[Imc-newsroom] Better Payday Loans/Story Power/Ideas?/Bring a Friend for Half

[Community Media Workshop eNotes]

COMMUNITY MEDIA WORKSHOP'S eNOTES - Friday, April 29, 2005
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On WNUA 95.5 . . . 

> PAYDAY LOANS PITFALLS AND ALTERNATIVES <
featured Sunday, May 1, 6:30 a.m. on "City Voices" on WNUA 95.5 FM

Payday loans can carry interest rates as high as 1500%, increasing the
burden on families who struggle to make ends meet before the next paycheck.
The North Side Community Federal Credit Union offers an alternative: payday
loans at only 16.5%.  They also include classes to help people learn how
they can avoid these payday lenders.  Ed Jacob, manager of the North Side
Community Federal Credit Union, and Brent Adams, policy director with
Citizen Action Illinois, discusses how wage earners can avoid the payday
loan cycle and legislation that would further regulate this expensive loan
product with host Thom Clark.

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> THE POWER OF THE STORY <

Storytelling isn't just for entertaining or sharing history.  Telling
stories can paint pictures, illustrate complex situations and issues in
evocative and impactful ways that mere information often can't.  It can
transform, change attitudes and influence policy.

With that in mind, the Workshop is pleased to have award-winning
storyteller and trainer Sue O'Halloran leading one of our most popular
workshops: BECOME A BETTER STORYTELLER. Come learn how to tap the
storyteller inside you and apply these skills to your communications and
media work. Be ready to write, sweat and try out story ideas in small
groups. For details about this and other June 1 workshops, see
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Calendar+Sub&main_id=454.

To learn more about her and the power of the story, go to the Northbrook's
Just Stories Storytelling Festival this Saturday, April 30, 2005.  She'll
be performing with friends "More Alike Than Not".  Festival also includes
success stories about creating inclusive housing. More about it is at
http://www.racebridges.net/northbrook/. 
There's more about Sue at
http://www.susanohalloran.com/storytelling/index.htm.

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> HOW CAN COMMUNITY MEDIA WORKSHOP BETTER SERVE YOU AND THE COMMUNITY? <

Like many non-profits, the Workshop is always working hard to find new ways
to work smarter, to do more with less. (Sound familiar, right?) You can
help us with that; we need your feedback and suggestions. We aim to be an
even more effective resource for non-profits and the community groups. Our
mission is to help organizations work with the media and be strategic
communicators in order to fulfill their mission.  Encouraged by
participants feedback, we're providing more information about working with
newspapers' photo desk and photojournalists.  The next media guide will
have more about news outlets in northwest Indiana and southwest Wisconsin.
Please tell us what you think at feedback at newstips.org.  Thanks.

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At newstips.org . . .

Check out the "bring a friend for half-off" deal for the Making Media
Connections 2005 conference at the bottom of
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Calendar+Sub&main_id=456
The full-day on Thursday, June 2 is already only $145 and includes
lunch...and now we offer another great rate.

Buy our media guide, "Getting On The Air & Into Print" at
http://www.newstips.org/cart.

Read about the Workshop's volunteer opportunties at
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=About+CMW&main_id=9 

Learn tips and tricks of media relations at
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Spotlight.

Create a press release at
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=PR+Tips&main_id=141

Donate to the Workshop at
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Donate&main_id=53

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Community Media Workshop is a nonprofit organization of journalists,
educators and media relations experts helping other nonprofits doing vital
work in their community connect with the media and visa versa. We provide
workshops, an annual conference, a media guide, a journalists' tipsheet,
briefing papers, sources, and sponsor the Studs Terkel Awards.

Community Media Workshop 
at Columbia College 
600 S. Michigan 
Chicago, IL 60605 
312-344-6400 
http://www.newstips.org

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