Civic Leadership Blogging

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Civic Leadership Blogging

• Griff Wigley
• ReadMyDaywww.readmyday.co.uk
• Wigley and Associateswww.wigleyandassociates.com

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What is a Weblog?
A web server application that allows individuals
to update their own web pages with words, images,
audio and video using a web browser

• Entries posted in reverse chronological order
  (most recent on top)
• Entries stamped w/ authors name, date, and a
  unique web address/URL (PermaLink)
• Content syndicated (RSS feeds)

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What is a Weblog?

• Web Log (journal)
• Noun weblog, blog
• Verb blog, blogging
• Person blogger
• Blogosphere cluster of blogs
• Blogroll Rolodex of favorite blogs
• Blogsite website w/ embedded blog

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Community Media / Citizen Journalism Project,
Northfield

• www.northfield.org
• Pop 17,000
• Carleton, St. Olaf
• Defeat of Jesse James
• Cows, Colleges, Contentment

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Northfield.org

• Northfield Citizens Online - 1995
• e-commons that strengthens community fabric
• Issues forums e-panels broadcast, print, F2F,
  online
• Became blog w/ photo gallery - 03
• Citizen Journalism civic blogosphere 04

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Northfield.org ePanels
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Northfield.org Community Photos
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Northfield Civic Leader Bloggers 2003

• Minnesota State Representative Ray Cox
• Eden Prairie City Manager (chief exec) Scott
  Neal
• Northfield Chief of Police Gary Smith

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ODPM visit, summer 2004
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Civic leader bloggers 2005
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Civic/citizen Journalism

• "Freedom of the press is limited to those who own
  one. - AJ Liebling
• Blogs can be started and maintained at no cost
• Citizens and civic leaders as journalists not
  just consumers of information but producers

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Lesson of the blogosphere

• A cluster of knowledgeable, motivated bloggers
  can sometimes be collectively better informed
  than
• the media about a story
• a company about its products
• government officials about an issue

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Traffic signal - citizen blog entryJan. 05
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Traffic signal - Issues forumJan. 05
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Traffic signal - Mayors task forceFeb 05
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Traffic signal - Straw pollOct. 05

• Citizen produced using the Issues forum

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Traffic light - Consultant supportNov. 05
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Traffic signal - Council actionDec. 05
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Traffic signal - blogging updatesFeb. 06
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Why keep a weblog? Leverage your leadership
activities interactions
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Why blog? Leverage your leadership activities
that otherwise disappear - Phone, face-to-face,
email
Cllr Andrew Brown, Lewisham
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Why blog? Leverage your leadership activities
that otherwise disappear - Phone, face-to-face,
email
Cllr Mary Reid, Kingston
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Why blog? Use storytelling to illustrate your
roles, values, mission, goals, strategies
CEO Terry Huggins, South Holland
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Why blog? Use storytelling to teach
Cllr Gwyneth Leighton, Taunton Deane
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Why blog? Bring a Voice of Authenticity (and a
measure of personality) to a web sitePutting a
face on the faceless bureaucrat
Isobel Harding, Lead, Local eDemocracy National
Project
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Why blog? Extend your presence with a selective
window into your day
Cllr John Trustrum, Chelmsford
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Why blog? Provide another way for citizens to
interact with you via comments, contact form
Cllr Kevin Davis, Kingston
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Why blog? Clarify your own thinking
The act of blogging helps me think through
issues. When Im called upon to speak in a
committee hearing or if Im cornered by a
reporter, Im much more likely to be informed and
even sound reasonably intelligent!
Ray Cox, MN House of Representatives
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What to Blog? Recognize other people,
organizations
Cllr Louise Alexander, Tower Hamlets
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What to Blog? Leverage your media diet
Cllr Andrew Brown, Lewisham
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What to Blog? Report on a current unresolved
problem
Cllr John Cattanach, Selby
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What to Blog? Chronicle your steps to becoming
informed leading up to a decision
Cllr Paul Leake, Durham City
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What to Blog?Teach about the complexities of an
issue
Cllr Paul Johnston, Kingston
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What to Blog? Teach about a government service,
program
Cllr Ian Robertson, Rochdale
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What to Blog?

• Comment on the posts of other bloggers

Isobel Harding, Lead, Local eDemocracy National
Project
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How to Blog Effectively

• Link
• Search engine spiders come back more frequently
• Those you link to appreciate it and are more
  likely to link back

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How to Blog Effectively

• Post frequently
• Err on the side of brief and regular vs long and
  irregular

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How to Blog Effectively

• Post near-realtime
• yesterday
• earlier this morning
• later today
• on Tuesday...

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How to Blog Effectively

• Keep each post to a single subject

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How to Blog Effectively

• Answer your email with your blog

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How to Blog Effectively

• Insert relevant images to attract the eye, break
  up text

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How to Blog Effectively

• Insert photos to aid storytelling, make posts
  more memorable, enhance recognition

Cllr Paul Crossly, Bath and North East Somerset
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Why Promote Your Blog

• Without the oxygen of serendipitous feedback,
  your motivation for blogging will whither
• You need to know its having some influence
• Transition from busy-work task to time-effective
  leadership strategy
• Same rationale for going to meetings and
  presenting to groups

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How to Promote Your Blog

• Email sig file

Mary Reid Councillor for Chessington North and
Hook ward Executive member for Children and Young
People's Services Royal Borough of Kingston upon
Thames Phone me on 020 8397 1396 Email me on
mary.reid_at_councillors.kingston.gov.uk Read my
blog on www.maryreid.org.uk Write to me at 126
Clayton Road, Hook, Chessington KT9 1NJ
Cllr Mary Reid, Kingston
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How to Promote Your Blog

• Blogrolls

Cllr Kevin Davis, Kingston
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How to Promote Your Blog

• RSS feed on your site

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How to Promote Your Blog

• Business card

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How to Promote Your Blog

• Links from other web sites
• Government
• Media

CEO Terry Huggins, South Holland
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How to Promote Your Blog Media coverage
Cllr John Trustrum, Chelmsford
Ray Cox, MN House of Representatives
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How to Promote Your Blog be a source for
journalists
Cllr Mary Reid, Kingston
Cllr Andrew Brown, Lewisham
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How to Promote Your Blog

• Column, letters to editor in print media

Cllr Andrew Brown, Lewisham
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Dangers

• Posting the truth without a strategy
• Only post what youd say to a reporter

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Dangers

• Not revealing a conflict of interest

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Dangers

• Devoting too much time to blogging at the expense
  of more important areas of your life

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Audioblogging
Charles Kyte, Executive Director, Minnesota
School Adminstrators Association www.mnasa.org
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Moblogging
Blogging text, photos, audio when away from PC
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Videoblogging
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Podcasting your own internet radio show
Locally Grown a weekly Northfield issues podcast
Charles Kyte, Exec Director, MN School
Adminstrators
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Podcasting your own internet radio show

• FDRs Fireside Chats Churchills radio addresses
  during WWII
• Illinois Senator Barack Obama

http//obama.senate.gov/podcast/
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Guide to Leadership Blogging
25 page PDF www.readmyday.co.uk