Author Archives: Jeremy Iggers

May Update: Birthday party, upcoming classes, editors reports and more

Posted on May 13, 2013 | Leave a comment

Executive Director’s Report:

We have some exciting classes scheduled this month – see Bruce Johnson’s report below for highlights, or scroll down for more staff reports, and a complete list of classes, Newsroom Cafes and this month’s social media clinic. But first, I want to make sure you received this invitation:

We’re celebrating the Daily Planet’s 7th birthday this month with a party from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 at Cause Spirits and Soundbar, 3001 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis, and you’re invited. We’ll take a little time to look back on past accomplishments and talk about future plans, but mostly it will be a chance to celebrate and socialize. The appetizers and birthday cake are on us; there will also be a cash bar with happy hour pricing. If you would like to join us, please RSVP to emilyanderson@tcdailyplanet.net, or go to our Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/522178511173400/ and sign up. And feel free to invite your friends.

Staff reports:

Program manager for Training and Engagement Bruce Johansen reports:

One April highlight was photographer Tom Baker’s hands-on photojournalism class which had people pounding the pavement outside our office, snapping pictures of people they encountered on one of the first nice spring evenings of the year. All 10 photographers reconvened indoors where Tom critiqued their images and offered helpful suggestions. More than one participant expressed how ecstatic they were about receiving such generous and helpful feedback from a professional.

Also a highlight, a Twitter coaching session offered by Lolla Mohammed Nur to staff at OAP, the Organizing Apprenticeship Project. The session at OAP’s office was a great mix of learning, laughter, community- and skill-building. Through a generous grant from the Bush Foundation, OAP is one of 25 area nonprofits that TCMA is partnering with to help address media and communications needs this year.

Lots coming up in May. Marcos Lopez-Carlson will offer a new and much needed class, Personal Privacy in a Social (Media) World. Freelance photographer Avye Alexandres, a Jerome Foundation/Northern Lights grant recipient is teaching Digital Photography for the Amateur: What Makes a Great Photo and How to Hone Your Craft. And Tom Baker is back with The Basics of Exposure and What Makes a Good Photograph. Don’t forget that Jay Gabler facilitates a monthly social media clinic to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information. Those take place at our office the last Thursday of each and every month. Check back frequently for updated listings http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/classes

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

We’ve always been committed to citizen journalism, and now we’re creating even more ways for you to share your news and views directly with our local communities. Our new Community Voices section allows Twin Cities residents to share their voices, no matter what their interests. For example, Mark Mahoney was excited about an upcoming performance by jazz pianist Craig Taborn, so he submitted a Community Voices article that we also used to feature the event as a TCDP Top Pick. To learn more about how you can use the Daily Planet to connect with our local communities about arts events you love, see the rightmost column at tcdailyplanet.net/arts.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

Do you ever wonder about the stories behind the people holding cardboard signs at intersections and freeway ramps? Nick Sucik did more than wonder — he proposed a series of video interviews. Sounded like a great idea to us, so you can now watch Kim’s story and Josh’s story and Mark’s story of their lives behind the signs. We help people to tell their stories, and we also dig for the stories that aren’t being told, such as Sheila’s coverage of Green Central changes and parents’ fears. If you haven’t yet subscribed to our daily newsletter, click here and get a roundup of story and blog headlines every day.

Community Engagement Editor Lolla Mohammed Nur reports:

Our ongoing mission at the Twin Cities Daily Planet is to bolster community engagement – both in our content and in our relationships with those out in the community itself. Besides continuing our media skills fellowship and publicizing their life stories and fellowship accomplishments, we have also been continuing our work with Bush nonprofit partners in providing social media and digital literacy trainings. Also, check out some of our Our Stories pieces that have received wide attention, such as a preview of a local aerial arts play on black womanhood and the prison industrial complex, and an interview with an Ethiopian-Minnesotan student who is giving back to Ethiopia by founding a kids’ soccer organization there.

Community Asset Mapping / Neighborhood Engagement Intern Harry Kent reports:

My name is Harry Kent and I have been the Community Asset Mapping Intern for the last couple of months here with the Media Alliance. I am writing because our Neighborhood Engagement Specialist, Maggie Pearson, is currently engaging in some trans-national community engagement of her own in Europe! Before she left for her vacation, we got some great input and updates from businesses in Hamline-Midway for our business directory. We also had the chance to meet with Lori Greene, owner of Mosaic on a Stick, to get a sneek-peak at her new location http://www.tcdailypla net.net/news/2013/04/12/new-location-mosaic-stick.

I am currently in the midst of wrapping up plans for our photowalk in the Hamline-Midway thisMonday, May 13th. From 5:00-7:30, we will be walking through the neighborhood, taking photos of cool community buildings and sights that we see and then discussing our thoughts and results over refreshments at Gingko Coffeehouse (721 N. Snelling Ave.)! If you want to join us, email me at harry@tcdailyplanet.net! Feel free to send any wishes to Maggie as I’m sure she’s been struggling to enjoy the warm European sun.

Volunteer to mentor Daily Planet citizen journalists!

We are looking for experienced professional journalists who want to share their skills by mentoring our citizen journalists. Interested? We will meet with you to introduce the Daily Planet, including our assignment procedure, pre- and post-story engagement process, and expectations for stories. Then we’ll try to match you with a citizen journalist who would like help in improving reporting and writing skills. You’ll meet with the citizen journalist to get acquainted and then agree on how you can best help — probably by conferring about the story at the time of assignment (including pre-story engagement plans), reviewing/editing the first draft of the story, and discussing possibilities for post-story engagement and follow-up. To volunteer, or for more information, contact Daily Planet editor Mary Turck, editor@tcdailyplanet.net.

Newsroom Cafes:

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at a Newsroom Café.

Newsroom Café with Mary Turck

Wed, 05/15/2013 – 4:00 p.m. at the Black Dog Cafe, 308 East Prince Street in downtown St. Paul.

To find Mary, look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Cafes with Jay Gabler

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm at the Bull Run Coffee Bar, 3346 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis

To find Jay, look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Twin Cities Media Alliance Classes

Our location: Many of our classes are held at the Twin Cities Daily Planet office (though many are not—see each class listing for location information). Our office is centrally located, but it can be a little tricky to find if you don’t realize that we are in the Wells Fargo bank branch at 2600 E. Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis. Free parking is available in the bank’s parking lot; to get to our office, enter through the bank’s back door—from the parking lot. You’ll see the door to our office right across from the ATM. If the bank is closed, you can get into the vestibule by swiping any ATM card; otherwise, just step over to our window and give us a knock!

The basics of exposure and what makes a good photograph with Tom Baker

Thu, 05/16/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E. - enter through the bank’s back door

Suite 2

Mpls., MN

What makes a good photograph? The composition? The direction of light? The subject matter? The exposure? Come learn the answers to these questions and gain insight into the basics of improving your photography skills in a two-hour class with freelance photographer Tom Baker. Tom will help you understand terms like aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, overexposure/underexposure, focal length, and other terminology, while explaining the elements that must come together to create an effective and appealing photo that can provide content and meaning to the viewer. His approach will be from the standpoint of a photojournalist, but will also give examples of artistic and landscape photography to help aid understanding and importance of color, light, pattern, and depth. Camera types covered will be SLRs, point-and-shoot, and cell phones. Tom will even explain the basics of using that pesky flash that can be frustrating for most to work with. In the end, you will have the tools to help you understand what makes a good photograph and the knowledge to apply them to your own photography.

Tuition is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Please register at TheDataBank.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Burnhaven Library

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 10:15am - 12:15pm

1101 W Co Rd. 42

Burnsville, MN

Do you have a LinkedIn account but have never quite figured out how to use it? With over 130 million members, LinkedIn is a network worth developing. In this class we will learn how to set up a profile accurately, discover new contacts and participate in groups.

This class will be taught by Marcos Lopez-Carlson. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-891-0300.

May Social Media Clinic

Thu, 05/23/2013 - 4:00pm - 6:00pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E. Suite 2 - enter through the bank’s back door

Mpls., MN

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics at the Daily Planet office and get a hand from Twin Cities Daily Planet associate editor Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

WHO: Jay Gabler and up to ten registered participants.
WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.
HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available and to pay the participation fee of $10 for each workshop. Participation is free for all Daily Planet advertisers (click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet), and scholarships are available upon request. Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.

Personal Privacy in a Social (Media) World

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E. Suite 2 - enter through the bank’s back door

Mpls., MN

Confused by all of the privacy options on Facebook? Overwhelmed trying to figure out what is meant by “private”? You’re not alone! As Facebook changes the way we communicate with each other, it’s also changing the way we understand what is meant by private. With a focus on Facebook, this two-hour class will cover the basics of privacy in a “social” world. Instructor Marcos Lopez-Carlson will answer such questions as:

-What is private?

-Who can see my personal information and posts?

-How can I protect my privacy and still use social media?

-How is my information being used in ads?

-What should I know about privacy when using other social media, such as Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn?

Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are also available. Register for this class atTheDataBank.

Digital Photography for the Amateur: What Makes a Great Photo and How to Hone Your Craft

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

2600 Franklin Avenue E. Suite 2 - enter through the bank’s back door

Mpls., MN

In this class instructor Avye Alexandres will examine what makes a compelling photograph and set you on a journey to becoming a more skilled photographer by introducing you to the basics. Both artistic and technical aspects of the craft will be addressed. We will look at classic and contemporary works, investigating how visual elements such as light, texture, composition, and subject, interplay to create mood and impact. Then we will dive into technical aspects such as exposure, focal length, and depth of field. Tips, resources and exercises for how to take better photos and avoid common mistakes will be addressed throughout, and participants will leave with an assignment. This class is open to beginning students with any sort of camera- from point-and-shoot or camera phone to DSLR. Please note: We will not be examining specific models of cameras, or going step-by-step through the functions, therefore a familiarity with the menus and capabilities of your own device is encouraged.

Tuition for the class is $10.00. Scholarships are available upon request. Register throughTheDataBank.

We will reconvene in a second class to view student work and discuss avenues for improvement, using supportive and constructive feedback. We will discuss style and/or concept in relation to images and revisit technical aspects as they arise. Although it is recommended that people register for both sessions, it is not a requirement.

Avye Alexandres is a photographer and artist living in Minneapolis, who arrived by way of Texas, Florida and Athens, Greece. She creates performative events and immersive installations utilizing photographic elements and technologies new or old. A Jerome Foundation/Northern Lights Grant recipient, she has exhibited locally at the Weisman Art Museum, Spotart and Concordia Galleries, and presented during the Soap Factory’s Artery festival and at Red Eye Collaborations. Her freelance photographic work includes creating promotional imagery for artists, theatre companies, musicians or actors, as well as occasional documentary ventures.

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April Update: Take a media skills class this spring

Posted on April 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

Tired of winter? Shake off the winter blahs with one of our media skills classes, like Twitter 101, or Become a LinkedIn Power User, or sign up for our April Social Media Clinic. Volunteer as a journalism mentor for one of our aspiring citizen journalists. Or drop in on one of our Newsroom Cafes to find out how you can contribute your talents to the Daily Planet as a writer, photographer or videographer. (And maybe even get paid.) You’ll find details on all of the above below, right after our staff reports.

Staff reports:

Program manager for Training and Engagement Bruce Johansen reports:

March was a month of brainstorming, relationship-building, and classes:

· We met with staff of several nonprofits and neighborhood associations to assess how we might address pressing media and communications needs. Through a generous grant from the Bush Foundation we’re able to provide customized coaching, classes, and much, much more. With small staffs and scant resources, this is just what our 25 partners need.

· While we were doing outreach, others were reaching out to us, leading to brainstorming on how we might provide basic computer instruction to new immigrants, troubleshoot on website and social media woes, and collaborate on projects designed to help shrink the digital divide in some small way.

· At month’s end we learned that we’d received a Neighborhood Partnership Initiative grant from CURA, the U of M’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs. Lolla Mohammed Nur will be TCMA lead on “Breaking Walls and Building Bridges,” a collaboration with the Seward Neighborhood Group that uses storytelling to confront barriers that keep residents of East African and other backgrounds apart.

· Our Community Photojournalism Basics class was a big success, so successful that we’ve invited Tom Baker to return this month to teach a hands-on sequel, Eyes on the Street: Community Photojournalism Walk and Critique. Jay Gabler will answer the question, “What is Tumblr, and what can it do for you,” in Tumblr 101, and take on ALL of your social media questions at April’s social media clinic. Meanwhile, our classes at public libraries throughout the metro area continue to get rave reviews!

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

We’ve been working hard to make sure the Daily Planet arts section reflects the diversity of our communities—and we need your help! We’re driven by community contributions and citizen journalists sharing their stories about the local artists and events that mean the most to them. Take a look at our community calendar—are the upcoming events you’re most excited about listed there? If not, follow the easy steps to add them! Want to see your favorite upcoming events highlighted in our newsletters and on our home page as TCDP Top Picks? Write to me for information about how you can tell our readers why those events are special. Mary Turck and I would also love to see you at an upcoming Newsroom Cafe, where we can tell you all about how to have fun, make friends, and even earn some income as a member of our team of citizen journalists.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

In March, our Media Skills Fellows began publishing stories of their lives and communities. Among them: Juanita Espinosa told the story of a young mother’s experience of the digital divide and Vangeline Ortega told her own story of kidney dialysis and transplants, which disproportionately affect Hispanic communities. In the Our Stories section, we focus on indivduals telling their own stories. In March that included a Haitian immigrant, anti-drone veterans, and Mark, one of the men who holds signs on street corners, asking for money. Our Community Voices section offered a forum for voices including MPS Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson, the Center for the American Experiment’s Mitch Pearlstein and individual community members, such as Luwam Arefe and Margarita Luna. Of course, our great citizen journalists continued to contribute coverage of the HERC controversy, early childhood education, the Sisters Camelot labor dispute and much more.

Community Engagement Editor Lolla Mohammed Nur reports:

We’ve been working on community engagement and continued outreach with neighborhood organizations and nonprofits, such as Navigate MN, the Harrison Neighborhood Association, Organizing Apprenticeship Project, Seward Neighborhood Group, and Cycles for Change, among others. Community outreach has led to more stories being published in the Our Stories section, which focuses on individuals who have a unique story, life experience, or an innovative vision to share in their own words.
The highlights of the past month include a Haitian immigrant working to build the Minnesota Haitian community, Kenyan Minnesotans’ opinions on the election in their home country, and an anti-drone rally in Cedar Riverside. We have also been working with our Media Skills Fellows and publishing their stories.

Community Asset Mapping / Neighborhood Engagement Specialist Maggie Pearson reports: March has been a busy first month for the Asset Mapping team. We started our community mapping project on the West Side of St. Paul, and quickly found some hidden gems for snacks and services hidden throughout the Neighborhood. A group of artists on Smith Ave were kind enough to include us in a brainstorming gathering they hosted, which lead to Harry Kent’s Neighborhood Note. In addition to mapping out the West Side, Bruce invited me to join him in meeting with many of the community partners for his Bush Grant work, which led to numerous valuable conversations about how I can work with neighborhood groups to map the community resources and get their news content out! We’re now wrapping up our work on the West Side with over 60 new listings made, and starting outreach to folks living and working in Hamline-Midway.

Volunteer to mentor Daily Planet citizen journalists!

Newsroom Cafes:

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at a Newsroom Café.

Newsroom Café with Mary Turck

Thu, 04/11/2013 – 7:00pm at Kopplin’s Coffee, 2038 Marshall Ave., St Paul , MN 55104

Wed, 04/24/2013 – 10:00am at the Black Dog Cafe, 308 East Prince Street in downtown St. Paul.

To find Mary, look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Cafes with Jay Gabler

Wed, 04/17/2013 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm at Nina’s, 165 Western Ave N., Saint Paul, MN 55102

Tue, 04/30/2013 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm at the Beat Coffeehouse, 1414 W. 28th St., Minneapolis, MN 55408

To find Jay, look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Twin Cities Media Alliance Classes

Tumblr 101 with Jay Gabler

Mon, 04/22/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

at the Daily Planet offices, 2600 Franklin Avenue E., Suite 2, Minneapolis, MN 55406 Enter from rear of building (see note above)

The social blogging platform Tumblr is one of the fastest-growing online networks, especially among young people and the “creative class.” What is Tumblr, and what can it do for you? Daily Planet arts editor Jay Gabler, who has multiple successful Tumblr blogs and has even visited Tumblr HQ in New York, will give you the basics on how Tumblr works, why it’s becoming so popular, and how you can use it effectively for your business and personal interests.

Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Register at TheDataBank.

April Social Media Clinic

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 4:00pm - 6:00pm

at the Daily Planet offices, 2600 Franklin Avenue E., Suite 2, Minneapolis, MN 55406 Enter from rear of building (see note above)

Eyes on the Street: Community Photojournalism Walk and Critique

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

at the Daily Planet offices, 2600 Franklin Avenue E., Suite 2, Minneapolis, MN 55406 Enter from rear of building (see note above)

Learn the basics of photographing in the community in this hands-on class with freelance photographer Tom Baker. As a continuation of last month’s Community Photojournalism Basics (not a prerequisite), you’ll meet outside the Daily Planet office for a photo walk along the streets of Minneapolis. Tom will instruct you on how to photograph portraits and candids of community members and collect caption information about your subjects. After the photo walk, everyone will return to the Daily Planet office to share and critique their images. Cell phone cameras, point and shoots, and DSLRs are welcome. All cameras must be digital and have the ability to upload to a computer. Tom  Baker  has  worked  at  three  newspapers  and  has  been freelancing  since  2006.

Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Please register at TheDataBank.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Wescott Library

Thu, 04/11/2013 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

1340 Wescott Rd.Eagan, MN 55123

Promote Your Business with Facebook at Prior Lake Library

Thu, 04/11/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

16210 Eagle Creek Avenue South East

Prior Lake, MN 55372

This class will be taught by Steffen Ryan. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-447-3375.

Twitter 101 at Chanhassen Library

Sat, 04/13/2013 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm

7711 Kerber Blvd.

Chanhassen, MN 55317

What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and—for business owners—potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user. This class will be taught by Jay Gabler. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-227-1500.

Create a Website for Your Business at Hayden Heights Library

Sat, 04/13/2013 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm

1456 White Bear Ave.

Saint Paul, MN 55106

Learn how to develop a free or inexpensive website for your small business, community organization or blog using WordPress or another user-friendly platform. This class includes instructions how to set up a site, how to navigate the settings so that the site represents your business, and tips on how to generate traffic.

This class will be taught by Matt Bartel. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-793-3934.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Shakopee Library

Thu, 04/18/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

235 Lewis St. S.

Shakopee, MN 55379

Promote Your Business with Facebook at Inver Glen Library

Sat, 04/27/2013 - 10:30am - 12:30pm

8098 Blaine Ave.

Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Pleasant Hill Library

Thu, 05/02/2013 - 10:15am - 12:15pm

1490 S Frontage Rd.

Hastings, MN 55033

Create a Website for Your Business at Scott County Government Center

Thu, 05/02/2013 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

200 4th Ave. W.

Shakopee, MN 55379

Making the Most of Google Docs at Highland Park Library

Mon, 05/06/2013 - 5:30pm - 7:30pm

1974 Ford Pkwy.

Saint Paul, MN 55116

You know that Google makes high-quality software from Internet search to e-mail to maps, but what about documents? Come and learn about Google Docs: Google’s version of documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, and drawings—all part of the Google Docs suite. Learn how to create, manipulate, manage, and collaborate with Google Docs. Google Docs comes automatically packaged with Gmail and Google Apps accounts, so this class applies to anyone with a Google account!

This class will be taught by Brian Roemen. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 651-695-3700.

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March Update: Greek Feast, new staff members, classes and more…

Posted on March 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lots of news to report this month: new staff members, our fourth annual Greek Feast at Gardens of Salonica on March 27, moremedia skills classes, workshops and newsroom cafes, and reports from editors Mary Turck and Jay Gabler, and community engagement coordinator Bruce Johansen. Scroll down for details.

Meet the newest members of the Media Alliance / Daily Planet staff:

Lolla Mohammed Nur (lolla@tcdailyplanet.com) is the community engagement editor of the TC Daily Planet, and has written for local and national outlets. She writes about the African/African American community, social justice, religion and gender. A self-admitted social media addict, she can be found at @lomonur and www.lollamohammednur.tumblr.co m. Lolla has lived in four countries, but now resides in St. Paul. She is always in transition.

Maggie Pearson (Maggie@tcdailyplanet.net) is the community asset mapping / neighborhood engagement specialist for the Twin Cities Media Alliance. Maggie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and moved to Minnesota in 2007 to pursue Geography and Environmental Studies at Macalester College. She now lives in the Corcoran neighborhood of Minneapolis with a cohort of wonderful people, nine chickens, and a whole bunch of vegetables.

Harry Kent (harry@tcdailyplanet.net) is the new Community Asset Mapping Intern with the Twin Cities Media Alliance and a Senior Geography Major at Macalester College. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he enjoys seeking out great local restaurants, pickup games of any sport and is a recreational funk and soul music enthusiast.

Greek dinner at Gardens of Salonica:

You’re invited to join us for the fourth annual Daily Planet Greek Dinner from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on March 27 at Gardens of Salonica, 19 5th St. NE, Minneapolis.This dinner has sold out every time, and it’s easy to see why: it’s great fun, great food and great value. Four courses of delicious Greek cuisine served family style, prepared by Gardens of Salonica owner-chef Anna Christoforides, with specially selected Greek wines and other beverages accompanying each course. Plus a great opportunity to meet and socialize with the Daily Planet staff, and other Daily Planet writers and readers. Cost is $40 per person for TCMA members and their guests, $45 for non-members. (This is also a great opportunity to join or renew your membership by making a contribution of $10 or more. )

Click here to see the menu, or purchase tickets.

Classes:

Newsroom Café at Kopplin’s Coffee with Mary Turck

Thu, 2013-03-07 19:00

2038 Marshall Ave

St Paul , MN 55104

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at the Newsroom Café. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at Kopplin’s Coffee – 2038 Marshall Avenue in St. Paul. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Cafe with Jay Gabler

Wed, 2013-03-13 15:00 - 16:00

2852A Johnson St. N.E.

Minneapolis, MN 55418

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Associate editor and arts editor Jay Gabler will be working at the Coffee Shop Northeast—just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Create a Website for Your Business at Chanhassen Library

Sat, 2013-03-16 13:00 - 15:00

7711 Kerber Blvd.

Chanhassen, MN 55317

Promote Your Business with Facebook at Johnsville Library

Mon, 2013-03-18 18:00 - 20:00

12461 Oak Park Blvd.

Blaine, MN

This class will be taught by Melissa Harrison. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 763-767-3853.

Twitter 101

Mon, 2013-03-18 19:00 - 21:00

2600 Franklin Avenue E. Suite 2 (enter from the rear of the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Mpls., MN 55406

What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and – for business owners – potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user by taking this two-hour class from Jay Gabler, associate editor of the Daily Planet, who was voted #1 best tweeter of 2011 by the readers of Vita.mn. The cost is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Register at TheDataBank.

Newsroom Café at Black Dog

Wed, 2013-03-20 10:30

308 Prince St

Saint Paul, MN 55101

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at the Newsroom Café. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at Black Dog in St. Paul – 308 East Prince Street in downtown St. Paul. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Promote Your Business with Facebook at Chaska Library

Thu, 2013-03-21 18:00 - 20:00

3 City Hall Plaza

Chaska, MN 55318

Newsroom Cafe with Jay Gabler

Wed, 2013-03-27 15:00 - 16:00

1668 Grand Ave.

Saint Paul, MN 55105

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Associate editor and arts editor Jay Gabler will be working at Shish on Grand Avenue—just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

March Social Media Clinic

Thu, 2013-03-28 16:00 - 18:00

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

Suite 2 (enter from the rear of the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Mpls., MN 55406

WHO: Jay Gabler and up to 15 registered participants.
WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.
HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available and to pay the participation fee of $10 for each workshop. Participation is free for all Daily Planet advertisers (click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet), and scholarships are available upon request. Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.

Community Photojournalism Basics

Thu, 2013-03-28 19:00 - 21:00

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

Suite 2 (enter from the rear of the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Mpls., MN 55406

Photojournalism  is  more  than  the  ability  to  take  a  good  photo.   In this 2-hour class, freelance  photographer  Tom  Baker will teach you how  to  report  with  a  camera. You  will  learn  the  basic nuts-and-bolts  of  photojournalism,  including  caption  writing,   identifying  the  best  storytelling  image, what equipment you’ll need, and using  your  cell phone  to  take reportage  images.  Ethics of photojournalism will be explored, too.  Emphasis  will  be  placed  on  the community-driven reporting  style  of  the  Twin  Cities  Daily  Planet.

Tom  Baker  has  worked  at  three  newspapers  and  has  been freelancing  since  2006.    By  sharing  stories  from  the  field,  he will illustrate the challenges and rewards of being a photojournalist.  He  will  also  share  some tips  on  networking  and  on what  it takes to become a  successful photojournalist.

Tuition for this class is $10.00. Scholarships are available. Please register at TheDataBank.

Create a Website for Your Business at Highland Park Library

Mon, 2013-04-01 17:30 - 19:30

1974 Ford Pkwy.

Saint Paul, MN 55116

Twitter 101 at Savage Library

Thu, 2013-04-04 18:30 - 20:30

13090 Alabama Ave. S.

Savage, MN 55378

What is Twitter, and how can you use it effectively to connect with your friends, colleagues, and—for business owners—potential customers? Go from being a novice to a power user.

This class will be taught by Jay Gabler. Thanks to our partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), this class is offered free of charge, but pre-registration is required as space is limited. To register, call 952-707-1770.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

With a new community engagement team in place, February proved to be a fantastic month. Maggie Pearson, who brings rich experience from her time in Frogtown, hit the ground running as our community asset mapping-neighborhood engagement specialist. With the able assistance of Harry Kent—a Macalester intern—Maggie jumped into designing a plan for mapping community assets on St. Paul’s West Side. Meanwhile, Lolla Mohammed Nur, our new community engagement editor, and I began meeting with community partners to assess their communications and social media needs, and to map out ways that the Twin Cities Media Alliance can help them better tell their story. It’s all part of a generous grant from the Bush Foundation that will help us build on existing relationships with area nonprofits and neighborhood organizations. February was a big month for classes, too. At our office and in area libraries, we offered classes on Facebook, websites for businesses, google docs, Pinterest, and a video workshop. It was a full house for our monthly social media clinic. March promises to be another exciting month. We’ll be offering classes on LinkedIn, Facebook and websites for businesses through the libraries. At our office, Twitter 101 andCommunity Photojournalism Basics are on tap, along with a social media clinic.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

On one of my first days at the Daily Planet in 2007, Mary Turck produced a copy of a daily newspaper and pointed to the front page. “We should cover this story,” she said, pointing to an education-related story. “But,” I said, “it’s already been in the newspaper!” Mary shook her head. “This article is just the beginning of the story,” she said. I thought of that exchange this month when we published Bill Huntzicker’s ten-part series on development in Dinkytown. It’s been widely reported that Opus is considering building a massive new Dinkytown development that would displace some longstanding neighborhood businesses, but we covered the issue with the kind of depth you won’t find anywhere else: Bill talked to Dinkytown residents old and new, he looked at the neighborhood’s history, and he connected with city planners and neighborhood leaders. The issues facing Twin Cities residents are complex, and that’s why the Twin Cities Daily Planet is committed to sharing all sides of a story and connecting local community members to help build positive solutions.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

Ten people, diverse in race, gender, age, ethnicity, geography and life experience started a new adventure together at the end of February as our first class of Media Skills Fellows. We picked the ten from 75 people who indicated interest in the Bush Foundation-funded program. They’ll work on basic reporting skills, use of social media, photo and video skills, all with the aim of better communication in/about/on behalf of their diverse communities. Our reporting is another kind of involvement in our community. That means Sheila Regan eating spaghetti with student organizers at South High School and Makula Dunbar visiting North High to find out about the first semester of its new program. Sheila and Makula are South and North alums, and that’s just one small way that our reporting is deeply connected to our community.

You can support our work by donating to the Twin Cities Media Alliance through the GiveMN.org donation website, (http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Twin-Cities-Media-Alliance). If you prefer, you can send a check to TCMA, 2600 E. Franklin, suite #2, Minneapolis MN 55406.

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February Update: Classes, Social Media Clinic and Editors’ Reports

Posted on February 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

Have you already broken all of your New Years resolutions? No problem. If you resolve to learn some new media skills, or write or create photo essays or video for the Twin Cities Daily Planet in 2013, we’ll make it easy. We have nine different classes, workshops, and clinics scheduled during the next month, ranging from “Create a Website for Your Business,” and Pinterest: More than Virtual Scrapbooking and Become a LinkedIn Power User to our monthly Social Media Clinic. Scroll down for all the details, and for our editors’ reports.

But first, a big thank you to everybody who made last month’s Daily Planet Sausage Fest a sold-out success: Clancey’s Meats, Butcher and the Boar, Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co., Three Sons Meat Co., the Sample Room, the Modern Cafe, Corner Table, NateDogs, Seward Coop, Lisa Steinmann, Dan Brady, Billy Treacy, all the Brass Messengers; and Mark Stutrud, Betsy Faber, and all the people at Summit Brewing who made it possible. I hope you can all join us again next time.

Classes:

Create a Website for Your Business at Arlington Library

Mon, 2013-02-11 18:00 - 20:00

1105 Greenbrier St.

Saint Paul, MN 55106

Newsroom Cafe with Jay Gabler

Tue, 2013-02-12 15:00 - 16:00

1414 W. 28th St.

Minneapolis, MN 55408

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Associate editor and arts editor Jay Gabler will be working at The Beat Coffeehouse in Uptown—just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Newsroom Café at Golden Thyme

Thu, 2013-02-14 16:00

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at the Newsrom Café. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at Golden Thyme in St. Paul – 921 Selby Avenue. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Café at Black Dog

Fri, 2013-02-22 10:00

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at the Newsroom Café. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at Black Dog in St. Paul – 308 East Prince Street in downtown St. Paul. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Cafe with Jay Gabler

Tue, 2013-02-26 15:00 - 16:00

1362 7th St. W.

Saint Paul, MN 55102

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Associate editor and arts editor Jay Gabler will be working at Fresh Grounds on West 7th—just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Making the Most of Google Docs at Watertown Library

Wed, 2013-02-27 17:45 - 19:45

309 Lewis Ave. SW

Watertown, MN 55388

February Social Media Clinic

Thu, 2013-02-28 16:00 - 18:00

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

Suite 2

Mpls., MN 55406

Space is limited! Register now at TheDataBank.

Pinterest: More Than Virtual Scrapbooking

Thu, 2013-02-28 19:00 - 21:00

2600 Franklin Avenue E.

Suite 2

Mpls., MN 55406

Uncover the mystery behind this visually stimulating social media. Gain a better understanding of why Pinterest has piqued the interest of so many. Learn the basics of board creation, navigation and etiquette. Talk about common uses and how to get the most out of your Pinterest experience. Instructor Sahasha Reese is alumni relations coordinator and assistant editor and graphic designer at St. Catherine University. Social media and teaching are among her passions.

We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available and to pay the participation fee of $10 for each workshop. Scholarships are available upon request. Register now at the DataBank.

Become a LinkedIn Power User at Highland Park Library

Mon, 2013-03-04 17:30 - 19:30

1974 Ford Pkwy.

Saint Paul, MN 55116

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

January found us gearing up for an exciting year. 2013 promises to be a time of relationship-building and lots of classes, more than ever before. We spent much of the month reaching out to neighborhood organizations, local business associations, and area nonprofits, surveying them on their needs and talking about how we might work together in 2013. We attended various community events, too, including the Wedge Co-op’s annual Wedgeshare award ceremony and a PFLAG safe schools conference. As we move forward on our community asset mapping work and several new initiatives, we’re looking forward to being joined by new community engagement team members and interns. Stay tuned for details on that! This month, we’ll be offering our first ever Pinterest class. Sahasha Reese, alumni relations coordinator and assistant editor and graphics designer at St. Catherine University will be teaching that one for us: “Pinterest — More Than Virtual Scrapbooking.”

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

It’s been another busy month on the arts beat, but in the new year I’m wearing even more hats. In addition to serving as arts editor, I’m also supervising our local food beat and our special University District section. On the food beat, we’re pleased to have launched a new series spotlighting purveyors of soul food in the Twin Cities. In University District news, we’ve just published Bill Huntzicker’s six-part series on the future of the Southeast Library. We want to help you tell your stories, too! What restaurants and community gardens should we spotlight? What issues affecting Southeast Minneapolis neighborhood should we be convening conversations about? How can you help us get the story right? Let me know: jay@tcdailyplanet.net.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

January was a very busy month, not only in news but also in getting ready for the launch of our new Media Skills Fellowship program. This program, funded by the Bush Foundation, will let us work with ten media skills fellows to help them increase their ability to use media in and on behalf of their communities. We had more than 70 inquiries, and will have a very diverse group of participants for what promises to be an exciting new project. On the news side, we are following the gun control debate closely, with a forum for divergent viewpoints and lots of information collected on the Gun Talk page.

Best,

Jeremy Iggers
executive director, Twin Cities Media Alliance

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January Update: 2012 Highlights, Classes, Sausage Fest

Posted on January 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

Happy New Year! We had a great year last year – scroll down to read the reports from our staff, and see our upcoming classes and newsroom cafes. And we have exciting plans for the year ahead. In the months ahead, we will be partnering with at least 25 non-profit organizations to offer media skills training, with a special focus on under-served communities. We’re also going to be expanding our community asset mapping efforts, working with neighborhood organizations and residents to document the businesses and cultural attractions in their neighborhoods. And most importantly, we’ll be developing new ways for Twin Cities residents from every segment of our community to tell their stories, using all the resources of the Daily Planet.

Thanks to a partnership with MELSA, the Metropolitan Library Service Agency, we will be offering media skills classes at branch libraries throughout the metro area – our January classes are listed at the bottom of this message.

Mark your calendars: The second annual Daily Planet Winter Party and Sausage Fest will be held Wednesday, January 30 at the Summit Brewing Company. The fantastic Brass Messengers will be back, and so will many of the sausage and charcuterie makers who made our 2012 event such a success: The Butcher and the Boar, Clancy’s Meats, Kramarczuk’s, Three Sons Meat Co. (formerly Green Ox), the Modern Cafe, NateDogs, the Sample Room, and two new additions – Corner Table and the Seward Co-op. Tickets are $20 for Daily Planet members, $25 for non-members. If you have made a donation to the Twin Cities Media Alliance in the past year, you qualify, and if not, you can join by making a donation of any size. To register and/or donate, go to our Sausage Fest Registration Page.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

This past year was a big one in terms of community engagement. In March, Marcos Lopez-Carlson, Clarence White and I were hired to organize a series of 18 “New Normal 2012: Get Connected!” community meetings. Planned in partnership with area nonprofits, each meeting was designed to attract residents interested in advocating more effectively for change in the areas of education, work, immigration, the environment, healthcare, and transportation. Among the organizations they were introduced to were The Advocates for Human Rights, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Envision Minnesota, and District Councils Collaborative.

Our team demonstrated how new media tools can help individuals and groups forge connections, share information, and amplify their message. Meetings took place across the metro area from late May through late October, and drew up to 60 attendees per event. The capstone was a very successful all-day, election-themed Twin Cities Media Alliance 8th Annual Fall Media Forum that attracted some 90 attendees. Media Forum highlights included Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie’s keynote address, a review of media strategies that contributed to the defeat of two proposed constitutional amendments, and a presentation by photographer Wing Young Huie on engaging communities through the arts. In 2012 we also launched a community asset mapping project with a neighborhood photo walk, and convened a series of election circles that invited citizens to discuss important issues that received minimal play in mainstream media.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

2012 began a process of transition in our arts coverage, as we aimed to focus even more closely on the Twin Cities’ underserved communities while continuing to provide distinctive perspectives on a wide range of cultural news and events. We inaugurated the Our Scene series, featuring first-person stories by diverse local artists; and welcomed our newest weekly columnist, a talented young African-American artist named Amina Harper. Among our many important news stories this year, reporter Sheila Regan broke the story of executive director Janis Lane-Ewart leaving KFAI and sensitively covered a controversy in the American Indian community about a play at the Minnesota History Center; and Logan Adams looked into the rich history and uncertain future of Cedar-Riverside institution the Viking Bar. In 2013, look for even more news of life and art in the Twin Cities’ many vibrant communities.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

Our education coverage really took off in 2012, with our end-of-year series on testing and special education offering a fine analysis of over-testing in Twin Cities schools and a counterpoint from a principal who believes that tons of tests make his school better. Food — eating, growing, buying, selling — is a favorite topic for Minnesotans, and we covered a lot of bases. Jeremy Iggers highlighted some of the best food writing of the year in TC Foodies: A feast of great food writing. Throughout the year, we pulled together our own writing and other writing of interest in weekly Education News and TC Foodies email newsletters.

Other focus areas for our reporting included health policy issues, the Central Corridor neighborhoods, immigrant communities, the environment, racial and ethnic communities and concerns, youth and — of course — the 2012 elections, especially the Minnesota amendment battles. In all, we published more than a thousand original articles, columns and reviews, as well as republishing more than a thousand articles from community media partners and more than 1500 blog posts. We also published hundreds of community-contributed articles in the Free Speech Zone — some reporting, and lots of opinion and commentary — and in Neighborhood Notes.

We published blogs by well-known community elders, such as Arvonne Fraser and former Governor Arne Carlson, but also articles by high school students writing for ThreeSixty and Free Speech Zone articles by Jay Clark, featuring voices of Hmong and Latino teens in North Minneapolis. We are proud of our success in providing a space for diverse voices in our community, and committed to doing even more in the year ahead.

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December Update: media classes, newsroom cafes, and the return of Sausage Fest

Posted on December 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s a busy time of year, so I’ll keep this short. We had a great turnout for our eighth annual Fall Media Forum, After the Elections – Change Work, New Media and the Challenges Ahead, held November 10 at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach Center – scroll down to read Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen’s report. Thanks to everybody who came and participated.

And thanks to everybody who donated so generously to the Twin Cities Media Alliance on Give To The Max Day – we raised $3353 this year, an increase of over $1000 over 2011. While we are on the subject, I hope you’ll include the Media Alliance in your end-of-the-year giving. Just click on this convenient link: http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Twin-Cities-Media-Alliance .

Mark your calendars:

The second annual Daily Planet Winter Party and Sausage Fest will be held Wednesday, January 30 at the Summit Brewing Company. The fantastic Brass Messengers will be back, and so will many of the sausage and charcuterie makers who made our 2012 event such a success. We don’t have all the details finalized, and the payment page isn’t set up yet, but if you go to ourSausage Fest Registration Page and leave your name and email address, we’ll send you an email to notify you when ticket sales start. Or just check back in a few days.

Newsroom Cafes:

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Sometimes, the newsrooms cafes have a special focus, but you can still come and workshop stories that you are working on regardless of the topic. Free.

Newsroom Café with Mary Turck

Tuesday, December 11, 4:30 p.m.

308 Prince St.

St Paul, MN 55101

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at Black Dog Cafe, where Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Newsroom Cafe with Jay Gabler

Wednesday, December 12, 2 to 3 p.m.

1518 Randolph Ave.

Saint Paul, MN 55104

Do you have a story or a question? Drop in and talk about the Daily Planet, our news coverage, and how you can contribute. Associate editor and arts editor Jay Gabler will be working at theBean Factory in St. Paul—just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker.

Newsroom Café with Mary Turck

Tuesday, December 18, 4 p.m.

921 Selby Ave.

St Paul, MN

If you are interested in reporting for the Daily Planet, or want help with a story-in-progress, stop in at the Golden Thyme Cafe, where Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. Look for the laptop with the “I Heart the First Amendment” sticker!

Classes:

Photojournalism Basics

Wednesday, December 12, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Twin Cities Daily Planet offices, 2600 Franklin Avenue E.

Suite 2, Minneapolis, (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Come learn to report with a camera with freelance photographer Tom Baker. In this two-hour class, you will learn the basics of photojournalism including caption writing, ethics, identifying the best storytelling image, equipment, and that photojournalism is more than the ability to take a good photo.

Tom Baker has worked at three newspapers and has been freelancing since 2006. He will bring his experience of photojournalism to students and will help them understand the basics and importance of community journalism. By sharing a few stories about working in the field, he will inform students of the difficulties and successes of being a photojournalist. He will also share his insight on networking and what steps are necessary to be successful.

Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Space is limited! Register now via The DataBank.

Social Media Clinic

Thursday, December 20, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics and get a hand from Twin Cities Media Alliance staff member and social media expert Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available. Registration fee is $10; scholarships are available on request. Click here to register.

Participation in the social media clinics is free for all Daily Planet advertisers(click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet). Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.

January classes: Thanks to a new partnership with MELSA, the Metropolitan Library Service Agency, the Twin Cities Media Alliance will offer dozens of classes at metro area branch libraries, starting in January 2013. You can check times, topics and locations by going to http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/classes, or watch for next month’s newsletter.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

The highlight of our November community engagement work was the Twin Cities Media Alliance’s 8th Annual Fall Media Forum, held on Saturday November 10 at UROC (the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center) – our first time in this new location. (Thanks, UROC for the great hospitality.) In his informative and thought-provoking keynote, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie praised the Twin Cities Daily Planet and other new media outlets for accurately reporting on many stories that mainstream media missed entirely or misrepresented in this election cycle, including what he called “the assault on the Constitution.”

Other panelists and presenters shared their thoughts on media strategies that helped defeat the proposed amendments, and talked about media toolkits that their organizations use to get messages out effectively to new and wider audiences. Presenters included photographer Wing Young Huie, Jake Loesch of Minnesotans United for All Families, Hana Worku of the Organizing Apprenticeship Project, Eric Davis of Beehive PR, Lynnea Atlas-Ingebretson of the Charities Review Council, Jeff Achen of GiveMN.org, and Melissa Harrison of Allee Consulting. The Fall Media Forum was the capstone to the Twin Cities Media Alliance’s New Normal 2012 Get Connected! project, made possible by the generous support of the Bush Foundation.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

Every week I compile a list of “TCDP Top Picks”: events that we recommend on our home page, on social media, in our daily headlines newsletter, and in our weekly arts newsletter. (Do you receive the Daily Planet’s news headline e-mails? Subscribe here!) I find many of our top picks right on our calendar, where they are submitted by community members eager to spread the word about their events. Take a look at our calendar—you’ll learn a lot about what’s going on in the Twin Cities’ diverse communities, and if your favorite upcoming events don’t appear there, just follow the easy instructions to add them!

Editor Mary Turck reports:

November was an exciting month, with lots of people looking to the Daily Planet for election coverage, and submitting their own opinion articles about the elections. Besides that high-profile activity, we had some exciting behind-the-scenes developments. Sharon Emery and Ibrahim Hirsi launched the first mentorship, with an experienced editor mentoring a relatively new writer. That’s working well, as you can see in Ibrahim’s recent articles. Alleen Brown, one of our education writers, won an internship at The Nation, which will take her to New York, beginning in January. That’s great for Alleen, though will miss her stellar reporting, and will be looking for more people with a passion for reporting on education. (Look for a final series of reports from Allen next week.)

Best,

Jeremy Iggers
executive director, Twin Cities Media Alliance

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October Update: Facebook Class, Land Stewardship and More

Posted on October 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

Thanks to everybody who came to our Pick of the Market dinner last month, everyone who helped to make the event a success – those of you who donated items to our silent and eBay auctions, you who bid on the items, and you who made tax-deductible contributions. And a big thanks to the folks at the Blackbird Cafe, for making it a memorable event with great food and service.

We have some exciting events coming up this month and next – a Get Connected! meetings with the Land Stewardship Project tonight, a low-cost class next week on “Using Facebook to Promote Your Business,” plus a Social Media Clinic, and the final session of our three-part Step in Up Reporting Workshop on how to write the kinds of stories that attract readers. Plus a free Newsroom Cafe workshops. Scroll down for details, and our editors’ reports.

Get Connected! is the Twin Cities Media Alliance’s series of meetings highlighting organizations working for change in the areas ofEducation, Transportation, Work, Immigrant Communities, Health and the Environment. At each meeting, you’ll have a chance to find out about the organization, how you can get involved, and how you can use social media to work more effectivelyon the issues that you care about. Each meeting also includes an opportunity to socialize and network over food and drink. Get Connected events are free and open to the public, but registration is requested.

Tonight - Wednesday, October 10 – our engagement team will join up with the Land Stewardship Project at the Gandhi Mahal restaurant, for a unique event about how to use new media to amplify the voice of Land Stewardship Project’s members and others who care about healthy food, stewardship of the land and family farms. Among the topics we’ll discuss:

how new media is being used to amplify organizing in rural communities
how the Land Stewardship Project promotes and fosters the development of rural economies and new farmers while taking care of the land
ways that the Land Stewardship Project is using new media to make positive changes for people and the land.

There will also be a learning session on using Twitter to connect and engage. We will show attendees how they can use Twitter to connect with individuals and organizations, how hashtags can be used to find and engage on topics of interest and how to find groups and people on Twitter. To sign up, click here.

We also have several more Get Connected! meetings planned for this month, with Think Small on October 23 (Education and Early Childhood Development); the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy on October 29 (the Environment and Food Justice); andEnvision Minnesota on October 30 (the Environment and Creative Placemaking.) Stay tuned for details.

Mark your calendars: ”After the Elections: Change Work, New Media and the Challenges Ahead” is the title of our eighth annual Fall Media Forum, to be held Saturday, November 10 at UROC, the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center of the University of Minnesota. We’re inviting all the groups and organizations that participated in our Get Connected! meetings to reunite for this event. It should be a great opportunity to find out more about how you can get connected with local organizations working for change, and how you can use media tools to engage more effectively. More details to follow.

Newsroom Cafes:

To find Mary, just look for the laptop with the sticker that says “I heart the First Amendment.”

Friday, October 19, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Health Care Beat. If you are interested in reporting on health care, policy issues, public health … join us and help to build a health beat. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at People’s Organic Coffee in Edina – on 70th Street between France and York.

Classes:

Using Facebook to Promote Your Business

Tuesday, October 16, 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2 (enter from parking lot.)

You know that social media is a great way to market your business and share information about your brand, but where do you start? How do you find time to fit it all in? During this hour and a half workshop, learn how to set up a business Facebook page and engage your fans. Discover ways to curate and distribute consistent information and grow your fan base. This workshop will also offer suggestions for how to set up your own editorial calendars related to social media content, ways to maximize your Facebook efforts when your time is limited, and general best practices in social media. Time will be left at the end for open discussion and questions. Laptops suggested, but not required.
Who should attend? Small business owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs interested in learning how to use Facebook to create awareness and expand business reach. This workshop is intended for individuals who are looking for ways to increase their Facebook presence and/or who are new to Facebook business pages.

Instructor Melissa Harrison is founder of Allee, a marketing and creative services firm in Albertville, Minn. As a strategic marketing professional with more than a decade of experience in working with nonprofits, member-based organizations and smallbusinesses, Melissa integrates traditional marketing strategies with new media tools and concepts.

Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Register at the DataBank.

Step It Up Reporting Workshop 3: Building Your Story

Wednesday, October 17, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.

Opening strong, building strong

Photos, video, graphics, charts

Adding value, from links to promos

Workshops will be taught by Mary Turck, editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet. Enrollment is limited, with preference for active Twin Cities Daily Planet contributors. There will be incentives for those who complete the workshop and four assigned stories. Cost is $10, with scholarships available on request.

To attend this workshop, please register at the DataBank.

Social Media Clinic

Thursday, October 25, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics and get a hand from Twin Cities Media Alliance staff members and social media experts Marcos Lopez-Carlson and Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

WHO: Marcos Lopez-Carlson and/or Jay Gabler (at least one will be present, both may be present), and up to ten registered participants.

WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.

HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available. Registration fee is $10; scholarships are available on request. Click here to register.

Participation in the social media clinics is free for all Daily Planet advertisers (click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet). Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

Deferred action policy, mental health advocacy, and walkability along the Central Corridor were among the topics of September’s Get Connected! community meetings. Attendees learned how to connect with work being done by the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, NAVIGATE, NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) Minnesota, and the District Councils Collaborative of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. They were also shown new media tools to make them more effective advocates for change. With seven New Normal 2012: Get Connected! community meetings coming up, October will be the busiest yet for our community engagement team: Bruce Johansen, Marcos Lopez-Carlson, and Clarence White. We’ll be partnering on events with Parents United for Public Schools, The Arc Greater Twin Cities, the Land Stewardship Project, Think Small, Envision Minnesota, and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.

We’ll also be conducting the first of many neighborhood photo walks, part of a new community assets mapping project, and preparing for our annual Fall Media Forum, scheduled for November 10 at UROC, the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research-Engagement Outreach Center.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

The State Theatre recently hosted the annual Ivey Awards for local theater, and Sheila Regan and I attended to report for the Daily Planet. In writing my report, I was pleased to find that of the 10 productions honored this year, the Daily Planet had covered every single one. Among our coverage of this year’s awardees was Dwight Hobbes’s interview with the director of Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s Compleat Female Stage Beauty; Marie Cooney’s Free Speech Zone essay on the Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company’s Our Class; and reviews of shows like Pillsbury House Theatre’s Buzzer. As with 2011 Emerging Artist Ivey winner Anna Sundberg, 2012 Emerging Artist winner Isabel Nelson was someone who was already familiar to Daily Planet readers: we were praising those young artists’ work for years before they won Ivey recognition. I’m proud to say that, thanks to our tireless and talented citizen journalists, the Daily Planet continues to be an essential read for local theater lovers: a home for the kind of opinionated, dynamic, and always-surprising coverage you won’t find anywhere else.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

Global Groceries debuted this month with trips to Minsk Market and Adom African Grocery, and a promise of a tour of the world through excursions into ethnic grocery stores around the metro area.Check it out, and if you want even more food news, subscribe to our weekly TC Foodies newsletter. While the mainstream news media are filled with reports on polls and politicos, we have election coverage focused on Minnesota na dlocal opinions. Our main election page has links to local races, and we have featured local views including Minneapolis School Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson‘s memory of growing up in Selma, Alabama during the struggle for voting rights and similarities with Minnesota’s proposed Voter ID. From Voter ID and the Marriage Amendment to the St. Paul school referendum, we’ve got lots of interesting coverage of Minnesota and Twin Cities issues.

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September Update: Dinner, Classes. Get Connected! Meetings & More

Posted on September 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

We have some exciting events coming up this month and next - our annual Pick of the Market Dinner, plus Get Connected! meetings with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota. the District Councils Collaborative and Great River Greening ; low-cost classes on “I’m on Facebook, but I have no idea what I’m doing” and Driving More Traffic to Your Website (Search Engine Optimization), plus a Social Media Clinic, and a three-part Step in Up Reporting Workshop on how to write the kinds of stories that attract readers. Plus lots of free Newsroom Cafe workshops. Scroll down for details, and our editors’ reports.

This year’s Pick of the Market dinner on Sunday, September 16 at the Blackbird Cafe is going to be our best yet. Celebrating its fifth year, the Blackbird Cafe has always focused on local sourcing, partnering with Dragsmith Farms, Hope Creamery, Grass Run Farms, Wild Acres, among others. On the day of the dinner, chef-owner Chris Stevens will shop at local farmer’s markets and pick the best meats and dairy from his local vendors to assemble his “Pick of the Market” menu. This year’s dinner will include a “meet and greet” starting at 6:30 p.m. featuring local cheeses, vegetarian pates, crudites and traditional charcuterie such as chicken liver mousse, country style pate, pork rillettes, smoked trout and chicken gallantine. To purchase tickets, click here: https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/262/mtglistproc.asp?formid=TCM-Event&caleventid=20652.

On Sept. 8 our engagement team will be at St. Paul’s Merriam Park Library, to introduce NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota. NAMI will highlight the work it does to support the rights of those living with mental illness. Find out how you can become involved. To sign up, click here.
District Councils Collaborative will take center stage on Sept. 18 at their University Avenue office. Learn about the work DCC is doing to ensure that all residents’ transportation needs are being met, as light rail construction through the Central Corridor continues. Also get a first look at the results of DCC’s Central Corridor walkability survey. To sign up, click here.
On Sept. 27 we close out the month at Indeed Brewing Company, where Great River Greening will present on the work it does to engage the public. As always, our Marcos Lopez-Carlson will present on ways to use new media tools to engage networks and take action, in this case to support the ecology of Minnesota. To sign up, click here.

Mark your calendars: Get Connected! will also be the theme of this year’s eight annual Fall Media Forum, to be held Saturday, November 10 at UROC, the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center of the University of Minnesota. It should be a great opportunity to find out more about how you can get connected with local organizations working for change, and how you can use media tools to engage more effectively. More details to follow.

Newsroom Cafes:

To find Jay, just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker. To find Mary, just look for the laptop with the sticker that says “I heart the First Amendment.”

Tuesday, September 11, 9 to 10 a.m. Health Care Beat. If you are interested in reporting on health care, policy issues, public health … join us and help to build a health beat. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at People’s Organic Coffee in Edina – on 70th Street between France and York.
Tuesday, September 11, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Food Beat. If you are interested in reporting on local food, urban farms, community gardens, restaurants and more … join us and help to build a local food beat. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., Saint Paul.
Monday, September 17, 4:30 p.m. Bike Beat. If you are interested in reporting on bikes, biking (and other transportation stories) … join us and help to build a bike beat. Editor Mary Turck will talk about stories we are looking for, and story ideas that you bring. We’ll be meeting at Urban Bean, 2401 Lyndale Avenue S., Minneapolis.
Tuesday, September 25, noon. Join Daily Planet arts editor Jay Gabler and Al Justiniano, artistic director of Teatro del Pueblo, for an informal conversation about the arts scene—particularly the Latino arts scene— at Jerabek’s New Bohemian Cafe, 63 West Winifred St. on the West Side of St. Paul. What should all arts lovers in the Twin Cities know about the West Side? How can the Daily Planet most effectively cover the West Side arts scene? Grab a cuppa joe, listen in, and share your own perspectives and experiences.

Classes:

“I’m on Facebook, but I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Monday, September 17, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.

“Why do I see some posts in my news feed, but not others?”

“Can I hide someone’s posts without unfriending him?”

“How do I change my profile picture?”

It’s now easy to get on Facebook, but the complicated interface can be bewildering for novice users. Twin Cities Daily Planet associate editor Jay Gabler will help you take the next steps towards being a confident Facebook user who can connect with the people you want, when you want to. A wi-fi connection will be available; you’re encouraged to bring your laptop computer (and/or tablet, or smartphone) if you’d like.

Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Space is limited—register at the DataBank.

Step It Up Reporting Workshop 1: Finding the Story

Wednesday, September 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.

Would you like to get more people to read your stories? We’ve got a series of workshops for you!

Step One: Finding the Story

What makes a compelling story?
What grabs and holds reader interest?
How do you find the focus of your story?
How do you start getting people involved from the very beginning?

To attend this workshop, please register at the DataBank. Steps two (boost your reporting with social media, October 3) and three (building your story, October 17) require separate registration; follow the links in this sentence.

Drive More Traffic to Your Website: Search Engine Optimization and Best Online Practices

Tuesday, September 25, 7-9 p.m., at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from parking lot behind the Wells Fargo building.)

How does Google decide what to display on page one when someone performs a keyword search relevant to your business? How can you find out what specific keywords people are searching for in the first place? This class will give an introduction to how search works and how you can use this insight to gain visibility for your website.

Instructor Steffen Ryan is a digital strategist with Weber Shandwick, with more than six years of experience helping clients develop and execute integrated public relations and B2B/consumer marketing programs. He is adept at helping companies find their voice online by developing an effective content strategy. Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Space is limited! Register at the DataBank.

Social Media Clinic

Thursday, September 27, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics and get a hand from Twin Cities Media Alliance staff members and social media experts Marcos Lopez-Carlson and Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

WHO: Marcos Lopez-Carlson and/or Jay Gabler (at least one will be present, both may be present), and up to ten registered participants.

WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.

HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available. Registration fee is $10; scholarships are available on request. Click here to register.

Participation in the social media clinics is free for all Daily Planet advertisers (click here for more information about how to advertise with the Daily Planet). Bring your laptop—wi-fi is available. If you want to participate but don’t have a laptop, inquire with us; we may be able to provide you with a computer for the session.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

Cause Spirits & Soundbar was the place to be for August’s Get Connected! happy hour meetings. Over a generous array of appetizers and drinks, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy staff members introduced MCEA’s work and the civic engagement opportunities that organization provides, particularly around proposed mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Lake Superior region. Twin Cities Media Alliance’s Marcos Lopez-Carlson offered advice on how to be a more effective environmental advocate through the use of new media tools that help connect activists with each other and with decision-makers. Cause was also where the League of Women Voters Minneapolis introduced its work, with a focus on the proposed voter ID amendment. Facebook groups and interest lists were highlighted as useful tools for those working to defeat the proposed amendment at the polls in November. We returned to Open Arms of Minnesota on Sept. 5, where we introduced NAVIGATE Minnesota and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, two organizations working hard on immigration reform and deferred action.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

Minnesotans love to talk about “our scene,” but how inclusive are those discussions? In a new series, we’re broadening the scope of these discussions to ensure that they include all Minnesotans—including the newest Minnesotans, and those whose voices aren’t often enough heard in mainstream local media. The first “Our Scene” post features Hmong MC Tou SaiKo Lee, who talks about his intergenerational collaboration with his grandmother and calls for more events using hip-hop to connect different cultures. The second post, by art curator Christina Chang, sparked a lively debate about whether artists from the Somali and Hmong communities are adequately visible to audiences from outside those communities. Who else should we feature in the Our Scene series? Let me know: jay@tcdailyplanet.net.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

Swinging into September, our news coverage continues to expand. We’re looking to you to contribute to that coverage — sending us tips about stories you think we should cover, writing those stories, contributing photos from events you attend (like the Monarch Festival coming up on September 8!), writing a paragraph about the new coffee shop or the clean-up day in your neighborhood. And, if you’d like to do even more, our September 19 Step It Up workshop focuses on finding and writing stories for TC Daily Planet.

Best,

Jeremy Iggers
executive director, Twin Cities Media Alliance

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August Update: Get Connected! Happy Hours on Voter ID and BWCA, Classes & More

Posted on August 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

We have some exciting events coming up this month and next – Get Connected! happy hour meetings with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy and the League of Women Voters; low-cost classes on Using Facebook to Promote Your Businessand Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Best Online Practices for Small Businesses, plus a Social Media Clinic, and lots of free Newsroom Cafe workshops. Scroll down for details, and our editors’ reports.

Get Connected! is the Twin Cities Media Alliance’s series of meetings highlightingorganizations working for change in the areas of Education, Transportation, Work, Immigrant Communities, Health and the Environment. At each meeting, you’ll have a chance to find out about the organization, how you can get involved, and how you can use social media to work more effectively on the issues that you care about. Each meeting also includes an opportunity to socialize and network over food and drink. Get Connected events are free, but registration is requested.

Cause Sprits and Soundbar, located at Lake & Lyndale in South Minneapolis, is the place to be for back-to-back happy hour Get Connected! meetings in August.

We’ll be partnering with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy at Cause on Tuesday, August 21st from 5 to 7 p.m. Do you know that by the time an environmental decision is opened for comments, it’s often too late? Learn about threats to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and actions you can take to help shift policy decisions. Marcos Lopez-Carlson of the Twin Cities Media Alliance will then give a presentation on new media tools you can be use to advocate more effectively about environmental issues. Light refreshments will be served, and beer, wine and cocktails will be available at happy hour prices. To register, follow this link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4043353780.

Then, on Wednesday, August 22, the League of Women Voters Minneapolis will tell you everything you need to know about the proposed voter ID amendment and Marcos Lopez-Carlson will how to use new media as organizing tools to engage with this issue. Again, light refreshments will be served, and beer, wine and cocktails will be available at happy hour prices. To register, sign up here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4020507446.

Please join us for these and other New Normal 2012: Get Connected! community meetings, scheduled through October.

Newsroom Cafes:

To find Jay, just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker. To find Mary, just look for the laptop with the sticker that says “I heart the First Amendment.”

Tuesday, August 7, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., Saint Paul.

Thursday, August 9, 10 to 11 a.m. Look for Jay at the original Dunn Brothers at 1569 Grand Ave. (at Snelling) in Saint Paul.

Monday, August 13, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Look for Jay at the Second Moon Cafe, 2225 East Franklin Avenue,

Minneapolis.

Tuesday, August 21, 10 to 11 a.m. Look for Jay at the Bean Factory, 1518 Randolph Avenue in St. Paul.

Tuesday, August 21, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., Saint Paul.

Tuesday, August 28, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., Saint Paul.

Wednesday, August 29, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Look for Jay at the Anodyne Cafe, 4301 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Tuesday, September 4, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S. St. Paul.

Classes:

Using Facebook to Promote Your Business

Wednesday, August 15, 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2 (enter from parking lot.)

Instructor Melissa Harrison is founder of Allee, a marketing and creative services firm in Albertville, Minn. As a strategic marketing professional with more than a decade of experience in working with nonprofits, member-based organizations and small businesses, Melissa integrates traditional marketing strategies with new media tools and concepts.

Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Register at the DataBank.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Best Online Practices for Small Businesses

Tuesday, August 21, 7-9 p.m., at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from parking lot behind the Wells Fargo building.)

Social Media Clinic

Thursday, August 23, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics and get a hand from Twin Cities Media Alliance staff members and social media experts Marcos Lopez-Carlson and Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

WHO: Marcos Lopez-Carlson and/or Jay Gabler (at least one will be present, both may be present), and up to ten registered participants.

WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.

HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available. Registration fee is $10; scholarships are available on request. Click here to register.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

Downtown Saint Paul’s Amsterdam Bar & Hall was one place you might have found Bruce Johansen, Marcos Lopez-Carlson, and Clarence White, our community engagement team, in July. Over broodjes (little Dutch sandwiches), frites (Belgian style fries with an array of tasty dipping sauces), and cold beverages, the team joined forces with Physicians for a

National Health Program Minnesota and Health Care for All Minnesota for a lively New Normal 2012: Get Connected! community meeting. Twitter as a tool for connecting with others, sharing health care stories, and organizing more effectively for health care reform was a focus of Marcos and other presenters.

July also took the team to the Hopkins Center for the Arts, where some 50 people turned out to “get connected” with Transit for Livable Communities. Folks received an update on the Southwest light rail line and learned about new tools Facebook offers for citizen wanting to organize for expanded regional transit options. The next evening found the team in South Minneapolis at Open Arms of Minneapolis for a late afternoon Get Connected! community meeting with Metro Independent Business Alliance members and supporters. While attendees enjoyed a terrific spread provided by Open Arms, a panel consisting of Metro IBA’s executive director, two members, and Marcos, exchanged ideas about how independent businesses can benefit from smart use of Pinterest, Twitter, Foursquare, and other new media tools.

Our month concluded with an election circle discussion about the housing foreclosure crisis, held at the original Green Mill Restaurant & Bar in Saint Paul. The St. Paul Fair Lending Coalition facilitated the event, and invited homeowners who fear foreclosure, to share their stories with us.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

This month we’ve been taking a closer look at our Web traffic, and we’ve noticed especially high interest in our picks: previews of events we think you’d enjoy. We’re planning to expand our picks and offer even more previews of under-the-radar arts and culture events—events showcasing Minnesota’s diverse communities, events you’re not always likely to hear about in the mainstream media. To make our picks as diverse and interesting as possible, we need your help! What interesting events are happening in your communities? Adding events to our calendar is free and easy—just click here for instructions, and to see our full calendar. You can even write a pick yourself; just write to me with your pitch!

Editor Mary Turck reports:

I got a call today that began, “I want you to tell my story.” That’s really what we do — we help people connect through stories. Sometimes that means helping people to register on the site — about 50 new users in July — and tell their stories in articles or blog posts or community event listings. Sometimes it’s connecting a writer with someone who wants to tell about their problems with a landlord, or their passion for community gardens. Sometimes it’s looking for the stories people tell through their videos or in public forums and giving those stories a wider circulation through re-publishing them. We help people connect with one another by telling their stories. We told about special education students and City View/Minnesota School of Science (a story that got national attention from Diane Ravitch and from Huffington Post), about keeping Muslim traditions alive in a new country, about thefts from community gardens — and much more. In July, we told hundreds of stories, and our readers connected with us and with each other through reading, through comments, through Facebook, and through face-to-face conversations.

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July Update: Get Connected! on Health Care, Transit & Independent Businesses / Classes & More

Posted on July 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

We have some exciting events coming up this month and next – Get Connected! meetings with Physicians for a National Health Program and Health Care for All- Minnesota; Metro Independent Business Alliance, and Transit for Livable Communities; a low-cost class on Telling your story to make a difference, plus a Social Media Clinic, and lots of free Newsroom Cafe workshops. Scroll down for details, and our editors’ reports.

Wednesday, July 18, 6-8 p.m. : Get Connected! with the Future of Health Care Reform in the Digital Age with Physicians for a National Health Program and Health Care for All- Minnesota at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall, 6 West 6th Street, Saint Paul. Wednesday, July 18, 6-8 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. To register, click here.

Wednesday July 25, 5:30-7;30 p.m. Get Connected with Transit for Livable Communities at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Main Street, Hopkins. Transit for Livable Communities will briefly present on who they are and what they do, including an update on where things stand with there work on the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT). The Twin Cities Media Alliance will be demonstrating on how to use new media tools to connect and engage over transit policy. Light refreshments will be served. Click here to register or for more information.

Thursday, July 26, 5-7 p.m. Get Connected! How businesses use new media to engage their communities with the Metro Independent Business Alliance (Buy Local Twin Cities), at Open Arms of Minnesota, 2500 Bloomington Ave, Minneapolis. Refreshments will be served. Register at the DataBank.

Newsroom Cafes:

To find Jay, just look for the laptop with the Freaky Deeky sticker. To find Mary, just look for the laptop with the sticker that says “I heart the First Amendment.”

Tuesday, July 17, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., Saint Paul.

Thursday, July 19, 10 to 11 a.m. Look for Jay at The Beat Coffeehouse in Uptown, 1414 W. 28th St., Minneapolis.

Monday, July 23, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Look for Jay at the original Dunn Brothers at 1569 Grand Ave. (at Snelling) in Saint Paul.

Tuesday, July 24, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S., in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul.

Tuesday, July 31, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Look for Mary at Quixotic Coffee, 769 Cleveland Ave. S. St. Paul.

Classes:

Becoming a LinkedIn Power User

Tuesday, July 24, 7-9 p.m., at the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from parking lot behind the Wells Fargo building.)

Instructor Marcos Lopez-Carlson is a social media educator and practitioner with four years of experience helping individuals and small businesses develop a digital presence.

Tuition for this class is $10; scholarships are available upon request. Space is limited! Register at the DataBank.

Thursday, July 26, 4 to 6 p.m.: Social Media Clinic At the Daily Planet office, 2600 Franklin Avenue E, Suite #2, Minneapolis (enter from the parking lot behind the Wells Fargo Bank building.)

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest—wherever you are online, if you’re a little confused, you’re not alone! Come to our monthly social media clinics and get a hand from Twin Cities Media Alliance staff members and social media experts Marcos Lopez-Carlson and Jay Gabler—in addition to connecting with other community members and sharing your own best practices. Our social media clinics are meant to help you successfully navigate your way through the online forest of information, and to reach the communities you want to reach for your nonprofit, small business, or personal interests.

WHO: Marcos Lopez-Carlson and/or Jay Gabler (at least one will be present, both may be present), and up to ten registered participants.

WHY: As part of our nonprofit mission to help members of Twin Cities communities connect with one another and with our larger global communities using the power of new media.

HOW: We ask participants to pre-register so as to guarantee that space will be available. Registration fee is $10; scholarships are available on request. Click here to register.

Staff reports:

Community Engagement Coordinator Bruce Johansen reports:

June was a busy month for the community engagement team: Marcos Lopez-Carlson, Clarence White, and Bruce Johansen. Folks from across the metro area converged at Rondo Library on the 26th for our first New Normal 2012: Get Connected! community meeting on transportation. The event showcased the work of the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, a presentation by Marcos on new media tools, and offered ample time for people to connect over tasty food from Homi Restaurant. The next day we co-hosted a Get Connected! meeting with Wilder Research. Jane Tiegan, research associate at Wilder, addressed how important it is for everyone to have solid, reliable data at their fingertips. She highlighted Minnesota Compass’s online tools. Coming up this month, get connected on health care reform with Physicians for a National Health Program and Health Care for All Minnesota at Amsterdam Bar and Hall (Wed., 7/18 at 6:30 p.m.) We team up with Transit for Livable Communities at Hopkins Center for the Arts (Wed., 7/25 at 5:30 p.m.), and with Metro Independent Business Alliance for a community meeting on work at Open Arms of Minnesota (Thurs., 7/26 at 4:30 p.m.) All Get Connected! events are free and open to the public.

Arts Editor Jay Gabler reports:

One of the great things about the Internet is that everyone can be a publisher: you can start your own blog and be read around the world, at no cost to you. But how do you get readers’ attention? A boost from a recognized news source can make a big difference, and that’s where the Daily Planet comes in. We help our citizen journalists and media partners to find an audience for stories about their communities—and sometimes that audience is very large, as large as six million. That’s how many users of the Tumblr blog network were recently alerted to a great art exhibit in Minneapolis’s Marcy-Holmes neighborhood when an image from our article about Hedge Magic was highlighted on the Tumblr Radar. Who wrote the article? My aunt Betsy Gabler, who’s always been an art lover and now uses the Daily Planet to tell the stories of local art projects such as the “Neighborland” billboard project. The Daily Planet can help you tell your local story too—come to one of our Newsroom Cafe meetings and learn how.

Editor Mary Turck reports:

We publish a lot of your stories in the Free Speech Zone, where recent contributions range from opinion (FREE SPEECH ZONE | From across the river… notes on Wisconsin Recall and FREE SPEECH ZONE | Can the Vikings Stadium be stopped?) to arts (Must-see exhibit at the Frameworks Gallery) to news (FREE SPEECH ZONE | Mahtomedi Zephyr Wind Project is community-wide effort and powerful educational tool). The common denominator for Free Speech Zone articles and blogs is that they are not edited — we just don’t have time and resources to edit all contributions, though we do take time to help with posting articles, adding photos, or updating your profile. This month, we are celebrating with Sheila Regan and Ifrah Jimale who have won Page One awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists for work published by the Daily Planet. We’ll have details of the awards next month, after the June 19 ceremony.

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Author Archives: Jeremy Iggers

May Update: Birthday party, upcoming classes, editors reports and more

April Update: Take a media skills class this spring

March Update: Greek Feast, new staff members, classes and more…

February Update: Classes, Social Media Clinic and Editors’ Reports

January Update: 2012 Highlights, Classes, Sausage Fest

December Update: media classes, newsroom cafes, and the return of Sausage Fest

October Update: Facebook Class, Land Stewardship and More

September Update: Dinner, Classes. Get Connected! Meetings & More

August Update: Get Connected! Happy Hours on Voter ID and BWCA, Classes & More

July Update: Get Connected! on Health Care, Transit & Independent Businesses / Classes & More

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