Navigating Changes and Opportunities in Mass Communication

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Navigating Changes and Opportunities in Mass
Communication

• Using Social Media to Bridge the Communication
  Gap
• Jill Allread, APR, Public Communications Inc.
• December 8, 2008

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The new landscape

• Changes and challenges
• Media Whats going on?
• Social media Power of connection
• How you can connected your messages with key
  audiences

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Why is it so tough to communicate about
biological diversity?

• Talking about complex issues
• Distrust /lack of understanding of science
• Public apathy, confusion
• Media many challenges

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New hurdles in the newsroom

• Mainstream media An industry in flux
• Reduced newsroom resources print and broadcast
• Over-extended reporters 24-hour news cycle,
  including on-line video (backpack reporters)
• Less print space for news as ad revenues decrease
• Monday Tribune Co. filed bankruptcy

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Uncertain future?
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Science suffers

• Science and environmental issues are losing in
  media
• CNN dropped entire science and technology unit
  last week
• Correspondent Miles OBrien
• Lack of public interest, demand

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Reporters gravitate to 3 types

• Innovation
• News You Can Use
• Conflict and Controversy
• Looking for (and need) stories that capture
  consumers attention

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Bright spotNew opportunitywith
changingadministration
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I have a great story, what should I do?

• Social media opportunities abound

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Web 2.0, where thousands of communities are built
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New media consumers

• New generation changing how we get news,
  information, stay connected
• Specific needs/wants immediacy, social
  connections (20,000 new blogs as day)
• Combine with audiences desire to build and share
  content
• WIFM Whats in it for me?

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Social Media 200 million
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LinkedIn

• Create your own communities through social media
  groups

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Facebook

• Biodiversity site exist and others are waiting to
  be created by you!

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On line media want

• On line video
• Audio clips
• Jpegs
• Slideshows
• Podcasts

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On line communities want

• Information and resources important to them
• Ability to build and share content
• Internet is not about technology, as it is about
  people

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(No Transcript)
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Specific message specific tools
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Using Web 2.0

• Tell your story
• Get information on line
• Write news releases (lots of them). Can
  circumvent media and appear on thousands of
  desktops (RSS feeds, listservs, search engine
  optimization, etc.)
• Enter the blogosphere, attract your own following
• Connect with or create your own social media
  groups

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Social media/Web 2.0 communication Tip of the
iceberg
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Summary

• Understand that traditional media will never be
  the same, and thats okay
• Embrace Web 2.0/social media
• Learn it by joining in playing with it
• Its fun
• Its powerful and effective
• Its building communities that care
• Its the future
• Its today