New Mexico News Port: From Liftoff to Orbit

From Liftoff to OrbitThe first-year trajectory of the

New Mexico News PortMichael V. Marcotte

UNM Professor of PracticeKate Nash CunninghamEditor / Adjunct Professor

Welcome!

NEWS PORT RETREAT/LUNCH

11:00 Grab Lunch! Pick a Table! 11:10 Greeting - Karen 11:15 Liftoff to Orbit - Mike & Kate11:45 Tabletop Planning - You!12:25 Discussion - All

From Liftoff to Orbit

I. Forces ConspireII.News Port ConceptionIII.News Port ActivitiesIV.News Port ResultsV.Next StepsVI.Your Turn!

I.Forces Conspire

IndustryKnight Commission/Info NeedsAspen Institute/Rethink Pub MediaCPB / New Networked Era

AcademyAnderson, Bell & Shirky /AdaptingDownie & Schudson/ReconstructionNewton / Searchlights & Sunglasses

I.Forces Conspire

I.Forces ConspireFrom newsroom to classroom

MarcottePublic radio/tv ‘84 - ’07News consulting ‘07 - nowTeaching ‘12 - now

NashNewspapers ‘96 - ‘12Teaching ‘12 - now

I.Forces ConspireCatalyst

ONA Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education

HACK YOUR CURRICULUM:COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL MEDIA

II. NM News Port

●Theory of Change●Mission Statement●Goals & Tactics●Student Outcomes

Our Theory of ChangeDevote school resources (student effort, faculty training, research, facilities) to public journalism

Partners join to accelerate training, coverage and public reach

New Mexicans are more engaged and more

informed

1.The News Port advances the teaching of journalism by doing journalism.

2. The News Port invites partners to collaborate and experiment.

3. The News Port increases the depth, reach and impact of public service journalism about New Mexico.

Our Mission

Our Goals/TacticsTeaching by Doing

• Give all journalism STUDENTS an opportunity to publish

• Give FACULTY an opportunity to participate and research

Our Goals/TacticsPartnering/Experiments

• Help provide to partners reporting they otherwise would lack

• Distribute partner stories to audiences they otherwise would miss

• Evolve technological skills and tools

Our Goals/TacticsPublic Service Journalism w/

Depth, Reach & Impact

• Measure an increase in topics and sources

• Measure an increase in users

• Measure a positive approval rating by partners, participants and users

News Port Outcomes = Classroom Outcomes

● Conceive of stories strong in public service value● Demonstrate expertise in covering topics of civic

interest and importance● Gather, verify and prioritize factual evidence● Write clear, concise and correct news stories● Produce multimedia journalism for the web● Engage communities● Manage data, contacts, teamwork and deadlines

Our (Not-So-Secret) Secret Mission

● To instigate a culture of change at UNM● To propel local partner success● To have a blast telling stories, exploring

tools and engaging people● To save journalism!

III. News Port Activities

FALL 2015Covered the New Mexico general election, including in real time on election night.

Hosted a Twitter Town hall

Held a "Follow the Money" workshop

New Mexico News Porthttp://newmexiconewsport.com









New Mexico Daily Lobohttp://www.dailylobo.com



III. News Port Activities

SPRING 2015Curious New Mexico project

243 questions from the community

Citizens decide what is news

Curious City http://curiouscity.wbez.org

Actual questionsWhat is the oldest language in New Mexico and who speaks it?

What's the story behind the large arrow/archer/bow art installations?

Who is responsible for naming it the land of Enchantment ?

Actual questionsIs there toxic waste being dumped in the Manzano Mountains and what will be done to clean it up?

Why are streets in Albuquerque so wide but the sidewalks are so narrow?

How corrupt are our politicians compared to other states? It always seems like we have one unfortunate political scandal or another..

Actual questions

Why are the buildings in Albuquerque the same shades of brown?

Why are New Mexico drivers so bad?

Roswell? Aliens.





StratCom students too

They created new releases, fact sheets and media pitches about the project.

19 students in CJ 387 (Intro to Strategic Communication) worked on media kits about the News Port.

Beyond classesFour interns, one work study student and

one independent study student.

SkillsWeb publishing

Text and video editing

Ethics

Mobile tools


Year one videohttps://youtu.be/rREIucP_pm0

IV. News Port Results

News Port Timeline

Kate Nash

presentation goes back to mike here.


76 students published! ● 128 stories● 74 photos● 58 videos● 35 data graphics


Involvement!

● Nine faculty members from seven courses

● 14 professionals from six partner organizations


Engagement!

● More than 20,000 web page views● 541 Twitter followers, 403 tweets, 282

retweets● 230 Facebook likes, 121 FB posts, 170

shares● 20 stories published by partners

IV. News Port ResultsAwards! SPJ Region 9 Finalist -- “Mark of Excellence”

● Best Digital-Only Student Publication● Best Online News Reporting New Mexico Press Women’s Association● 1st Place: Continuing Coverage (Election Coverage)● 1st Place: Writing, News (Candidates Hit Road)● 1st Place: Writing, Features (Living the Wild Life)● 2nd Place: Website, Educational (NM News Port)● 3rd Place: Speciality Articles, Politics (Record Revenues)

IV. News Port ResultsFundraising! ● Awarded $50,000 by Ethics and

Excellence Journalism Foundation.● A grant for $12,500 by Thornburg

Foundation for legislative coverage● $5,000 for intern scholarships by

Peggy Ann Hutchinson to C&J● New UNM Fund for Journalism

Innovation

IV. News Port ResultsData yet to be reported● Tufts survey of community leaders and

project partners● Pre and post survey to measure

student skill attainment, level of satisfaction and anticipatory socialization (person-job fit).

V. Next Steps

● News Port to continue Curious NM for NMPBS!

● News Port’s main beat becomes “High Tech in the High Desert: NM’s innovation economy.”

● News Port to partner in “Democracy Bus,” a fresh approach to election coverage.

● News Port as platform in development of a media entrepreneurism course in 2016.

V. Next Steps

News Port is part of a wider-ranging discussion about the future vision of KUNM-FM, NMPBS and C&J Dept.

Big Vision:

A joint public media news room?

Tabletop Planning1.Choose “table captain” who

will guide discussion and report out

2.Begin SILENTLY, each writing down ideas on the Post-It notes

3.Discuss ideas… form new ideas

4.Prioritize your ideas5.Report out when the time is

up!

Tabletop Planning

Table 1: How can News Port work more deeply with media partners to produce significant journalism?

Tabletop Planning

TABLE 1: JOURNALISM PARTNERSHIPS- hold an honest conversation about values and purposes of each partner (acknowledge different cultures, languages)

- build a structure for editorial planning to take hold (consider newsroom model with editor levels)

- increase trust and confidence in journalistic quality and integrity

- pair experienced journalists with inexperienced journalists

- rotate students through partner organizations

- produce “significant journalism” — defined as solid beat coverage and/or deep dive investigative coverage

- tackle liability concerns head on

Tabletop Planning

Table 2: How can News Port advance its digital age technological sophistication -- for students and for partners?

Tabletop PlanningTABLE 2: ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY- build upon consumer tech we already have — but to their highest quality and best practices

- push web to be cutting edge (avoid print look)

- exploit live streaming like Periscope

- exploit social uses like Vine, Instagram

- emphasize mobile, mobile, mobile- QR codes to find News Port in unlikely places

- mind the convergence of broadcast and internet… ATSC 3.0

Tabletop Planning

Table 3: How can News Port more deeply and consistently engage the public?

Tabletop PlanningTABLE 3: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT- broader partnerships with other news outlets- “tell us your story” portal- localize national news- connect with CJ advisory bd- news surveys with community- find the target audience and collaborate with groups in that area- find a single focus topic and stick with it- video columns- social media sharing- more Twitter town halls

- beats on public sectors- involve Generation Justice- have a public open house- send reps to comm/media orgs- form a citizen advisory panel- engage with high school programs- hold seminars and events- mount a joint PR campaign- convene social media conversations after broadcasts- partner with UCAM- media literacy campaign

Tabletop Planning

Table 4: How can News Port become sustainable as a long-term effort?

Tabletop PlanningTABLE 4: SUSTAINABILITY- create endowment fund

- press for individual givers

- seek foundation support (gifts and grants)

- major gifts via select individuals

- start a News Port newsletter to get into inboxes

- run a crowd-funding campaign around a topic

- charge fees for special trainings or special events

- create content products like book that appeal to students and families

- sell content to other partners

- seek sponsors for short term efforts, like intercession projects

- get partners to invest more in-kind support, like advising, editing

- get more faculty involved

Want to Help? Contact us!Michael V. [email protected]@michvinmar(619) 201-2677

Kate Nash [email protected]@katenashnm(505) 385-9089

mailto:[email protected]

