Community Engagement - What Is It and How Do You Do It?

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Community Engagement - What Is It and How Do You Do It?
Introductions -
Presenter - John Creighton, The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
John asks group to outline what and engagement/outreach paln at station
currently looks like Then asks how it differs from the following engagement strategy * Will your strategy or initiative improve the civil health of
your community - on a small or larger scale?
* Spur people to talk to and learn from each other?
* Help people discover ways to act on their aspiration and
concerns
* Inspire

Does engagement that passes these tests look different? Obvious
difference, community has to be part of plan to meet the above criteria
* This is model is less about org needs and more about community
needs.
* More about exchange of info vs. delivery of info to viewer.
* More listening? * How would staff receive these new changes be received?
Stations currently believe they are the expert, cultural change in
station needs to occur.
The station expertise is mass communication and is less about the
individual or small community impact. Mass communication touches many
on an information level vs. personal and smaller one on one interaction
that is becoming more and more important in today's social networking
environment and varied interest. It was acknowledged that change is
difficult and internal reticence is one of the first obstacles to
overcome. So, how do you continue to maximize media as a tool but incorporate
community engagement and bring together both elements to strengthen
station capacity?
++Starts with mindset and leap of faith.
Traditional outreach * Goals involve or educates people and extends content
* Frame policy debate
* Expert panel discussion with live audience
* Audience questins with mcal calls and tweets
High Impact Engagement
* Goal change the community on a small or larger scale
* "Focus community needs and aspirations * 'Give and take conversations in the community places people
gagther
* Explicit efforts to build relationships clearly indicate you're
here to stay and are open to receiving information not just delivering
content to a consumer.
* Choose partners to leverage impact
Comment -Neighbor to Neighbor project - community need was not to
address "immigration master narrative" but to engage people on a
personal and cultural level and experience. Who is my neighbor not
policy and debate.
Comment - unique experience "lack of camera presence at many events"
Seldom before was this level of conversation achieved. Not better
journalism but more authentic because of different approach =- More
about what the story the community wants to hear and less about what the
station thinks the message should be.
In the new engagement model the best interest of heart is the community
vs. environment of mistrust of media.
Education and engagement staff are more and more a source of content and
become a contributor to the content.
With the new model of engagement the life of the programming has a far
longer life than previous How do we get there?
* Start listening and learning from community
* Know your value, what is the real role we can play in the
community beyond broadcast,. * Build relationships, station should explicitly ask what
relationships and discnering effort about choosing partners. Who can
leverage impact in the community and fill gaps of own capacity
* Turn outward
* What are the real needs and aspirations in your community
* What would it look like to impact these needs and aspirations?
* What assets do you bring to the table to accomplish this?
* What leaps of faith does the station need to take
Take a gut check
* Can you talk to people about the community and their concerns
and would they say you listen to and understand us?
* What would they say
* Do you act in ways that account for the quality of peoples lives
* Do people believe that you have their best interests at heart.
Harwood Institute has developed a Community Conversation guide
available www.harwoodinstitute.org * Start listening * Take action
* Hold community convesations
* Discover voices not demographics
* Engage people as citizens not as consumers
"Assess your knowledge of the community * Aspirations, concerns, values, sources and stereotypes
* Assess when the community is ready to discuss and issue or
concern
* Waiting place, impact, analytic
Example
TN neighbor to neighbor project -from the beginning station discussion
outlined what the station wanted to address but as time went by it was
more about what the station but more what the community wanted to talk
about.
Religious tolerance was not addressed as it was not a community concern.

Station was directing initial conversation but once got to deeper level
and understanding about the community should leave the conversations.
Media are historically the storytellers addressing, character, conflict,
change.
New media, still tells the story but engages the viewer on more levels.
More personal, how did they get here.
Aha moments: Stations are not considered safe places by our community,
(level of mistrust of media) Building trust with community is key. Go
where they are.
Content posted on Youtube developed conversation - but content on
station site did not solicit responses expected A rephrase of your
intent and questions takes you to a different level of engagent.
Just changing or phrasing the conversation differently than the "master
narrative" allows for greater content and impact Comment - The Neighbor
to Neighbor project developed through RTL immigration presentations and
immigration communities needs. The station questioned why there was
suddenly such a huge demand for RTL and literacy services. As they
listened to the community the new initiative took shape.

What role will your station play in the community?
* Connector, convener, catalyst, collaborator?
* Come up with your own ideas?
* How will you have an impact in this role?
* What does it look like to do this
* What will it take to make this happen
* Are your really committed to this project to do this?.
Comments - Amy Shaw, - KETC
Stations need to be thinking in the long term. This model of engagement
changes everything. Funding, philanthropic viability, the stations
position in the community. Engagement is now in part directing station
messaging and mission. Whereas in past outreach /engagement was often
and afterthought. Change is difficult but worth it.
New mind set, has created a new image and created a more vibrant
philanthropic arm for the station. Station programming has to have local
and community relevance to remain viable in today's environment. It's
not just about programming though-it's about the new whole-on-air,
online and in the community-think about all the pathways that the
station has to engage the community.
A realignment of internal station structure is key to change.
Production, online, engagement(outreach) marketing and development all
need to work toward the same outcomes.
Station funders need to be engaged in conversation from the beginning.
Invite them to participate in the dialogue. It engages them in the
mission message and offers the "funder" opportunity to engage at a
greater level.
Comments - Kim Kranich - Obesity campaign for kids - Mindset change,
station played role as conversation convener The station trained,
partners to facilitate conversations. This project now includes a group
of 25 partners through the growth of the 3 year project. Organizations
now bring money to the table because of the development of deeper
relationships and conversations. Impact happens but the time needs to
be taken in the beginning to listen, learn and engage.
Station mindset changed. This is not only a big station any station can
achieve these results.
Comments Elizabeth Ottinger, -working through Vermont struggled with
internal station culture shift and making listening a statewide effort.
Station department structure changed to add content officer. There was a
lot of internal work to achieve this goal but worth it. Takes time but
stick with it.
TN station concurs, Internal station changes not easy. But payoff is
authenticity and authority that is vastly improved.
You have to be open to constant shifts in community mind set, media is
still evolving on a national level and local organization need to be
open to adapting and adjusting as media continues to change.
Comment - Mary Bracken- this is the value of NETA and conferences to
learn and engage. Many stations recognize the need to adapt but need to hear about best
practices. Stations are working in the right direction but need to help
tweaking their efforts to better work with community as they change
station mindset to "stop and listen to the community."

Back to presentation
'Time - Relationships are rooted in shared understandings and common
experiences

Place
* You must go to the places that matter to the community not
always your turf.
* Frame- focus on issues that are important to your community -
not always the same
* Using your skill sets to help the community strengthen and build
on existing capacity.
Collaborate
Your assets
* What are your assets and capacities
* What can you do better than anyone else
Chose partners wisely
* What must happen that is outside your area strength?
* How critical is this to having an impact on the community
* Who could do this work?
Be a good partner
How do you need to work to ensure that there is impact?
Website resource www.mediaengage.org
www.publicmediamaps.org
Slides at info@mediaengage.org Note - Not in our Town initiative in the fall - Tolerance and hate crime
issues.
Independent producers are a resource to stations.

In closing
This new model is about repositioning your station in the community.
Choose the right subjects at the right time. The community will see you
differently and your station will be better positioned in the community
in today's media environment.
Slides for this presentation can be found at the Harwood Institute
website- www.theharwoodinstitute.org
Jacqueline Voland