By Lisa Skube
Feedback from the community guided the conversation last month at Alki Arts Center in Seattle. RJI and Journalism that Matters hosted a discussion with a mix of Pacific Northwest news and information experts. The Pacific Northwest (PNW), in particular the Seattle area, has established atrack record of innovative collaboration and experimentation. Many news innovators across the nation are watching and taking notes from these early experiments.
Story by Jacob Caggianno
While many hail the awe and power of the internet as the most revolutionary medium since the printing press, its most complained about side effect is information overload. Popular web evangelist Clay Shirky likes to say, “It’s not information overload, it’s filter failure,” and there are plenty of technological filters in place to help us (Google, Wikipedia, Digg, Newsvine, and so on…). Smart technology, however, doesn’t make up for smart people, which is why the new book Blur: How to Know What’s True in the Age of Information Overload is an important addition to the discussion.
The Washington News Council’s 12th (!) annual Gridiron West Dinner, (video here, pics here) held on Friday, Nov. 12 at The Conference Center at Convention Place in Seattle brought 350 people together to “toast/roast” five former Mayors of Seattle: Wes Uhlman, Charles Royer, Norm Rice, Paul Schell and Greg Nickels. Current Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn was there to introduce his predecessors, and won some points for his good-natured remarks. To no one’s surprise, McGinn was the target of a few pointed shots himself.
It was a raucous, irreverent, edgy evening of songs, comedy, videos, slideshows and often caustic comments by “toasters/roasters” — with sharp retorts by the Mayors who were targets of the barbs. Emcee Mike Egan (who actually has a day job at Microsoft), ran the show with his usual zany aplomb, appearing in costume first as a Munchkin and later as Dorothy, as the evening’s theme was “Wizard of Oz.” A radiant backdrop of “The Emerald City” hung behind the stage, where the five Mayors sat in soft armchairs while they took their hard medicine from various friends, colleagues, and journalists. There was even a video appearance of Mayor Gordon Clinton, who reigned during the Seattle World’s Fair (watch below).
Four extremely talented singers, dressed in spot-on costumes as Dorothy, The Tin Man, The Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, kicked off the program with a hilarious sketch about politically correct Seattle, written by Jim Anderson of Cabaret Productions. Anderson also wrote many of the lyrics (aided by former KING5-TV President Eric Bremner and WNC President John Hamer) and choreographed the show, as well as running the technical side including lighting, video, audio, costumes and props.
WNC Chair Suzie Burke and Hamer welcomed the crowd and gratefully thanked all the table sponsors (including Boeing, Gates Foundation, Microsoft, Simonyi Fund & Susan Hutchison, Premera, Space Needle Corporation, Chihuly Studio, PEMCO Insurance, Puget Sound Energy, and a dozen others). Carly Hunt Koczarski sang “America the Beautiful” beautifully. Our new promotional video, by WNC Communications Strategist Jacob Caggiano, was shown while dinner was being served, giving the audience a look at how the WNC has “reinvented” itself in the past few months with a redesigned website, a blog page, an online community, a TAO of Journalism site, and other innovative programs. After dinner, the musical tribute began with songs such as “Follow the Politics Road” and ”We’re Here to Toast the Mayors, These Wonderful Mayors of Ours,” with the audience joining in while lyrics were shown on the big screens.
A video called “The Mayors,” (above) done by Ken Jones of KJ Video Productions (and a longtime KING5-TV videographer) brought down the house with its animated Jib-Jab scenes including the Mayors as Chippendale Dancers. Only Paul Schell was unable to attend in person, though he was “toasted” anyway as his cardboard cutout sat on stage and an “Anarchist from Eugene” ran out shouting pro-Schell slogans for the hospitality shown to radical demonstrators during the WTO convention. A mini-auction, raffle and “raise the paddle” segment led by Auctioneer Fred Granados featured several terrific items and fiercely competitive bidding. The evening concluded with a wry rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” followed by a Champagne & Chocolate After Party with Domaine Ste Michelle Brut (thanks to Carol Munro) and Theo’s Chocolates (thanks to Chuck Horne).
Special thanks to all those who sponsored tables or purchased tickets, for making this evening possible. Your generous (and tax-deductible) donations make the News Council’s important work possible. In addition, every dollar we receive this year will be matched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, thanks to a special “challenge grant” arranged by Bill Gates Sr. We can’t thank Bill Sr. and the Foundation enough for their generous support of the WNC since our founding in 1998.
Our annual Gridiron West Dinners, almost always held in the aftermath of the November elections, always attract a thoroughly bipartisan crowd. The event provides a welcome opportunity for Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, Green Partiers and Tea Partiers, to come together for an evening of fun and frolic despite deep political and ideological differences. It is our hope that by enjoying a nice dinner, pouring a bottle (or two) of wine, and sharing a few laughs, people who may be deeply at odds on issues and policy will find some common ground and maybe find ways to work together better. Hey, that’s what everyone says they want these days, isn’t it?
[Also have a look at coverage of the event from Seattle Metropolitan]
Lisa Skube, a 2010 – 2011 Reynolds Journalism Fellow, and West Seattle native, is conducting a series of small gatherings, bringing together local community news networks, collecting feedback that will inform the creation of an online platform for sharing, discussion and collaboration slated to launch early year 2011. The project, titled the Journalism Accelerator, borrows from the simplistic nature of successful community web based social platforms and aims to facilitate faster, rated information sharing between journalists.
Fifteen people gathered at the Alki Arts Center in West Seattle November 16th for the discussion which covered topics from the shared stake between journalists and their audience, to how they can serve as allies and resources to each other, to understanding journalism content as product. “Those organizations growing their audience tend to be those that are mission oriented,” says Skube. “Their content inspires and empowers relationships and a sense of community.”
Relational information works best when an organization has determined what the unique impact and benefit their message is having on their community, with a full grasp of what would be lost without that message.
“Experiments that aim to learn something and report clearly what they learned tend to get more traction,” says Skube.
Projects which are simply focused on old revenue models which reflect product and audience no longer seem to get very far unless there is a narrative developed – a conversation which can build over time between the organization and its audience. Without that deeper connection, the modern audience tends to simply take the information, then go somewhere else to talk about it.
Part of Skube’s project plan is to examine various journalism websites to see if and how that connection is being built by asking the site creators what values they think they’re giving their community and then go out into the community to ask what values community members are receiving from those sites.
“A focus on relational impact is new to journalism,” Skube said. “We have to better understand value. How do you know if your content is connecting? It’s not just about page views anymore.”
Journalism organizations are having to learn new ways to serve and function. User generated content is an incredible opportunity to tap into a community’s often hidden needs, as well as a way to empower people in a community to realize they have a voice. Creating a narrative out of site metrics can prove to be a very powerful tool to attract funders.
“Journalism is morphing into something quite different,” says Karen Rathe, a journalism teacher and the University of Washington. “They keep saying journalism is dying. But there are 30 applicants for every 20 positions out there.” The need for savvy, updated information and education, as well as new tools for serving both journalists and communities – taking their interactions to the next level – has never been greater.
WATCH A VIDEO of the gathering. posted by Lisa Skube at: http://wanewscouncil.org/2010/12/22/what-are-the-information-needs-of-the-puget-sound-region/
If you have an innovative media technology idea, you might be able to
get funding from the Knight News Challenge contest.
Run by the Knight Foundation, the grant competition awards up to $5
million annually for innovative projects that use digital technology
to transform the way communities send, receive and make use of news
and information.
More info can be found here: http://newschallenge.org. The site
includes application information, as well as details about past
winners.
This year’s application deadline is December 1. The News Challenge is
looking for applications in four categories: mobile, authenticity,
sustainability and community. All projects must make use of digital
technology to distribute news in the public interest.
The contest is open to anyone in the world.
A simple description of the project is all you need to apply. Submit a
brief pitch to http://newschallenge.org. If the reviewers like it,
you’ll be asked to submit a full proposal later.
If you have questions you can a) reference the FAQ:
http://www.newschallenge.org/frequently-asked-questions, or; b) check
the archived chat transcript here:
http://www.newschallenge.org/1026-live (another live chat will be held
before the end of the contest period, time/date TBD)