tcma annual report 7-21-09

8/14/2019 Tcma Annual Report 7-21-09

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ANNUAL REPORT2008


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We are living in interesting timestimes of economicturmoil and rapid change in the media world. Every weekbrings us headlines of local newspapers and television

stations laying off journalists, and gee-whiz stories aboutthe latest applications for smart phones and othertechno-gadgetry. The same digital revolution that isdestroying the business model for newspapers has putpowerful communications tools in the hands of millions ofordinary people.

The future of news depends on how we the people usethose toolsand who gets to participate in the media. Our

mission at the Twin Cities Media Alliance is to enable everyone to have access to these

tools, and use them to share information, build community, and work together for thecommon good.

2008 was a year of tremendous growth and accomplishment for the Twin Cities MediaAlliance. In this report youll find details about our expanded program of classes andworkshops, our sponsorship of the Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards, andthe improvements weve made to the Twin Cities Daily Planet under editor Mary Turck.

We face some very big challenges in 2009. Several foundations that have supported usgenerously in the past have informed us that, because of the current financial crisis, theyhave fewer resources, and many more requests for support. In response, we need to

diversify our funding by increasing income from individual donors and advertising, anddeveloping alternative sources of revenue, such as sponsorships and public events.

We also need to adapt to meet the changing needs of the community we serve. Theeconomic crisis is making the economic vitality of neighborhoods a priority, and we areresponding by offering classes that teach neighborhood businesses and communityorganizations how to create their own free websites, using open-source software andfree hosting.

Although financial viability is an urgent concern, we will not lose sight of our basicmission: to improve the quality, diversity and accountability of the media, and toenable all members of our community to participate more actively in the emergingmedia environment.

-Jeremy Iggers, Executive Director

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT


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LUNCH WITH A JOURNALISTOur monthly Brownbag

Lunch With a Journalistseries at the E. LakePublic Library gavecommunity members thechance to engage withsome of the mosttalented journalists inthe Twin Cities, includingPulitzer Prize winnerChris Ison, former NYTimes reporter Doug

McGill and KMSPsRobyne Robinson.

ANNUAL FALL FORUM

In October the Twin Cities Media Alliance held its fourth annual FallMedia Forum at the downtown Minneapolis Public Library. The themewas Tools for Democracy, Strategies for Change and featuredspeakers included Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, on howcitizens can use new media as tools for participation in electoralpolitics; Robyne Robinson on how to use mainstream media; andAmalia Anderson of the Main Street Project, on organizing for mediareform and media justice. Afternoon workshop topics included mediajustice and media reform, digital skills training, and a talking circle forjournalists, participants and witnesses of the RNC protests.

CONFERENCE FOR MEDIA REFORM

In June, TCMA and KFAI Community Radio co-hosted the welcomingparty for the National Conference on Media Reform, which broughtmore than 2500 activists, journalists and scholars to the Twin Cities.As presenters at the conference, we were able to share the DailyPlanet model with participants from around the country, and recruitlocal citizen journalists and media professionals who were previouslyunfamiliar with our work.

The TCDP Citizenournalism class forces

you to go out and getyour hands dirty by takingan active engaged role inyour community, thenasks you to think harderabout you see and hear.

What a gift!

TCMA PROGRAMS AND EVENTS


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ETHNIC AND COMMUNITY MEDIA AWARDS

I begin every day byvisiting five websites: thBBC, the New York Timethe Star Tribune, thePioneer Press, and theDaily Planet. The Daily

Planet again and again hshown me the worldbegins at home. We arethe world. In addition, ithas been a great place publish pictures, storiesand videos making me apart of the community.

It is a website that bondus together.

-Mike Hazard,The Center forInternational Education

In December, the Twin Cities MediaAlliance sponsored its first annualMinnesota Ethnic and CommunityMedia Awards, in partnership withNew America Media. Nine localmedia organizations were

recognized with trophies,certificates and cash prizes for theirwork in five categories, includingInvestigative, Global Local,Community Service, Arts andCulture and Commentary/Opinion.We also published our first editionof the Minnesota Ethnic andCommunity Media directory,designed to improve the ability of

local publications to generaterevenue from local and nationaladvertisers. The directory and themedia awards booklet are bothavailable for download on the DailyPlanet and TCMA website.


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A YEAR OFGROWTH

This was a phenomenal year ofgrowth for the Twin Cities DailyPlanet. More than half a millionvisitors came to the DailyPlanet in 2008, a dramaticincrease from 2007. While wecontinued to republish the bestwork of nearly 80neighborhood and community

media partners, we increased the number of original articles to anaverage of three to four each day by the end of 2008.

AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISMWhile blogs and the Free Speech Zone offer more freewheelingdiscussion, our original reporting is always fact-checked and editedto meet professional standards of fairness and accuracy. TheMinnesota Society of Professional Journalists recognized ourcommitment to excellence by naming the Daily Planet the BestIndependent News Web Site of 2008. Heres what SPJs judges said:

ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATIONIn 2008, we started several new features to increase interactivity

with readers, including Things People Say, News You Can Use, ArtsHighlight, and From the Editor's Desk features, and increasedmultimedia content. We also expanded use of social media,including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube.

-Mary Turck, Editor

love how the TC DailyPlanet compiles

nteresting articles fromso many differentsources. I would neverhave time to read (or find)all of the different

ublications that [it]covers.

Heather Johnson,

Wilder Research

TC DAILY PLANET EDITORS REPORT

The breadth and depth of this site is terrific. It connectson multiple fronts: reader engagement, neighborhoodcoverage, local opinions, 24/7 updates and a strongcommitment to a diversity of voices. Tcdailyplanet.netreally taps the power of the medium to make thecommunity part of the conversation a lesson some ofits competitors could benefit from.


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ARTS COVERAGE2008 was also a remarkableyear for arts coverage, with artseditor Jay Gabler growingcontent and partnerships. With

contributions from dozens ofcitizen journalists and mediapartners, we covered bigeventsfrom the Fringe Festivalto Art-a-Whirlwhile alsohighlighting the ethnic andcommunity events that themainstream media often miss.

Our arts coverage and partnerships fit naturally with our committmentto diverse community organizations and media. Significantdevelopments in our arts coverage include:

MORE ARTS CONTENTOn an average day we publish two or more original arts stories andblog entries, and often republish media partner stories. Thesubstance, quality, and volume of our arts coverage makes us one ofthe top sources for arts news in the Twin Cities. Our arts blog, ArtsOrbit is a unique collection of arts writing from our partners.

AN ENHANCED EVENT CALENDAROur calendar, uniquely open to community submissions, featuresmany events for every day of the year.

A WEEKLY ARTS NEWSLETTEROur free weekly newsletter, sent to hundreds of readers, highlightsthe weeks local arts coverage and recommends both mainstreamand under-the-radar events.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSWe formed partnerships with the Minneapolis-St. Paul InternationalFilm Festivalhosting a rate-and-review site for MSPIFFand theMinnesota Fringe Festival, hosting several prominent bloggers whoformerly published their work directly on the Fringe site.

The Daily Planet is agreat news source inthe area. Competenunbiased, andtransparent, the waygood newspaper

ought to be. The DaPlanet gives us thelocal, neighborhoodnews we need, as was cogentcommentary. Inparticular, the DailyPlanet understands tvalue of the nonprofi

sector as other medhave not.

Supporting the DailyPlanet strengthenswhat is already astrong voice.

-Jackie Alfonso


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The writers who contribute to the Daily Planet are as diverse as thecommunities we serveamong them, Jennifer Holder, DwightHobbes, Nekessa Opoti, Nelima Kerr, Steven Renderos, DebPleasants, Rachel Dykoski, Lauretta Dawolo and Seng Vang. We also

republished many other local ethnic and immigrant writers, from theMinnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Hmong Today, La Prensa deMinnesota, Mshale, African News Journal, Asian Pages, and AsianAmerican Press.

Our blog pages also reflect the diversity of our community, withcontributors ranging from Erica Mauter, whose Cinna.mn is a placewhere I (and others) can talk about the sometimes strangeexperience of being a person of color in Minnesota to DanielCubias (Hispanic Fanatic), and Engage Minnesota, a multi-authorblog by and about Muslims in Minnesota.

OUTREACH EFFORTS

Not only does the DailyPlanet provide excellentcoverage of the localSomali community,usually written by local

Somali immigrants, itprovides links to otherresources about theSomali community.This is very important tome because, as an ELLteacher who workswith many new immigrants from Somalia,

I really need to knowwhere my students arecoming from.

-Alison Morse,ESL teacher

DIVERSITY AND OUTREACH

Outreach coordinator LisaPeterson-de la Cueva's workwith local organizations includeddozens of meetings withMinneapolis and St. Paulnonprofits, neighborhood groupsand district councils.

These groups rangedfrom the FolwellNeighborhoodAssociation andSaint Anthony Park Community Council

to Neighborhood Housein St. Paul and the

Minneapolis Urban League.

classes through NRP and providingprogramming at Pillsbury United

Communities. More than 100 peopleattended several panel discussions,

including with the Hawthorne Huddle andEast Side Social Leader's Action Network.

We developed collaborativerelationships with many of these

organizations, including teaching


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We dramatically increased our educational offerings in 2008, inpartnership with organizations ranging from Minneapolis CommunityEducation and the Experimental College of the Twin Cities toMnArtists.org and Intermedia Arts. These classes were geared towardregular citizens with an interest in communications and journalism.We also co-sponsored a workshop on investigative reporting forethnic media, presented by IRE, the national organization ofinvestigative reporters and editors. The ongoing mentoring and

training opportunities that editorial staf f provide to our contributorsand community members distinguishes us from other media.

CLASSESClasses included three of our four-session introduction to citizenjournalism workshops, and a four-session bilingual class, You and theMedia/Tu Y Los Medios de Comunicacin, as well as workshops onpodcasting, photojournalism, and arts writing and criticism.

WRITERS GROUPSWriters' groups meet every Monday, offering training in journalismskills and workshop treatment of articles that writers bring to themeetings. These groups bring together experienced journalists,people interested in writing about their communities, citizen

journalists, and interns from area colleges.

In a time whengazillions of differenttechnologies, media,ideas, countercurrentsand counter-counter-currents are affecting th

so-called institution ofjournalism today,participating incitizen journalism is agreat opportunity to seefor yourself howjournalism is changing,and how it all boils dowto: you & me! I had lots o

fun interacting with peofrom all different ages aoccupations, talking witthem about whatjournalism is, how to gestories from people, andhow "citizen" journalismdiffers from, well, the NeYork Times.

-Hae Ryun KahnStudent

EDUCATION AND TRAINING


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2008 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair: Rich Broderick, professor, Anoka-Ramsey Community CollegeVice chair: Barry Madore, web developer, Advantage LabsSecretary: Pam Colby, executive director, Mpls Television NetworkTreasurer: Sheldon Mains, independent technology consultantLauretta Dawolo, news director, KFAI Community Radio.Howard Kling, director, Labor Education Service, U. of M.Greg Patterson, reporter, Minneapolis Star Tribune.Incoming 2009: Troy Pieper, ARP (Arts Review and Preview)Incoming 2009: Diane Hang Garvey, Hmong Arts Connection

STAFF:

Mary Turck is editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet. She also conductscitizen journalism classes and mentors participants in the Daily Planetwriters group.

Jay Gabler is associate editor of the Daily Planet. Jay is responsiblefor arts coverage and our social networking initiatives, edits andmentors contributors work, and occasionally teaches classes.

Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva is community outreach coordinator for theDaily Planet. She recruits citizen journalists, builds relationships with

community organizations and teaches classes.

Emily Pearson Ryan is operations manager for the TCMA. Emilysresponsibilities include book-keeping, tracking progress on grantobligations, and developing work plans for staff.

Jeremy Iggers is executive director of the Twin Cities Media Alliance.He supervises staf f, maintains financial oversight, writes grants, andcommunicates with the public and the board.

THANKS TO:The B.C. Gamble and P. W. Skogmo Fund of the Minneapolis FoundationThe Otto Bremer FoundationThe Saint Paul FoundationThe McCormick FoundationThe McKnight FoundationThe Still Ain't Satisfied Foundation

TCMA COMMUNITY


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Audited financial statementare available for review in tTwin Cities Media AllianceOffice, containing all requirdisclosures and financial

statements.

Summary 990 statements aavailable on the Twin CitiesMedia Alliance website atwww.tcmediaalliance.wordpress.org.

EXPENSES 2007 2008_______________________________________________Program service 78,590 167,450Management and general operations 12,412 27,888Fundraising 5,188 11,822Total functional 96,190 207,160REVENUE 2007 2008_______________________________________________Contributions and grants 145,859 222,860Program service revenue 780 14,591Investment income 2,224 837

Other revenue 6,457 0Total 155,320 238,288

INDIVIDUAL DONORS

Still Ain't Satisfied Foundation Hendry Family Foundation D Shapiro J Iggers E Tisel J and L Kramer R Broderick Community Supporters M Entenza and LQuam S and B Mains Minneapolis AFL-CIO J O'Connell B Craig R Lafleur CBouska B Ferguson J and J Gabler P Colby D Pleasants S Clemens P

Bouska C Madison T and L Babler R and Y Corson D Postiglione D Garvey N Stavrou E Arnason J Schatz A Treacy A Morley G and W XXX S Connors H Kling K Conlow J Gepner and E Newman S Lesch M Thoemke R and S Roscoe B Madore M Turck J Hively M Lunde H and M Mohring EPearson Ryan S Toftness D Brauer and S Duniway R Dechert B Gabler BMastin S Herridge Kathee Foran A Nicolai E Allis P Lindquist M Gross JMartin K Clarke Anderson S Kaplan J Harshner S Kawakami K O'Svien Jand M Landsman P Pope A Young M Sulander P Carney J Austin D Parker P Gilje H Van Denburg M Treacy G Berquist G D'Amour R Cramer CSteinman J Marty E Wynne and L Johnson T Shaw L Schutz K Blauvelt JMeyer and L Hotka D Weissbrodt T M Cohen M Hazard M Griffin E Lipschultz K Eukel P Eichten M Alternam M Weber L Davis L Savran C Lundoff CGriffin Y and F Abul-Hajj David Zarkin A Levenson-Falk A Galloway POhmans L Pogoff and J Zuckerman P Bennett N Zett N Johnson J Powers J Parker A Vaaler N Osendorf M Berlowe Melisande Charles P Rachleff Kenneth Barklind Art Hughes

DONATED SPACE OR SERVICESTriangle Park Creative Rondo Community Outreach Library EastLake Library Hennepin County Public Library The Databank

TCMA 2008 FINANCIAL REPORT


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IA PARTNERSAfrican News Journal The Alley Asian American Press Asian Pages The Bridge Camden Ne

The Circle Hiiraan Online Hmong Today Inside Minnesota Politics Insight News KFAI Radio Korean Quarterly Land Stewardship Projeca Prensa de Minnesota The Liberian Journal Minneapolis Labor Review The Minneapolis Observer Minnesota 2020 The Minnesota Dail

Minnesota Independent Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Minnesota Womens Press The Mix Mshale MTN The Northeast Beat NortheasNorth News Park Bugle Phillips Community Television Session Weekly Session Daily Southside Pride SPNN St. Paul Union Advocateruth to Tell on KFAI Twin Cities Indymedia The Uptake Uptown Neighborhood News Workday Minnesota Daytons Bluf f Community Counc

ake Street Council The Lake Line St. Anthony Park Community Council Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association ARTS MEDIA ANAlchemy ARP (Art Review & Preview) Barefootblogger Becketts Martyr Booked in St. Paul Brit Rock at the Top CakeIn15 Ea

ake.net 50,000,0 00 Sparber Fans Cant Be Wrong HowWasTheShow.com InDigest Le Petit Connaisseur de la Monde letoile magazine Lf Cyn Little Lost Causes and Little Relaxed Minds live.eat.play.twin cities Midway Journal Midwest Broadcast Mill City Scene Th

Minneapoline Minneapolis Review Minneapolis Street Art Observer Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Mist MinnesotaPlaylisMinnesota Theatre mnartists.org MNDialog Northern Outpost Perfect Porridge Ren is the DJ Reveille Magazine Rhubarbism Rif t Magazi

Sai Werd Ink 3-Minute Egg A Tiny Machine We Heart Music BLOGS All Learning, All the Time Arts Orbit Blandin on Broadband BuildiMinnesota Cabbages and Kings Cinna.mn Engage Minnesota Eyeteeth Hispanic Fanatic Facts and Fictions The Fif th Column Flyover La

Fresh.mn From the Soapbox Front Row Seat Ground Zero Keeping the Faith The Knothole View Kolet ink The McGill Report MinneAfrMinneapolis and St. Paul Restaurant Critics Minnesota Budget Bites New Minnesotans Speak Nygaard Notes Politics from the Precincts Rannd Ruminations Rachel Says Rosemary Writes School Talk Single White Fringe Geek (and Mom) Womb With a View Think Forward Woiews

TWIN CITIES MEDIA ALLIANCE

TWIN CITIES DAILY PLANET www.tcdailyplanet.net

www.twincitiesmediaalliance.wordpress.com 2600 East Franklin Avenue, Suite #2 Minneapolis, MN 55406

tcma annual report 7-21-09

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