Josh Stearns · Storify

Public Policy and Twitter: Advice for Students

Josh Stearns — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:49:40 GMT

I'm teaching a class for public policy students and asked my Twitter followers what advice they would give about how Twitter can be used for public policy, advocacy and community engagement.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Tue, Feb 26 2013 06:49:40

Help me out! About to teach a class on Twitter for government, policy & advocacy students. Tell them why they should care about Twitter!
— Josh Stearns · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:19:02

I sharing your tweets with my class live - tell these policy students why they should care about Twitter for policy and advocacy.
— Josh Stearns · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:03:09

Many people said public policy students, organizers and advocates should be on Twitter to track news and reach journalists.

@jcstearns journalists are disproportionately on twitter & they ultimately decide what plays in the media (on all platforms)
— Naomi Gingold · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:27:17

@jcstearns essential for news, crisis communication & garnering grassroots support. builds relationships & establishes credibility.
— Fresh New England · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:22:40

@jcstearns Like any tool, it is what you make of it. For me, it brings instant global news and an easy connection to friends.
— Paul-Gabriel Wiener · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:20:06

@jcstearns Easy access to a variety of news sources (corp & populist). And a chance to interact with the big names in just about any field.
— Paul-Gabriel Wiener · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:21:16

SO inre TWITTER @jcstearns it's great for many things: trends tracking, emergency or "breaking news" communications (think of Sandy)
— Liza Sabater · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:47:20

@jcstearns Twitter is the latest version of the Town Crier.
— John Brown · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:38:21

@jcstearns it is my only news source these days. Cultivate who you follow and you'll find the sweet spot of responsible journalism
— Nicole Haase · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:41:52

@jcstearns Why use Twitter? Sourcing, news, story ideas. It makes yr world so much bigger & richer. And this: http://reut.rs/li1P7B
— John Russell · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:45:42

Others pointed out the benefit of getting real time feedback on ideas, policies, etc...

@jcstearns Twitter is real time perception of how policy is translated to the public. Its real time feedback.
— Heather Blanchard · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:04:18

@jcstearns Twitter can also be a pulse check, but like all communications depends on audience. It doesn't work for everything
— Heather Blanchard · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:06:14

@jcstearns It helps carry the convo of the people onto the page. The journalist's stethoscope. Listen to the heartbeat of the people.
— Adam Dawkins · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:25:09

@jcstearns Because the people who are against whatever you are trying to do communicate that way!
— Elaine Clisham · Mon, Feb 25 2013 11:31:50

INRE: ADVOCACY @jcstearns some of us have immense amplification power, have impact among influencers and yet we are considered "nobodies"
— Liza Sabater · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:31:16

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE @jcstearns FIGURED OUT "NOBODIES" = 100 AMPLIFICATION meaning, for every email/letter, 100 were influenced by that person
— Liza Sabater · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:34:18

TL;DR TWITTER @jcstearns is a great tool for seeing what your network looks like & who are the people amplifying +ly & -ly your message
— Liza Sabater · Mon, Feb 25 2013 10:51:31

@jcstearns Broad, instant reach. Anyone can participate. If interesting/good enough, can get thousands of followers. Instant info access.
— Paul-Gabriel Wiener · Mon, Feb 25 2013 12:04:31

Social Media Tools for Public Engagement and Policy Debates

Josh Stearns — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:13:45 GMT

How can we use social media tools to better engage the public in meaningful policy debates, foster agency in politics, and facilitate creative conversations that address critical community concerns.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Thu, Feb 28 2013 10:13:45

My name is Josh Stearns - I'm the Journalism and Public Media Campaign Director at Free Press.

Josh Stearns (jcstearns) on Twitter

The latest from Josh Stearns (@jcstearns). Journalist and organizer working for press freedom and the future of news through media and te...

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Free Press is building a powerful nationwide movement to change media and technology policies, promote the public interest and strengthen democracy. We advocate for universal and affordable Internet access, diverse media ownership, vibrant public media and quality journalism.

Here is how my son describes it.

How my son describes what I do for a living

Part of my job is lobbying and organizing to support public media in America. This is how my son sees it.

The question before us today:

How can we use social media tools to better engage the public in meaningful policy debates, foster agency in politics, and facilitate creative conversations that address critical community concerns.

For me, the answer to this question starts with story.

Thomas Berry Storytelling · jcstearns

The Nigerian author Ben Orki says that "Stories are the secret reservoirs of values." And, those stories are written and re-written in the contested terrain of culture.

"Culture is the space in our national consciousness filled by music, books, sports, movies, theater, visual arts, and media. It is the realm of ideas, images, and stories -- the narrative in which we are immersed every day. It is where people make sense of the world, where ideas are introduced, values are inculcated, and emotions are attached to concrete change. Cultural change is often the dress rehearsal for political change. Or put in another way, political change is the final manifestation of cultural shifts that have already occurred. Jackie Robinson's 1947 Major League Baseball debut preceded Brown v. Board of Education by seven years. Ellen DeGeneres' coming-out on her TV sitcom preceded the first favorable court ruling on same-sex marriage by eight years." - Jeff Chang

Staticflickr

Culture Before Politics

On Nov. 3, progressives awoke to find that they had returned to 2004. Despite important legislative victories, Democrats had been outflan...

Ellingtoncms

But today, our stories are scattered across sites, our conversations are fractured across platforms.

In many respects, this is a good thing. The Internet and new technology has democratized media making, putting the tools of journalism in the hands of more and more people. And social networks have given citizens and policymakers new ways to communicate and connect.

As of today, all 100 members of the Senate as well as 90% of the House of Representatives are on Twitter http://blog.twitter.com/2013/01/100-senators-and-57th-inauguration.html via @gov
— Twitter for News · Fri, Jan 18 2013 13:35:35

World Leaders on Twitter · jcstearns

qq. When you change who gets to participate, you change everything. That's what I believe. It's what life has taught me.
— Emily Jacobi · Thu, Oct 04 2012 21:35:52

However, as the civic and political conversations that used to occur in the public square are increasingly migrating to private platforms, our debates about everything from articles to ideas are becoming siloed on individual social networks.

Some think it looks a bit like this:

Old vs. New · markfiore

But really it probably looks a bit more like this:

#Give4News: Funding the Future of Nonprofit News

Josh Stearns — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:58:09 GMT

Raising the profile of nonprofit news and fostering a culture of philanthropy for investigative journalism.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Tue, Feb 05 2013 06:58:09

As 2012 drew to a close I saw a lot of buz about end-of-year giving, but for the most part journalism wasn’t part of this conversation. By all accounts nonprofit news continued to expand in 2012. Even as some start-ups folded and merged, many others launched, new collaboration emerged and the quality of nonprofit news continued to make an impact on the national debate. Indeed, one of the biggest scoops of the election came from the longtime nonprofit magazine Mother Jones.

In an effort to raise the profile of non-profit news and remind people why it is so important to support this kind of journalism I launched #give4news. I asked Twitter users to tell me what journalism non-profits they are donating to and why, then tag it #give4news. The goal was to making giving to journalism organizations more public and encourage people to share the organizations they support. In exchange, I promised to choose two groups from the collected tweets and donate to them as well. For the people who suggested those two groups I would give them a subscription to Orion Magazine or Mother Jones.

Here is my original post that goes into much more detail about the ideas behind the project.

Support Journalism That Matters - Tweet Your Giving

If you believe in nonprofit journalism, it is time to support it. And if you support nonprofit journalism it's time to go public with tha...

The nonprofit journalism organizations I donated to this year were: Free Press, New England Public Radio, Homicide Watch, the Freedom of Press Foundation and the Our Reality documentary project. I continued to subscribe to a number of other nonprofit journalism efforts including Orion Magazine and others as well.

And the winners are….

It was wonderful to be introduced to so many fantastic organizations through this process, and at the bottom of this post you can see the tweets and links to journalism organizations that people were supporting this year.

Michael Marcotte had a great tweet that started, “I give where I live.” I can relate to that sentiment. But of all the organizations that were suggested, I decided to choose two that were in communities far from my own location, specifically, in places where nonprofit news is working to get a foothold.

So, the two organizations are: Buffalo, New York’s Investigative Post, tweeted by Martina Fern & Asheville, North Carolina’s Carolina Public Press, tweeted by Andria Krewson

I’ll be making a donation to those two groups and Martina and Andria will get subscriptions to Orion Magazine or Mother Jones as a thank you for making their giving public and helping promote nonprofit journalism.

What’s next for #give4news?

I had a tremendous response from journalism organizations and coalitions when I launched #give4news and I hope that we can work together to do a much larger and more coordinated nonprofit news giving challenge in the future.

Below are the tweets and links to all the groups people gave to during the #give4news effort.

Hey @jcstearns I'm donating to http://MediaChannel.org. Here's why: http://dankennedy.net/2012/12/26/danny-schechter-seeks-to-revive-the-media-channel/ #give4news
— Dan Kennedy · Sun, Dec 30 2012 08:32:30

MediaChannel.org - Home

.@jcstearns - I support Buffalo's new investigative journo org @ipostnews - great work by experienced reporters. #give4news
— Martina Fern · Mon, Dec 17 2012 06:06:17

About Us - Investigative Post

Investigative Post is a non-profit investigative reporting center focused on issues of importance to Buffalo and Western New York. Inve...

@jcstearns I'm giving to the Texas Observer. In a red state with a crimson government progressive journalism is rare and valuable #give4news
— Phoebe West · Mon, Dec 17 2012 08:02:47

@jcstearns nobody covers TX politics like the @TexasObserver has for the past 58 years! That's why I #give4news http://www.texasobserver.org/
— Curt Yowell · Mon, Dec 17 2012 07:40:17

The Texas Observer | Sharp Reporting From the Strangest State in ...

1 day ago ... Texas news, politics, and culture from a progressive-left viewpoint since 1954.

Donating to @KALWNews @freepress, because I think we need to put a price on quality journalism. Good news isn't free. #give4news @jcstearns
— Antoinette Siu · Sun, Dec 16 2012 14:28:50

KALW | Local Public Radio

KALW is local public radio from the San Francisco Bay Area. BBC, NPR, and innovative local programming including Crosscurrents and Your...

Free Press | the Fight for Better Media Begins Here. | Free Press

What's wrong with the media? Too slanted. Too greedy. Too much power in too few hands. It's time to change that. The fight for ...

.@PBSMediaShift: Why You Should Donate to Non-Profit #Journalism http://flip.it/3CZbS //I donated to @HomicideWatch & @Kiratiana in 2012.
— NABJDigital · Sat, Dec 15 2012 07:08:25

Homicide Watch D.C. | Mark every death. Remember every victim ...

Homicide Watch D.C. is a community-oriented news site that aims to provide clear information about homicides and the tools necessary to...

Kiratiana (Kiratiana) on Twitter

Kiratiana. @Kiratiana. At the intersection of travel, culture and international sport. Author of Travel Guide to Multicultural London! ...

Hey @jcstearns I'm donating to @globalvoices :) #give4news
— Jillian C. York · Fri, Dec 14 2012 02:17:00

Global Voices · Citizen media stories from around the world

This holiday season, give a gift of Global Voices ... Global Voices is an international community of bloggers who report on blogs and c...

I just became a member of @SFPublicPress because they are scrappy, local, and somehow think launching a print paper will work. #give4news
— Mark Glaser · Thu, Dec 13 2012 17:07:53

What Goes Unsaid When We Talk About the Future of News

Josh Stearns — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:03:45 GMT

There is a lot of talk about the future of news, but sometimes what is most telling are the topics people won't talk about. So I asked Twitter what is one big thing no one is willing to talk about when it comes to the future of journalism.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Tue, Dec 11 2012 09:03:45

What is the one big hairy future of journalism topic no one is willing to talk about?
— Josh Stearns · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:05:57

@jcstearns There's only one?
— aaroncynic · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:06:30

@jcstearns The myth of objectivity that so much of journalism is supposedly built on.
— Andrew Donohue · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:45:39

@jcstearns How much smaller the for-profit side of news has to get before we reach equilibrium. #storify
— Dan Kennedy · Sun, Dec 09 2012 07:55:18

@jcstearns What really and truly might happen to democracy when every news org is niche.
— John Robinson · Sun, Dec 09 2012 08:24:05

@jcstearns Whether "local" does/can/will qualify as a niche, and if it's a niche that can make money.
— Adam Vaccaro · Sun, Dec 09 2012 08:04:44

@jcstearns difficulty in monetizing local content given that online medium is increasingly optimized for geographically disparate audience
— Jeff Hobbs · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:26:59

@jcstearns Information access. The control of information by non-governmental bodies, and the lack of 1st Amendment protection for access.
— Chris Terry · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:40:43

@jcstearns How current and future young journalists are being cut off at the knees with smaller salaries and always-growing demands.
— Karen K. Ho · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:07:29

@jcstearns This is compounded by increased pressure for expensive graduate degrees.
— Karen K. Ho · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:09:48

RT @jcstearns What is the one big hairy future of journalism topic no one is willing to talk about? [Kids don't read anymore.]
— Ken Carpenter · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:10:51

@jcstearns How choosing to not cover story is as much about resources/staff as it is about how org perceives importance of story
— Kevin Gosztola · Sun, Dec 09 2012 07:29:55

@jcstearns Off the top of my head...sustainability of corporate media that's more concerned about profits rather than journalism
— aaroncynic · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:10:40

@jcstearns Surviving and thriving as an indy journalist - you've touched on that quite a bit but I haven't seen much anywhere else
— aaroncynic · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:12:41

@jcstearns Can we ever reverse downward spiral of reporting dumbed down for ratings. Population is sating confirmation bias, not learning.
— Ziad Fazel · Fri, Dec 07 2012 10:41:07

Your Media in Three Words

Josh Stearns — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:03:20 GMT

When we talk about the future of journalism, what exactly are we talking about? Is there a shared understanding of what that future should look like? I asked my Twitter followers to describe the media they want to see in three words. Here is what they said.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Wed, Nov 28 2012 19:03:20

If you had to describe the media you want to see in your community in 3 words, what would they be?
— Josh Stearns · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:12:21

What are your three words?

@jcstearns Local. Thoughtful. Relevant.
— Tyler Dukes · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:13:35

@jcstearns Objective, investigative, truthful.
— Paul-Gabriel Wiener · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:13:22

@jcstearns Open, inclusive, accurate.
— Ben Werdmuller · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:13:06

@jcstearns Non com mmercial.
— Tom Godell · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:12:51

@jcstearns synthesize diverse perpectives
— XantheMatychak · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:14:33

@jcstearns Accurate, UNBIASED Relevant
— CaptD · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:16:49

@jcstearns investigative, professional, intelligent
— Fresh New England · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:17:30

.@jcstearns Interesting, relevant, rigorous.
— rekha6 · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:19:48

@jcstearns Critical, Engaging, Investigative
— Stephen Barnard · Tue, Nov 27 2012 11:23:29

Slow, explanatory, creative RT @jcstearns If you had to describe the media you want to see in your community in 3 words, what would they be?
— John Hawbaker · Tue, Nov 27 2012 12:30:18

@jcstearns Geared toward action.
— Kevin Douglas Grant · Tue, Nov 27 2012 12:48:29

@jcstearns Not-For-Profit :)
— Janet Sternberg · Tue, Nov 27 2012 14:09:23

@jcstearns Learned. Insightful. Globalised.
— Dr. M. A. Aziz · Wed, Nov 28 2012 18:28:27

@jcstearns reveal emperor's nudity!
— John Collins · Wed, Nov 28 2012 18:28:40

@jcstearns For the people.
— John Anderson · Wed, Nov 28 2012 18:32:40

@jcstearns Open, accessible, diverse.
— Chris Terry · Wed, Nov 28 2012 19:02:01

Million Puppet March: Standing Up for Public Media

Josh Stearns — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 02:58:45 GMT

On November 3, more than 1,000 people hit the National Mall in Washington, DC, in a massive show of support for NPR and PBS. The grassroots movement began after the first Presidential debate when Mitt Romney said he would zero out funding for PBS.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Sat, Nov 03 2012 19:58:45

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For more background check out their website. If you can, donate to the effort because they are using money from their on pockets to make this happen.

Million Puppet March

Join Us 11/3/2012 10am ET in Washington DC in Lincoln Park. 11am March to Capitol Reflecting Pool for 1pm ET Rally. 2pm ET Global Tweet...

And send a message to Congress about why you care about public media here:

Tell the World

Last week we reached a milestone in the fight to protect public media. A spontaneous creative outburst of support for Big Bird flooded Fa...

Here are some of the best photos from the Million Puppet March (UPDATES ONGOING)

The Million Puppet March is about to set off! · delfuego

Current is at the Million Puppet March #MPM2012 #pubmedia http://pic.twitter.com/ZIQavbm0 · Current Public Media

"When puppets are outlawed, only outlaws will have puppets!" And no one would want that.

Million Puppet March · §83(b)

Defend Public Media! Defend the Puppets!

Free Press is at the Million Puppet March right now! Check out our stickers (Thanks to Chance Williams for the photo) · Josh Stearns

Shirt: No Puppets, No Peace! or Know Puppets! Know Peace!

#mpm2012 @myopennotes @reginaholliday this one's for you! @ Lincoln Park http://instagr.am/p/RkiPKDOPhi/ · Ted Eytan, MD

Million Puppet March

Bi-partisan Puppets.

Master of puppets #millionpuppetmarch #mpm2012 · at3k

There was even a wedding at the Million Puppet March today.

These 2 chose the Million Puppet March as a venue for their wedding. We want to wish them every happiness. And just for the record, we support marriage equality for all puppets. · Million Puppet March

Big Bird is waving hello (or showing his muscles) -- maybe both!

The Internet Stands With Big Bird

Josh Stearns — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:52:28 GMT

Storified by Josh Stearns · Mon, Oct 08 2012 12:52:28

Miss Riddlez

Goodness Me! · SAVE BIG BIRD

SAVE BIG BIRD

ANGRY BIRDS! · SAVE BIG BIRD

Talking To Strangers · jcstearns

17,000 Tweets per minute for "Big Bird" and 10,000 Tweets per minute for "PBS". #debates
— Twitter Government · Wed, Oct 03 2012 18:40:07

SAVE BIG BIRD

Mentions of 'Big Bird' increased 800,000% on Facebook
— Mentions of ‘Big Bird’ increased 800,000% on Facebook – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs · Mon, Oct 08 2012 07:13:01

undefined · Staticflickr

Talking To Strangers · jcstearns

SAVE BIG BIRD

undefined · Fbcdn

Talking To Strangers · jcstearns

This is me as a child... this character helped shape my chidhood... thought I'd share with you guys · Steph Riddlez

You know those Andre the Giant has a posse stickers? Well Big Bird has a posse too. http://pic.twitter.com/MsUaLf4k · Josh Stearns

Talking To Strangers · jcstearns

undefined · Fbcdn

This is me with my Big Bird in 1992. · Rachel Randolph

Don't mess with the Downton Abbey PAC. · jcstearns

Your Definitive Guide to Debate Bingo

Josh Stearns — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:07:55 GMT

Debate Bingo has become a kind of art form - part advocacy, part humor and usually a good dose of snark. If you want to get your Debate Bingo on you'll find links to some of the best bingo boards on the web right here.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Thu, Oct 04 2012 17:07:55

Mother Jones decided to go with buzz words from the campaign and touches on a range of hot topics - including "47 percent" which of course they helped introduce into the political lexicon of the campaign this year. My only critique of this bingo card is that they included "European Style" but not "Gangnam Style" - what's up with that?

Yes, We Have Presidential Debate Bingo | Mother Jones

8 hours ago ... That's right, it's debate bingo time! We've updated our 2008 bingo card to make it even more challenging th...

undefined · Motherjones

Amnesty took the opportunity of the debates to make a serious point about the fact that both parties have largely neglected (or in some cases weakened their positions on human rights. My guess is that those playing with the Amnesty bingo cards will have the emptiest cards of the night.

2012 Elections - Human Rights Now - Amnesty International USA

2 days ago ... presidential debates bingo cards ... Amnesty International USA has published 12 for 2012, twelve questions that focus on...

undefined · Tumblr

Rachel Maddow turned to longtime children's book illustrator Bob Staake to design her debate bingo cards which focus on campaign lingo. I think she missed a huge opportunity by not calling it Debate Blingo.

Your debate bingo cards are ready

Folks, we're on live tonight at 8 Eastern for coverage of the first presidential debate. The debate starts at 9 Eastern, but you'll want ...

undefined · Newsvine

MomsRising went for kind of a deconstructed Bingo card which works more like a tracking card for their issues. They do get bonus points for their use of the classic acrostic strategy with the word "mother."

Get Your MomsRising BINGO Card!!

PLAY PRESIDENTIAL BINGO WITH US! Break out the popcorn, gather 'round your young ins,' and turn on the TV! We've made a great MomsRising ...

undefined · Staticflickr

WNYC's debate bingo is interactive - head over here to take part. How were they the only ones to mention Clint Eastwood?

It's A Free Country ® - Play | Debate Bingo!

Watching the debate tonight? Why not watch and chat with us while we play interactive debate bingo! Get a fresh card, file in your tiles ...

undefined · Wnyc

Denver, Political Ads and Fact Checking

Josh Stearns — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:41:27 GMT

Denver is playing host to the first presidential debate of 2012, but for TV viewers in the Rocky Mountain State, the political mudslinging has been going on for months, thanks in large part to the deluge of political ads from Super PACs and other third-party groups.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Tue, Oct 02 2012 10:41:27

undefined · Freepress

On Tuesday, Free Press released Money, News and Deception in Denver, a report focusing on the five third-party groups buying the most political ad time in Denver, host city to the Oct. 3 presidential debate. The report takes an in-depth look at political coverage on the local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates and asks whether newscasts are doing enough to investigate the claims made in ads produced by American Crossroads/Crossroads GPS, Americans for Prosperity, House Majority PAC, Priorities USA Action and Restore Our Future.
— Free Press Report Finds Electoral Coverage in Denver Doesn’t Offset Lies in Political Ads | Free Press · Tue, Oct 02 2012 09:01:30

Since Aug, 5 groups have paid $6.5 mil to air 4,954 political ads in Denver. http://www.freepress.net/press-release/100248/free-press-report-finds-electoral-coverage-denver-doesn%E2%80%99t-offset-lies-political Guess how many were fact checked?
— Josh Stearns · Tue, Oct 02 2012 06:54:31

Since August, Denver TV stations have spent 1 minute of fact-checking for every 162 minutes of political ads. http://bit.ly/QKxKhv
— Josh Stearns · Tue, Oct 02 2012 09:04:12

Denver stations kept airing political ads even after their own journalists said they were false or misleading. http://www.freepress.net/press-release/100248/free-press-report-finds-electoral-coverage-denver-doesn%E2%80%99t-offset-lies-political
— Josh Stearns · Tue, Oct 02 2012 10:36:05

It’s not entirely clear that stations can be held liable for knowingly airing false, misleading or deceptive advertising content in ads from third-party groups. But they should be. Broadcast industry attorney Michael D. Berg writes that stations are in a “balancing act,” trying to respond to the heightened demand for ad placements while remaining on the right side of the law.
— One Minute of News vs. 162 Minutes of Ads | Free Press · Tue, Oct 02 2012 08:29:10

Media Policy and Digital Journalism

Josh Stearns — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:44:35 GMT

At the Online News Association digital journalists gathered to discuss the the media policy decisions that impact the future of news online and off. Participants debated big issues on the horizon of media and technology as well as the appropriate role of a journalist as advocate.

Storified by Josh Stearns · Thu, Sep 27 2012 07:12:32

#ONApolicy session panelists @dangillmor @lizlebron1 @digiphile Moderator @jcstearns http://pic.twitter.com/pa05x0LH · Kathy E Gill

Below you will find highlights from the conversation and links to relevant articles and background. For an overview of the session, see my introductory blog post below.

For the first time, the Online News Association has dedicated a session at their conference to digital journalism and media policy. I’ll be moderating the session on Saturday morning with Alex Howard (@digiphile), Government 2.0 Correspondent, O’Reilly Media, Dan Gillmor (@dangillmor), Director, Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University, and Liz Lebron (@lizlebron1), who is getting her PhD at Louisiana State University. In the end, this session is not so much about policy, but rather about the work of digital journalists today and the political issues that could foster or inhibit that work.
— Why Digital Journalists Need to be Policy Wonks « Groundswell · Wed, Sep 26 2012 19:11:58

We’re live from #ona12, talking about how policy decisions shape the news: http://ona12.journalists.org/sessions/cispasopa-and-beyond-how-policy-shapes-news/ #onapolicy
— Alex Howard · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:15:44

First #ONA12 workshop of the day for me: How policy shapes news, including discussion of CISPA and SOPA. #onapolicy #ojr
— Brian Frank · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:19:15

Getting started on #ONAPolicy with @jcstearns. Lots to talk about here.
— Chris Amico · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:20:33

#onapolicy at #ONA12 hosted by @jcstearns, with panelists @dangillmor, @lizlebron1, and @digiphile. #ojr
— Brian Frank · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:23:35

Getting the day started at #ONA12 with #ONApolicy
— Ashlei Schulz · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:24:25

You can watch the panel here or browse the tweets, notes, and links below for a summary of the discussion.

CISPA/SOPA and Beyond · Livestream

Illustrated notes from #ONAPolicy http://ow.ly/i/Xtio - thanks to the panel @dangillmor @digiphile @lizlebron1 and @jcsterns #ONA12
— Graham Clark · Sat, Sep 22 2012 11:27:23

MobilePhoto.jpg · hello_thankyou

When we talk about the role of journalists in weighing in on media policy we have to start by understanding that media companies are already leveraging their power and lobbying on Capitol Hill for media policies that help their bottom line. Take two examples from OpenSecrets: News Corp, owners of Fox networks, has spent 1 million in campaign contributions in 2012 and 10 million in lobbying in the last two years. Comcast, owners of NBC networks, has spent over 4 million in campaign contributions in 2012 and 30 million in lobbying in the last two years.

"Media owners are often not shy" about talking, and pushing, public policy. Companies are actively lobbying, says @jcstearns #ONAPolicy
— Chris Amico · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:21:35

Campaign contributions and lobbying spends of NewsCorp, Comcast highlighted in #onapolicy session. #ona12
— Julia Haslanger · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:21:57

Traditional media companies are playing ball on the Hill. Nontraditional media companies aren't or investing not as much. #onapolicy
— Heather Blanchard · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:42:51

"O'Reilly media absolutely takes positions," says @digiphile. That starts with @timoreilly advocating for open data, among others #ONAPolicy
— Chris Amico · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:24:15

O'Reilly Media participated in internet blackout data. @digiphile is the resident journalist, so he has a somewhat different role #ONAPolicy
— Chris Amico · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:25:07

.@Lizlebron1: We live in an age where opinion journalism is accepted. Ppl are looking for context, guidance from journos. #ONA12 #beyondSOPA
— Deborah Acosta · Sat, Sep 22 2012 10:46:53

Alex Howard noted that while there are a lot of important digital policy issues we'll talk about at our session, there are some good old policy issues we should also focus on. He was especially focused on how out of date credentialing laws are blocking new digital journalists from access government.