Starting a PolicyOptions Bureau - webinar slides 2/18/14

Starting a Local Bureau Webinar on PolicyOptions.org

Agenda • • • • 7 Steps to Start Up Selecting News to Digest Assigning Entries Adding Content

7 Steps to Start-Up

Start Up Steps 1. Add Organizations, their Programs & Key Staff 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Set up Feedly.com (RSS reader) Add RSS Feeds to Feedly.com Add Assignments to Basecamp.com Student Role (entering news, orgs, etc.) Faculty/Staff Advisor Role (reviewing) Launch: community partners, students, faculty

Start-Up Overview Recruit & Add Orgs, ! Set-up ! Train Student! Programs,! feedly.com Team and People Add RSS Feeds! to feedly.com Add Assignments! to Basecamp Add & Edit ! Entries

1. Add Organizations, their Programs & Key Staff Start with Local then County then State (if not already added): • Government Agencies • Media (esp. online newspapers, etc.) • Non-Profit Agencies • service providers • associations, advocacy, etc. • foundations

2. Set Up feedly.com • Set-up Feedly.com account using generic email account • Create one local folder for all feeds • Create one state folder for each of the 13 major issue areas

Organizing RSS Feeds Group RSS feeds • one folder for each local bureau • 13 folders for each major issue area

feedly.com

3. Add RSS Feeds to Feedly.com When adding local and state organizations, identify: • RSS feeds • org news pages update regularly • email newsletters • twitter feeds

No RSS? • No problem - www.page2rss.com - creates RSS on page changes - www.mmmmail.com - converts emails to RSS

4. Managing Editor Role • Manages Feedly news sources • Selects news items to be digested (see step-by-step mini-guide below) • Assigns entries on Basecamp (see step-by-step mini-guide below) • Ensure PolicyOptions.org style, format • 2-4 hours/week

5. Student Roles • At least two per bureau @ 5-7 hour/wk • Adds content to PolicyOptions.org (see step-by-step mini-guide below) • Detail oriented • Implements PolicyOptions.org style • Community and campus outreach

Training • Designate official trainings for PolicyOptions.org staff • Utilize guides on PolicyOptions Wiki (see step-by-step mini-guide below) • Emphasize learning by doing • Convene subsequent trainings

6. Faculty/Staff Advisor Role • Community engaged • Knowledgable of local organizations • Ensures progress • Student support • Increases faculty awareness

Ensure Quality Control Site visitors notice inconsistent formatting, delays in updating. To ensure quality: • • • Hold regular trainings Create a process of revision Time estimate: ongoing

7. Launch Three audiences, each of whom can utilize the resource in different ways • Community Partners • Students • Faculty

Community Partners PolicyOptions.org is a resource to deepen CBO relationships: • Create and distribute online demos • Next meeting - show your site! • Interns at CBO’s can use the resource

Students PolicyOptions.org news provides: • • • • Insight on their volunteer work A social entrepreneurship tool Community connections Resources for research papers

Faculty Faculty can use the resources in the classroom • Current events for classroom discussions/assignments • Augments service learning courses • Visit and demonstrate the site!

Selecting News to Digest

News Types • Announcements • Funding • Meetings • Legislation • Executive Action • Court Rulings • Publications • Assessments

We do NOT Report… • • • • • • Opinions and Editorials Pending court cases Gossip and scandal Local crime Human interest Purely international

Examples • New Jersey Childhood Obesity Study: Trenton Chartbook • Trenton shooting victim collapses in front of downtown pizza shop • Study on the Relationship Between Travel Demand and Economic Growth • Driver Killed in Moore County Crash

National News • Obamacare v Romneycare - we don’t report on the political discourse or the horse race • We report on the policies: facts, figures, local and state assessment and implementation (e.g., policy initiatives undertaken, federal funding, agency reports and analysis, legislation passed, executive actions)

State News • Gov. Christie’s weight not as important to New • Jerseyans as the policies he implements on Sandy Recovery or prisoner re-entry. Statistics, policy initiatives, nonprofit activities: Reports from state agencies and state specific Federal agencies Analysis from policy think tanks and institutes Funding opportunities Meetings and events: Board of Ed., to Governor Town Halls, to issue based state conferences. • • • •

Local News • The hardest to find because there are the fewest sources (when compared to state and national) • Social Media is a public sentiment forum, not a platform to grow a knowledge base. • Non-profit newsletters, local government releases and meetings, your institute’s work. • Leverage your connections to community partners to aggregate news.

Categorizing News All News is categorized on PolicyOptions.org as: • • • • • • • • Announcements: all news is an announcement Funding: press releases, other announcements on funding opportunities Meetings/Calendar Events: conferences, nonprofit meetings, government hearings Legislation: analysis, impact, or summary of PASSED legilsation Executive Action: President’s/Governors Executive Orders, Appointments Court Rulings: finalized court decisions that impact policy and law Publications: reports and scholarly work that do not assess efficacy and/or provide policy options. Assessments: reports and scholarly work that does assess efficacy and/or provide policy options.

www.Feedly.com • Navigation • Viewing • Mark as Read and Saved for Later • Adding RSS feeds • Organizing RSS feeds

Assigning Entries

Basecamp • Basecamp is an intuitive, online project management tool. • In a “To Do” List style, individuals can be assigned tasks. • Our “To Do” list will be labeled News Bureau Entries.

Assign via Basecamp • www.basecamp.com • Create News Bureau To Do list via email • Assign To Do’s to individuals with deadlines • Receive notification of completion

Enter the news entry assignment on Basecamp

Format the Assignment Content Type (Geographic Ownership) Altered Title Data Source (USA) National Institute of Justice Enhances Crimesolutions.gov http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/ pressreleases/2013/ojppr102813.pdf Link to Original Source

Assignment Guidance • • Indicate the specific location(s) impacted • Find original sources, not the article that quotes the press releases or summarizes a report. Craft an alternate title that conveys information not advocacy

Adding Content

Series of Online Steps 1. Feedly 2. Basecamp 3. PolicyOptions.org Entry 4. PolicyOptions.org

Feedly - Select News

Create Basecamp Assignment

Create Entry Login to PolicyOptions.org Admin page

Stylistic Requirements Editor’s Guide on PolicyOptions Wiki • NO ALL CAPS • Proper Quotation • Unbiased Titles

Entry Requirements • Original link is the first Source entry • No more than three paragraphs as description • Include logo of organizations • Enter organization

Including Logos News photos aren’t as important for a digest • Screen capture: www.skitch.com • Capture logo • Enter after completing all other entry requirements