State-coordinator
From New England News Forum
Contents
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What a state media or education moderator might do
Thank-you for considering becomming a state blogging or education coordinator for your state. Because the New England News Forum is a new entity and a new concept, we're experimenting and look forward to your help and advice as we become more active. We hope this wiki page provides some guidance on how to get started, if your proposal is accepted.
How to submit your proposal
When you feel you're familiar with what we're seeking, email YOUR proposal to editor@newenglandnews.org. Include phone contact information. We'll follow up by phone.
Overall goal -- make the connection between citizens and media
Our mission is to inspire active citizenship through discussion and spotlight of media issues as well as core regional issues affected by media coverage. Our aim is to increase public trust and deepend public understanding of the news media by promoting the practice of trusted, thorough and accountable journalism in any form. We want www.newenglandnews.org to be a "home base" for thoughtful citizens, news consumers and practitioners who want to broaden and deepen civic debate in New England. We are not a media watchdog, we hope to be media's best friend -- by fostering greater media accountability and, in turn, greater public support for free-press, free-speech values.
Your personal blog
As a state media or education coordinator, you will open and operate a blog on the NENF website. You should also commend to our attention other potential commentators from your state who we might also consider as supplemental blog contributors. We're developing some guidelines for acceptable blogging which are likely to boil down to three central features: (1) No personal attacks (2) Stay "on point" -- broadly to the issues we've identified as core to the NENF mission (3) Be respectful of individuals, groups and the facts. All comments to blogs will be moderated (viewed before posting) by you or by someone affiliated with NENF.
What are our "issues"?
NENF looks to be a resource in two areas -- media issues and critical regional issues. We've established a forum within the site for each and may ultimately be able to name online moderators for each of the issues on a regional basis.
- A state "media blogger" will encourage and moderate efforts and comment on the media issues and regional issues noted below.
- A state "education blogger" will develop as a focal point for innovation, improvement and expansion of media-literacy efforts in primary and secondary schools in your state. "Media literacy" refers to the ability to read, analyze, evaluate and produce communication in a variety of media forms. We're particularly interested in efforts which teach how to judge the assumptions, point-of-view, quality and reliability of news sources.
Media issues
- Citizen media -- Track the growth and personalities in web-based citizen media and technologies.
- Coverage/emphasis -- Discuss the way news is covered, downplayed or ignored in a community state or our region.
- Privacy -- Highlights of the intersection between privacy and the public's "right to know." How is the line drawn in day-to-day news coverage? What are the trends?
- Media access -- Monitoring the success of New England media at making the judgements and process of gathering and presenting news more open.
- Public access -- Share or learn about efforts to assist in the free-flow of public information.
- Demographics/diversity -- Monitor how New England media cover and reflect unique ethnic and cultural communities.
- Enterprise -- Exchange and note good (and bad) enterprise/investigative reporting efforts by the region's media (as well as amateur newshounds and citizen bloggers).
Regional issues
Our approach to regional issues is informed by the work of the New England Futures Project. We've identified these issues for specific spotlight on the NENF website:
- Broadband/communications -- How telecommunications infrastructure affects New England quality of life and competitiveness.
- Demographics/affordability -- The effect of housing costs and policies on the region's demographics, ethnic communities and rural/urban growth.
- Education -- The health and quality of the region's public-education infrastructure -- and colleges -- and their efforts to contribute to greater civic participation.
- Energy -- The development and consequences of the region's energy-producing and consumption infrastructure and habits.
- Environment -- How New England's natural environment aids or inhibits its participation in the global and national marketplace and conversation.
- Governance -- New approaches to regional governance that may provide more efficient yet highly accountable public service.
- Growth/planning -- How states, regions and communities are acting to create incentives that will lead to sustainable, diverse communities. This ties in with transportation, demographics, energy and environment.
- Health care -- Innovation in the financing or providing of health care, especially preventative, child and end-of-life initiatives.
- Transportation -- How communities, states and the region coordinate mass-transit policies and spendiing so as to preserve and even increase accessibility while reducing oil consumption.
A. Digest posting with links to underlying stories/URLs
Look for for and post digest links to stories about key journalism and regional topics Here are some of the things a NENF state blog coordinator might undertake:
- General analysis of the state's media ecosystem, including print, broadcast, speciality and web-based services focused on practices and coverage that affect civic engagement.
- Provide advice and links on the subject of how the public can better understand and contribute to the news.
- Spotlight trends, events or practices which illustrate and teach how the web and new technologies are affecting news coverage, presentation or ethics.
- Take note of evidence and dialogue about the evolving relationship between traditional and "citizen" (part-time) journalists.
- Help track open-meeting, open-records issues in collaboration with whoever is already doing so in the state. Spotlight individuals and organizations which stand up for open, transparent government and First Amendment values.
- Seeking information about the state of media-literacy curriculum in elementary and secondary schools and the extent to which news organizations and citizens are able to assist schools in helping students to become active consumers -- and creators -- of media which fosters participatory democracy.
- Spotlight and promote efforts by news organizations and producers to be open and inclusive of citizens in their decisions and operations, with the goal of helping the public understand and better support the vital role of news organizations in a democracy.
- Connect with citizen groups and non-profit organizations who depend upon the media to advance their civic missions so that they can help the NENF become a better resource.
- Participate in periodic NENF conference calls and physical meetups and forums.
B. Periodic conference calls to improve/collaborate efforts
We hope to begin as frequent as monthly phone-in conference calls among state blog moderators and education coordinators. The purpose of these calls:
- In between physical gatherings, create and maintain a more personal link among NENF collaborators than is possible via the web along.
- Identify issues trends that may be worth special research and analysis by NENF interns and staff.
- Consider ideas for state and regional gatherings (forums).
- Share examples of ways in which the NENF is making a difference.
