Increase Your Communications in Tough Times

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One way we’ve decided to respond to the economic crisis at the Workshop is to bring back the Brown Bags: free opportunities to learn to tell stories that advance your mission and strengthen your organization.

We’re starting with a bang Thursday, holding a conversation featuring theater reviewers and local leaders Sylvia Ewing, Catey Sullivan, Scarlett Swerdlow, and Kris Vire on how to handle traditional news media’s shrinking coverage of the arts. Here are the details:

6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, January 15 at Columbia College Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th Floor

Learn more about this event and more opportunities at our blog, RSVP now to Diana@newstips.org.

Upcoming Trainings

Public Media Relations
Where else can you get the opportunity to develop a story and pitch it to journalists? Only Community Media Workshop’s Professional Media Relations (PMR) empowers you with new public relations skills to give you an edge on the shifting media landscape. (Check our blog for recent PMR grad Cedric Lee’s latest media interview).

Prosperity starts with effective communications. Learn to tell your organization’s story to the media and funders while bringing added value to your organization. See what folks last year said about PMR http://tinyurl.com/8lsxk3

The course includes one copy per organization of Spin Works, the nonprofit PR handbook and one copy of Getting on the Air, Online & into Print 2009, our indispensable directory of area media contacts plus many valuable handouts.

This workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to noon over five Fridays: 1/23/09, 1/30/09, 2/6/09, 2/13/09 and 2/20/09.

Registration required at http://tinyurl.com/6bw9ds

Get caught wearing CMW

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People to Pitch
The Sun-Times Media Group, owner of the suburban publisher Pioneer Press, is shutting down 12 of its suburban newspapers Jan. 15. The move comes as the company, like others in the newspaper industry, faced over all declines in ad sales and revenue last year.

The following papers will be discontinued: the Algonquin Countryside, Arlington Heights Post, Cary-Grove Countryside, Des Plaines Times, Elk Grove Times, Hoffman Estates Review, Mount Prospect Times, Palatine Countryside, Rolling Meadows Review, Schaumburg Review, Wheeling Countryside and the Wauconda Courier, according to Tammy Chase, Director of Corporate Communications for the Sun-Times Media Group.

The Tribune’s Phil Rosenthal blogged about the closures and what it means for Sun-Times Media Group. Read his blog at newsblogs.chicagotribune.com

Find more people to pitch on the ground and online in our 2009 Getting on the Air, Online & Into Print Media Guide. Our latest version is has been updated as of December 2008. Get you copy today!

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“City Voices” on WNUA 95.5, Sundays at 6:30 a.m.

Hear an end-of-the-year discussion of news events you may have missed while following presidential campaigns or Blago’s impeachment with “City Voices” hosts Alden Loury, Lorraine Forte, Stan West and Thom Clark. Listen on our podcast http://communitymediaworkshop.org/podcast/

Listen to other acrhived shows on our podcast

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The Latest Newstips Headlines
by Curtis Black, newstips editor

Latest Newstips

Getting the Stimulus Right
Local and national groups push for a stimulus package that includes spending on youth employment; helping the state with its Medicaid funding crisis; transportation spending targeted to long-terms goals including less oil dependence and global warming — and more money for high-speed rail; and funding for renewable energy rather than nuclear and fossil fuels. Read More

CPS ‘New’ Schools Violate Acountability Laws
With a new round of school closings and “turnarounds” under Renaissance 2010 just announced – and charges last week of student abuse as well as manipulation of grades and attendance records at one charter school – a recent report highlights the failure of charter and ‘new’ schools to meet legal requirements for public accountability. Read More

New at Newstips blog
Mortgage Rescue Fraud Follow-up
A South Side homeowner wins in court against a mortgage “rescue” firm headed by a local real estate investment guru and radio host.

Subscribe to the new Newstips v2.0 Blog
Visit the Newstips blog and tell us what you think.

Do you have a newstip? Contact Curtis Black.
curtis@newstips.org | phone: 312-344-6400 | fax: 312-344-6404

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Events Around Town

Online Microsoft Word Courses
Noon EST, Thursday, Jan. 15 at progressivetech.org
Progressive Technology Project offers two TechCamp online sessions that will build your basic and intermediate Microsoft Word skills. Costs $20 per session. Register at http://www.progressivetech.org!

A Writers’ Congress: Chicago Poets on the Inauguration of Barack Obama
5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20 at DePaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave.
Join Chicago Public Radio’s Chicago Amplified and UniVerse of Poetry as seventy-five local poets gather to read their work celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama. Event is FREE. More info at http://www.chicagopublicradio.org

LunaFest Short Film Festival
6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. films presentation, Friday, Jan. 23 at Depaul University Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave.
Females United for Action (FUFA) presents festival of short films made by, for and about women. Costs $5. More info and description of films at http://www.lunafest.org/ .

How to Write an Effective Business Plan for a New Nonprofit.
9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan 27, at CEDLP, 100 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 600
A solid business plan is critical to the success of your organization and will make filing for recognition of income tax exemption less difficult. This workshop will teach the mandatory components and the correct writing process. More info at www.cedlp.org. Costs $35, $30 before Jan. 20. Registration required at http://www.eventbrite.com/.

Financial Modeling: A Roadmap to Fiscal Health
9 a.m. to noon, Friday, Jan. 30 at the Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, North Park University, 3225 W. Foster Ave.


Learn how financial modeling can be used to improve organizational effectiveness at this half-day workshop. It’s perfect for non-financial managers who manage or oversee budgets. Prices vary. Register at http://www.northpark.edu and find more info here.

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New On The Web

Illinois Humanities Council Community Grants Deadline
http://www.prairie.org/documents/175
Deadlines: Jan. 15 mini grant, Feb. 15 major grant
The IHC encourages any nonprofit in Illinois working in the humanities to apply for their next cycle of grants. Mini grants are up to $2,500 and major grants up to $10,000. Projects developed by or for historically neglected groups and projects on American history or culture are strongly encouraged to apply.
 
Petition Jerry Lewis’ Award
http://www.petitiononline.com/jlno2009/petition.html
A petition was launched to object the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' announcement that it will give Jerry Lewis its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscar Awards ceremony on February 22, 2009. During his decades of hosting the Labor Day Telethon, Jerry Lewis has helped to perpetuate negative, stereotypical attitudes toward people with muscular dystrophy and other disabilities. Jerry Lewis and the Telethon actively promote pity as a fundraising strategy. Disabled people want RESPECT and RIGHTS, not pity and charity.

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Communications Jobs

Director of Communications
Opportunity Agenda
The Opportunity Agenda seeks a Director of Communications to manage the organization’s diverse communications and media activities. Responsibilities include: communications strategy development, opinion research and analyses, journalist outreach, updating blogs and other duties as needed. Candidate will have ten or more years experience and be comfortable in a leadership position. Office is located in New York City and job offers a full benefits package. For a full description, visit http://opportunityagenda.org/about/employment. To apply, send a letter of interest, resume and writing sample to Kisha Parks at kparks@opportunityagenda.org.

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More Free Stuff!

Don’t forget: you can ALWAYS call the Workshop with communications questions… from who to pitch a great story idea to how to get started blogging.. at 312-369-6400. And thanks to our partnership with Chicago Amplified from Chicago Public Radio, we can help get your event recorded for re-broadcast! If your organization is planning a public event that you think would be of general interest, let us know and we will be happy to submit it for consideration to our partners there. Join the Goodman Theater, Hyde Park Art Center, UniVerse of Poetry and others who use the service to expand their audiences. Contact us at cmw@newstips.org, or 312-369-6400, with questions or suggestions.

To submit your "Other Events Around Town" please contact Jessica Rosenberg at jessica@newstips.org. Make sure you place the title "eNotes: Other Events Around Town" in the subject line. We will prioritize submissions two weeks in advanced of the event date. You can also join our ning network and post your events there, send us a reminder and we'll inlcude it in our e-newsletter.

All submissions for "Events Around Town" should be formatted as followed:
First Line - Event Title
Second Line - Time, Day, Date and Location
Description - Be sure to include fee info or note if it is a "free" event. Phone number and/or Link for more information/registration. Can be no more then 75 words.

Community Media Workshop reserves the right to edit or omit submissions in order to accommodate the format of our electronic newsletter.