140conf) and the #IranElection in Tehran put pressure on traditional media (ie #CNNfail) to admit the power and increases in transparency that Twitter brings.

News sources have multiplied and proliferated with mobile access to information. The effects of the knowledge-based economy are clear: we’re getting lots of content from a variety of sources. Engaging broad audiences using new media has become more straightforward.

Whereas social media outreach connects and enables multiple audiences locally, print media has failed to cover and embrace diverse local communities (Seth Godin may say, Tribes). In Chicago, print publications are taking the brunt of these economic setbacks. The Chicago Tribune and Sun Times have both decreased their staff significantly in the past year, with the Chicago Tribune opting for Colonel Tribune on Twitter, now beefing up their digital content.

Indeed, local news (with the opportunity to pour into the international stage) is an essential element of any successful movement; it informs and engages citizens to take action. I argue local news is essential in creating and maintaining low carbon communities and media outreach on local issues such as Climate Camp UK. With increased ways to receive and give feedback, citizens could communicate--an absolutely essential element in the move to a low carbon economy.

Meanwhile, in Chicago...


The Chicago Community Trust asked the Community Media Workshop (a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to teaching other non-profits how to access media space) to create a report on how media is evolving in Chicago. After CMW’s inspiring Making Media Connections Conference (#mmc2009) last week, I wanted to give more face time with this interesting, groundbreaking and recently released New News Report.

According to the report, "The space available to produce local news at our traditional print and broadcast news outlets is shrinking" (2). Therefore, the question guiding their report was: In an online world, what does local news look like—and what do we want it to look like?

Key Findings

1. Focus groups with 33 non-profit leaders defined important elements of local news coverage and vision for a better future. What’s essential for them:

a. Vetted (edited for accuracy and reflective of prevailing community values; biases expected but transparent about biases)
b. Selected
c. Portraying most relevant and timely issues and events; framing stories and conversations to inform a common agenda and vision of the most urgent local issues and opportunities

2. Local news coverage has declined since 1989, but online local news publications have not yet filled their gap

3. CMW assembled a list of nearly 200 online news sites, blogs or e-newsletters serving the Chicago region

4. Readers are prepared to change from traditional to online news if the three key areas (above) are fulfilled

5. Chicago consumers are getting news from more places

6. Journalists and writers use social media (to connect to potential stories) and bloggers and media outlets are trying to increase their presence on social media (for instance, Chicago Tribune’s Colonel Tribune, a noteable name in Chicago Twitter circles). See also the graph on the right.



Some questions remain:

Has local media always been shrinking, and we just didn’t notice or care about local developments? What are the business implications in developing (not taking for granted the Knowledge-Based economy will develop the “Super Broadband” noted by Greg Sanders on pg. 29)?






What will local (and indeed, international) journalists do as bloggers, who are receiving no funding to blog (pg. 12)? Is there any downside in receiving our information from unpaid sources? As new sources increase, will increased legitimacy and objectivity happen through natural process? Furthermore, how can non-profits and environmentally focused organizations and businesses keep up with the continuing local outreach media changes and continue to increase funding and profit?


Results?

Now, it's up to bloggers, journalists and concerned citizens to take part in the social media process. With the massive uptake in Twitter and other blogging platforms, it seems this is exactly the trend sustainability communicators are seeing. I continue to urge sustainability focused companies to get on Twitter! One win for Carbon Outreach is that Mashable noted @carbonOutreach this #EcoMonday as one of 75+ Environmentalist to Follow.

Although there's lots of time necessary for social media outreach, this area is clearly a win for sustainability PR 2.0; companies and organizations have more reasons to create clear, concise and transparent communications. At the end of the day, this is beneficial for the low carbon economy and a triple win.