Citizen journalism affects nonprofits

Elizabeth Toledo at PR Week writes about how changes in news gathering and the rise of citizen journalism are affecting nonprofits.

In the old model, advocacy organizations influenced the media by sending press releases, holding press events, submitting letters to the editor, and publishing newsworthy information. That model worked because an editor or columnist determined what was "newsworthy."

In theory, there was a professional lens that sifted through the massive number of claims and accusations. Organizations with a good reputation could generally count on professional journalists to dismiss accusations that did not have a solid foundation.

In the new world of media advocacy, the editor's role shrinks while the role of the "citizen journalist" grows. Leading news sites, such as cnn.com and nytimes.com, will invite the public to submit their own stories and, through a combination of popularity and relevance, the public will drive which stories make it through the firewall onto the evening news. It's not simply that more Op-Eds will make it onto the editorial pages - these citizen journalists will drive which stories grab the attention of the news reporters as well.

The reason I started this blog is to write about exactly this intersection. Journalism is something anyone can do -- and that includes you, as you engage others who are interested in the work your organization is doing. Instead of trying to get the attention of the people who write stories, you can write stories yourself. Instead of trying to get the attention of people who make videos, you can make your own videos. If your stuff is engaging and interesting and insightful, you'll get the attention of people you want to engage.
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