OUR CHANGING MEDIATELLING OUR STORIES WITH NEW TOOLS RYAN SAXBY HILL @SAXBY | SAXBY.TUMBLR.COM

A BIT ABOUT MEI run media relations and online engagement efforts for the Canada Foundation for Innovation. I have worked as a media spokesperson/ publicist and have successfully placed stories in many top media outlets. I an the founding editor of the Ottawa-based blog Apartment613. I sit on the board of Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation. I live in non-profit housing and I am passionate about keeping our cities affordable, vibrant and interesting.

WHAT TO COVER TODAY?

A few trends that I find interesting and meaningful A model that I think can work Strategies for telling stories about housing, urbanism and cities Anything else? (seriously, I’m pretty flexible) Your stories and questions about working with the media

THE SOMETIMES SAD STORY OF LOCAL COVERAGE(IN OTTAWA)

PROMISING NEW MODELS

CORPORATE PLAYERS TRY TO TAKE THEIR CUT

DAILY NEWSPAPERS ARE CHANGING TOO

WHERE IS OUR MEDIA?

WHEN ARE STORIES ARE LOCAL,

Photo courtesy of Dido Devlin from the Apartment613 Flickr Group

SUPPORTING COMMUNITY MEDIA

"NEWS FOR THE REST OF US."

AOL IS TAKING THIS TREND SERIOUSLY

NOT YOUR AVERAGE BLOG

APARTMENT613 A community news siteVolunteer-run, not-for-profit Focus on more than media – events, lectures, festivals Created Apartment613 Community Initiatives to oversee this project

THE TREND Low-cost digital tools have made media-making

more accessible. This has thrown a wrench in the business plans

of many publications, but many others evolving and adapting to fit.

There is a proliferation of communication skills and ability.

There are passionate communities of “doers” willing to help.

Bloggers have become legitimate media. We’re ready for distributed, more independent

organizations (technology enables this)

WHAT ARE THE TACTICS?

IF THIS IS THE NEW REALITY….

PARTICIPATORY MEDIA MAKING MEANS… Volunteering Fundraising Contributing Commenting Opinion Pieces

COMMUNICATORS HAVE TOOLS Owned media is critical Social media is a huge opportunity Our tenants are sources

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP• Opinion pieces • Events and public addresses • Developing a public expertise around

issues that are important to us

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENTEmpowering everyone with digital tools

THAT WE ENGAGEWITH?

WHAT IF THE MEDIA IS NOT JUST SOMETHING WE CONSUME, BUT SOMETHING

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US? Our organizations need to become our own media We need to think about how we can produce content We need to empower staff, volunteers and tenants to tell our stories. We need to engage with the new media beyond press releases and statements. We need to partner with the media to tell a story – give them access over time, focus on the relationships, create engagement with our issues.

IS IT JUST OUR MEDIA THAT IS CHANGING?

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