Beyond Facebook and MySpace, nonprofits are turning to their own custom-designed social networks--using platforms such as Ning and other solutions. Learn more about it at the blog and at Making Media Connections, featuring panels on nonprofit social networks and other topics including:

• Editorial Boards--How do you present your issues to persuade news outlets to take a position on them? With Bruce Dold, Chicago Tribune, Tracy Baim, Windy City News, and Dan Haley, Wednesday Journal Publisher.
• Metro News--Which beats are strong these days? When should you pitch a beat reporter vs. an assignment editor? with Don Hayner, Chicago Sun-Times, Miriam Lopez Salinas, Telemundo Channel 44, Natalie Moore, Chicago Public Radio, and Carlos Hernández Gómez, CLTV
• Opportunities in Nonprofit Communications--what about you? Leaders in the nonprofit sector reflect on their careers and offer advice. With Alicia Menchaca de Cerda, Latinos In Development, Ann Marie, Mitchell, Columbia College Chicago, Matt Smith, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. Moderator: Lehia Franklin Acox, ELFA Consulting Services

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Workshops

Coming Up: Crisis Communications
"'We communicated through the newsmedia, but we certainly didn't have to call them,'" Melanie Megara of Northern Illinois University told Tactics, the Public Relations Society of American newsletter, recently. Learn more from her and from Wynona Redmond of Dominick's and Hope Daniels of Columbia College about how you can be ready for your own situations when reporters ring your phone off the hook--this Friday (three spots still left).

Register Now

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“Community, Media and You” on CAN TV 21

"In their Own Words" 
Teen participants from Community TV Network share their perspectives through multi-media projects. Show airs Saturday, May 24 at 8 p.m.

"2008 Studs Terkel Community Media Award Winners"
Honoring outstanding journalists and media professionals who cover Chicago's diverse neighborhoods, show highlights this year's winners: Tom McNamee of the Chicago Sun-Times, Dawn Turner-Trice of the Chicago Tribune, and Radio Arte 90.5 FM. Show will re-broadcast Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. on channel 21 and Tuesday, May 20 at 8:30 a.m. on channel 19.  

Watch our archives at our online videocast

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NetTuesday Chicago

Join community activists, nonprofit staff & volunteers, web innovators and communicator's at today's NetTuesdays Chicago Meetup. Learn new web tools to further your mission, share your knowledge so others can benefit, network and enjoy free food & refreshments.

Tonight, May 13th at 6:30 p.m. For more information on location and agenda, please signup and R.S.V.P. here.

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Newstips
by Curtis Black, newstips editor

Fair Trade Comes to Daley Plaza
Local businesses selling fair trade goods will display their wares, representatives of fair trade cooperatives in Mexico and Africa will tell their stories, and a local coalition will launch a campaign to make Chicago a Fair Trade City at a Daley Plaza event on Wednesday, May 14. Read More

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

New at Newstips v2.0
Study: "Drug war" targets blacks
Drug arrest rates for whites in Chicago rose from 430 to 910 per 100,000 from 1980 to 2003 -- while for blacks the number rose from 790 to 3,856 per 100,000, according to a new report (pdf) from the Sentencing Project.

Hyde Park Co-op president ousted
Hyde Park Cooperative Society board president James Poueymirou was ousted, and three advocates for opening the books were elected to the organization’s board.

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

Donor’s Forum Workshop
Results and Efficiency: Evaluating Your Fundraising Program
9 a.m. to noon, Friday, May 16 at The Donor’s Forum, 280 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 740
Learn how to assess your organization's fundraising programs, how to communicate the effectiveness of your activities and gain practical skills in using fundraising results to establish goals and future strategies. $82, discounts for members. Learn more and register at www.donorsforum.org/.

IRE Ethnic Media Watchdog Workshop
Times vary, May 17 to 18 at Columbia College Chicago’s Journalism Department, 33 E. Congress
Top investigative journalists share the nuts and bolts of investigative reporting and demonstrate how to find databases, documents and sources. Costs $25, $10 for students (price includes 1-year IRE membership!). Learn more and register at www.ire.org. View the schedule.

ACM Midwest Conference
Times vary, May 22 to 23 at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash
Alliance for Community Media is two days of workshops and how-to trainings focusing on technology and production, and legislating and managing. Prices vary. Register at http://kingtoad.org/acm.pdf.

RadioArte 90.5 FM Youth Training
Salud: Healing Through the Arts
Application Deadline May 30, program begins July 7
Six-week radio training for youth interested in creating “radio novelas” about health issues effecting immigrant communities. Taught in English, Mon. through Fri. Stipends available. Call 312-455-9455 x203 or email training@radioarte.org for more info.

SPIN Academy 2008
August 13 through 17 in Petaluma, CA
Fifteen different workshops and communications trainings for nonprofit organizations and activists will be offered at this annual retreat. Network with trainers and learn how to build relationships with reporters and other nonprofits. Sliding scale available. Deadline for applications in June 20. More info at spinproject.org.

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New On The Web

Free E-Mail Marketing for Nonprofits from Vertical Response
We here at Community Media Workshop have been long-time users of Vertical Response for our online E-Mail marketing. It has helped us reach thousands of our constituents every month and at the same time receive recognition such as our recent Hermes Award. Nonprofits can apply to Vertical Response on their website and receive 10,000 free monthly credits towards your account. Sign up here.

Send Civil Rights press releases
The National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights is creating an on-line Civil Rights Press Center, “an up-to-date and robust collection of press releases addressing news on a range of civil rights issues. This Press Center can both increase the distributional reach of your press releases and serve as a one-stop shop for those interested in what civil rights news is presently ripe for coverage.”

The New York City-based group will also host a directory of communications contacts at civil rights organizations, making it easy for members of the media to locate experts on a range of issues according to Tanene Allison, media campaign coordinator at the National Campaign. Send releases to PressCenter@NYLPI.org and learn more at http://www.rollbackcampaign.org or contact Tanene directly at tallison@nylpi.org or 212-244-4664.

Journalism.org
Is Jon Stewart a journalist?  The Project For Excellence in Journalism analyzed a report that placed Stewart as the number 4 journalist Americans admired most – right next to Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams. In their article, “Journalism, Satire or Just Laughs? ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,’” PEJ examines the report and takes a look at the intersection of comedy and news. Read the article at http://www.journalism.org/node/10953

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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.

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 accomodate the format of our electronic newsletter.