Gordon Mayer will be part of a roundtable discussion on “Connecting People To Place In An Age Of Social Media” at 11 a.m., April 28. Conference is free, but preregistration is required—a few slots still remain. To register, contact Jerry Attere of WRD Environmental at jerry.attere@cityofchicago.org  or 312-744-9136.More details are here.

Photo is thinkhammond, by lobstar28, from flickr.

2010 Studs Terkel Community Award winners. From Left to right: Master of Ceremony Cheryl Corely of National Public Radio, Thom Clark President of Community Media Workshop, Kate Grossman of the Chicago Sun-Times, Natalie Moore of Chicago Public Radio, Angela Caputo & daughter of Progress Illinois, Mitchell Wenkus Columbia College scholarship winner, Josh Kalven and & Adam Doster of Progress Illinois. Photo by Olga Lopez

View the Photo Gallery |  Read more about the 2010 Studs Terkel Community Media Awards |  Watch Columbia College student Mitchell Wenkus’ award-winning video

Wednesday night at our benefit, Mary Mitchell said it best: our Terkel winners – Kate Grossman of the Chicago Sun-Times, Natalie Moore of WBEZ and Josh Kalven, Angela Caputo, and Adam Doster of Progress Illinois do their work “…with compassion and class. And did I mention, style?”

Actually, Mary was introducing Kate Grossman, her colleague at the Sun-Times. But her choice of words was apt for all the honorees. We did not take great notes—it was our party, after all, and we floated through it—but paused between sips to scribble down some quotable quotes. Read the rest of this entry »

Ida and Studs Terkel at the first Studs Terkel Community Media Awards in 1994

Advance registration is closed! Please feel free to join us as a walk-in this evening if you would like to attend

5 p.m. drinks, 6 p.m. program followed by entertainment & food

Silent auction, 5 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10 at the GAR Hall, Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St., Chicago

Read more about it here.

Writing To Make The News
9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, March 18
$95 REGISTER

Learn the basics and more: how to write a press release, the difference between a media alert, news release, and pitch letter, and how to produce polished versions of all three. Along the way, Alton Miller, author, press secretary to the late Harold Washington, and Columbia College dean offers insights into effective public relations. Learn:

•    Pre-writing and preparation
•    Editing to strengthen your writing skills
•    How to deliver your messages in the context of an integrated marketing communication campaign

If you struggle to communicate your story ideas to the media, then it’s time to learn new writing techniques. Learn successful techniques to write clearly and concisely in ways that help deliver your messages starting as soon as your next news release.

Trainer: Alton Miller is currently associate dean of the School of Media Arts and a tenured associate professor at Columbia College Chicago, where he teaches public relations writing and political PR. The first half of his PR career (1965-85) was in the performing arts. From 1985-87 he was press secretary to Chicago mayor Harold Washington, and his PR work has continued in politics and arts advocacy, including work as communications director for Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, City Treasurer Miriam Santos, and the Illinois Arts Alliance. He is the author of three nonfiction books, including a memoir, “Harold Washington: The Mayor, The Man.” In 2005 he received his M.F.A. in Writing from Goddard College. His thesis was a political novel, “Chicago Power & Light.“

Take Social Media to the Next Level
9 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 4
218 S. Wabash – Rm 806

You have the Facebook page, you’re on Twitter, and you’re dabbling with many other social media platforms. Now, learn to use the tools to the max to tell your organization’s stories better and faster than you thought possible.

In this training you will learn how to:

•    Assess which social media tools are right for your organization and strategy
•    Craft a brand message to move online audiences to action
•    Connect social media to existing/traditional advertising and communications
•    Coordinate social media tools so your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc. present the same message

Adam Thurman has used social media and other strategies to help Court Theatre achieve some of the highest grossing productions in their more than 50-year history. He recommends this workshop for leaders who can make strategic decisions about your social media and overall policies.

Register Today! Cost $95

About Adam Thurman
Adam is president of Mission Paradox, a consulting firm that focuses on marketing and branding issues.  As part of Mission Paradox he has led presentations and workshops for Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Civic Knowledge Project and the Arts and Business Council.

He is also director of marketing and communications at Court Theatre, one of the largest nonprofit theatres in Chicago. During his tenure as director of marketing the theatre has had some of the highest grossing productions in their more than 50-year history.

Adam is a former board member of the League of Chicago Theatres and has served on the Illinois Arts Council’s Advisory Panel.  He has been recognized as an Emerging Leader by Americans For the Arts and the Theatre Communication Group. He has also been featured in Time Out Chicago, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Artist Resource.

Social Media Need To Know For Managers
9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, Feb. 17

What we need to know about social media changes all the time as nonprofits change how we use online tools and share. This workshop will help those who supervise work with external audiences as well as those doing it day to day to think through some of the challenges it presents to the organization as well as one or two of the most significant new hands-on skills to have.

In this session you will learn:

•    How and why nonprofits are leading in adopting Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more social media tools
•    Listening techniques—simple ways to ensure your organization is participating in online conversations that relate to you and your work areas
•    Common issues that come up as nonprofits add social media to their communications toolkits and how to lead your organization through them

Whether you run your organization or not, find out what kind of changes using Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs may bring to your organization and assess how to lead you’re your group through those changes.

Register Today!

About Emily
Before moving to Chicago in 2008, Emily Culbertson was Web managing director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where she co-led a re-launch of RWJF.org in June 2008 and helped coordinate the foundation’s social media. Prior to that she was a senior account manager and eHealth strategist at I-SITE, a Philadelphia-based web agency, and she began her web career as a multimedia editor for the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s consumer Web site. She has also covered federal courts for the Associated Press, several Philadelphia suburban daily newspapers and Philadelphia’s legal daily newspaper. Culbertson is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies.

Mid Central Community Action and Community Media Workshop present:

Social Media, the News and Us

8:30 a.m. to noon, Thursday, Dec. 10
Mid Central Community Action, 1301 W. Washington St.  Bloomington
Cost: $15. Register here.

With news and communications changing, how can nonprofits get their stories out through established news outlets, other media such as online or community and ethnic news, and our own media, from newsletters to Web sites to Facebook? There are a lot more options than there used to be, but no more time or other resources.

This session has three key features: Read the rest of this entry »

Sign up now for Professional Media Relations
9 a.m. to noon Fridays from January 22 to February 19

Hardly anyone ever went to school to learn how to lead communications for a nonprofit—this workshop is as close you can come.

Participants in PMR, which has been delivered for 20 years now, have gone on to make careers as communication directors at large nonprofits and foundations. Find out why this cornerstone workshop has been called a nonprofit communications university. Updated to keep up with changes in news, the sessions will cover: Read the rest of this entry »