By Jeff Alexander
The Internet is causing profound changes in the media, many of which will affect how non-governmental organizations inform the public about their programs.
Budget cuts have greatly reduced the number of reporters-especially environmental reporters-at newspapers, radio stations and television stations. The shrinking of America’s traditional media outlets has made it harder than ever to get coverage of your group’s work.
That’s the bad news.
The good news: The phenomenal popularity of the Internet and the rise of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, has opened the doors to a whole new universe of communications possibilities. Don’t ignore the traditional media. Getting a newspaper or broadcast media outlet to do an article on your organization’s work is still immensely valuable.
But one of the great features of the Internet is that it allows anyone with basic computer skills to become a one-person communications operation. Here’s how to get started: