Starting a Local BureauWebinar on PolicyOptions.org

Agenda

• 7 Steps to Start Up

• Selecting News to Digest

• Assigning Entries

• Adding Content

7 Steps to Start-Up

Start Up Steps1. Add Organizations, their Programs & Key

Staff

2. Set up Feedly.com (RSS reader)

3. Add RSS Feeds to Feedly.com

4. Add Assignments to Basecamp.com

5. Student Role (entering news, orgs, etc.)

6. Faculty/Staff Advisor Role (reviewing)

7. Launch: community partners, students, faculty

Start-Up Overview

Add & Edit !Entries

Add Assignments!to Basecamp

Add RSS Feeds!to feedly.com

Set-up !feedly.com

Add Orgs, !Programs,!

and People

Recruit & Train Student!

Team

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 ControlSite visitors notice inconsistent formatting, delays in updating.

To ensure quality:

• Hold regular trainings

• Create a process of revision

• Time estimate: ongoing

7. LaunchThree 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

FacultyFaculty 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

• Study on the Relationship Between Travel Demand and Economic Growth

• Trenton shooting victim collapses in front of downtown pizza shop

• 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

Data Source (USA) National Institute of Justice Enhances Crimesolutions.gov http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2013/ojppr102813.pdf

Content Type (Geographic Ownership) Altered Title

Link to Original Source

• Indicate the specific location(s) impacted

• Craft an alternate title that conveys information not advocacy

• Find original sources, not the article that quotes the press releases or summarizes a report.

Assignment Guidance

Adding Content

Series of Online Steps

1. Feedly

2. Basecamp

3. PolicyOptions.org Entry

4. PolicyOptions.org

Feedly - Select News

Create Basecamp Assignment

Create EntryLogin 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