What are some best practices for creating and sharing civic media projects with your community?

Civic media projects are creative and collaborative ways to engage with your community on social issues, raise awareness, and inspire action. They can take many forms, such as podcasts, videos, blogs, comics, games, or interactive stories. But how do you create and share them effectively? Here are some best practices to help you plan, produce, and promote your civic media projects.

1 Define your goals and audience

Before you start creating your civic media project, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. What is the main message or question you want to convey? What is the purpose or impact you hope to have? Who are the people you want to inform, educate, or mobilize? How can you tailor your content and format to their needs, interests, and preferences? Having a specific and realistic goal and audience will help you shape your project and measure its success.

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Graham O'Neill

Experienced Tax Administrator | VITA Program Director | Tax Credit & Financial Equity Expert | ETAAC Member
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It's important to recognize when your community has several distinct audiences and that the goal may or may not change based on each audience, but how you tailor the content most certainly will change based off of which part of the community you are trying to reach with a specific piece.

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Andrew Jones

Chief Executive Officer at Boneworld
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One thing we did was to invite a watercolour artist to recourse the demolition of a wall and archaeological excavation. She turned her paintings into a calendar and this now is a helpful testimony of what we did during the field work.

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2 Choose your medium and platform

The next step is to decide what kind of media and platform you want to use for your project. There are many options available, depending on your skills, resources, and goals. For example, you could create a podcast if you want to share stories and opinions, a video if you want to show visuals and emotions, a blog if you want to write in-depth analysis and commentary, or a game if you want to challenge and entertain your audience. You also need to consider where and how you will distribute your project. Will you use a website, a social media channel, a streaming service, or a combination of them? How will you optimize your project for different devices and platforms? How will you ensure accessibility and inclusivity for diverse audiences?

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Andrew Jones

Chief Executive Officer at Boneworld
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I agree. We produced A4 newsletters as well as emailed messages. The newsletters are now, with the watercolour paintings the basis for our publication (a website and a booklet). The booklet will contain extensive aknowledgements and be a lasting ‘thank you’ to participants.

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Graham O'Neill

Experienced Tax Administrator | VITA Program Director | Tax Credit & Financial Equity Expert | ETAAC Member
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One thing I've always found helpful at this stage is to deliberately analyze whether or not I am making a determination based off how I would want to receive the information versus what data, input of colleagues, and community input says is the best way to reach the specific audience. If your budget allows I advise. Always developing a non-digital component to your campaign, even if you're content is geared specifically to a younger audience. This is because the digital divide is not just about ability to use technology, but rather access to it.

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3 Collaborate and co-create

One of the benefits of civic media projects is that they can foster community engagement and participation. You don't have to create and share your project alone. You can collaborate and co-create with other people who share your vision and values, such as activists, artists, educators, or journalists. You can also involve your audience in the process, by asking for feedback, input, or contributions. This will help you build trust, diversity, and dialogue, as well as enrich your project with different perspectives and experiences.

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4 Tell a compelling story

A civic media project is more than just a collection of facts, data, or arguments. It is also a story that engages your audience emotionally and intellectually. To tell a compelling story, you need to have a clear structure, a strong hook, a relatable protagonist, a meaningful conflict, and a satisfying resolution. You also need to use language, tone, and style that suit your medium, platform, and audience. And most importantly, you need to be authentic, honest, and respectful. Don't exaggerate, manipulate, or misrepresent your information or sources. Don't assume, stereotype, or patronize your audience. Don't ignore, dismiss, or attack opposing views. Instead, be curious, critical, and creative.

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Jenni Craig

Co-founder and CMO of Copper Bottom Craft Distillery: CAO of The Museum of Arts & Sciences
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A compelling story allows you to paint a picture of what the world could be if your project's purpose is accepted by its audience.

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5 Promote and evaluate

The final step is to promote and evaluate your civic media project. You need to spread the word about your project and invite your audience to engage with it. You can use various strategies, such as creating a catchy title and description, using hashtags and keywords, sharing teasers and snippets, tagging and mentioning relevant people and organizations, and encouraging comments and shares. You also need to monitor and measure the performance and impact of your project. You can use various tools, such as analytics, surveys, or interviews, to collect and analyze data on your reach, engagement, feedback, and outcomes. You can use this information to improve your project, celebrate your achievements, and plan your next steps.

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Andy Goodman

Current Candidate for Masters in Social Work- Clinical Practice BU | MA Public Humanities from Brown University | BA concentration in Film and Critical Race Theory Evergreen State College
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I suggest hosting a launch or opening event to showcase your projects. Invite all participants to celebrate and share the joy. Use this opportunity to take photographs, engage with community members, and introduce other potential partners. By showcasing the final deliverable of your project, you can foster continued community engagement and increase the likelihood of project renewal.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are some best practices for creating and sharing civic media projects with your community?

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1 Define your goals and audience

2 Choose your medium and platform

3 Collaborate and co-create

4 Tell a compelling story

5 Promote and evaluate

6 Here’s what else to consider

Community Engagement

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