[Imc-newsroom] June 1/Media and Communication Training

[Community Media Workshop]

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Community Media Workshop invites you to participate in one or two of the
intensive media and communication workshops we have planned for Wednesday,
June 1, 2005.  Some are new; some are old favorites. Some are for
beginners; some are for even old pros; all emphasize being creative and
strategic communication.

These workshops kick off the Making Media Connections 2005 conference which
will continue June 2 at Columbia College in Chicago.  More information and
registration for these workshops is at
http://www.newstips.org/interior.php?section=Calendar+Sub&main_id=454.

Best,

Maude Carroll
Marketing Coordinator
maude at newstips.org
312-344-6400
---------------------------------------------------------------------
One of our most popular workshops . . .

> SPIN 101: Media Boot Camp
    9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

    This highly interactive, fun, and
grassroots-oriented workshop covers media tactics
designed to increase the profile of your group or
issue in the press. The media is a powerful player in
the local, state, and national debate around critical
issues. Help shape this debate by learning how to get
your voice heard, your messages communicated, and your
story told in the press.

   Taught by Rosi Reyes, communications strategist
with the esteemed SPIN Project of San Francisco and
Tracy Van Slyke, independent progressive communicator
and associate publisher of In These TImes.

    $195 per person includes workshop, lunch and a
copy of SPIN Works!

............................................................................



Register now, attendance limited . . .

> Becoming a Better Storyteller
    10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

    Without stories, information about our work fades
into the dull woodwork. Sue O'Halloran will lead this
popular workshop. Learn how to tap the storyteller
inside you and apply these skills to your
communications and media work. Come ready to write,
sweat and try out story ideas in small groups. Apply
now. Class limited to first 25 who apply.

    $165 per person includes lunch.

............................................................................



Attendance limited, register now . . .

> Jump-Start Your Creativity: Writing for the Media
and the World
    9 a.m. - Noon

    One of Chicago's finest writers and most
imaginative writing teachers, S.L. Wisenberg, can help
you freshen up your writing. A former reporter for the
Miami Herald as well as an award-winning short-story
writer, Wisenberg helps brighten students' writing by
going well beyond teaching "press release" formulas.
She uses exercises designed to eliminate wordiness and
increase clarity and teaches writers how to use their
senses to write better.  Attendance is limited to 20.

    $95 per person.

............................................................................



Another popular workshop . . .

> Power Pitching: The Phone Call Worth 1,000 Words
    9 a.m. - Noon

    The phone call is critical to making the news. A
short pitch call‹followed by a short fax that puts an
edge on your story‹usually works better than a longer
elegantly worded news release. Practice and learn how
to make that call‹and put a newsy edge on your stories
from Suzan Erem, a seasoned pro in progressive media
relations. Ms. Erem explains: "For the seven years I
was getting SEIU Local 73 into the Chicago media, I
had much more success using the phone than the fax
machine. I'd make the pitch, and then fax an advisory
if a reporter wanted it. It saved us all a lot of
time‹and it worked.

    $95 per person.

............................................................................



Because how you say it counts. . .

> Secrets of Effective PowerPoint Presentations
    9 a.m. - Noon

    Although there are 30,000,000 PowerPoint presentations given every day,
most aren't very good.  At this highly interactive workshop you'll learn
how to make your PowerPoint presentations stand out above the crowd and be
an effective tools that reinforces your message instead of boring or
annoying your audience.  Find out how to avoid the most common mistakes;
hear the two secrets of creating a clear and impactful presentation and the
five tricks to pulling it off.

Taught by Loree Vick who spent 16 years with CBS
and Fox News as an anchor, reporter and producer.

    $95 per person.

............................................................................



Because it's not as easy as it looks. . .

> The Art of the Television Interview
    1 - 4 p.m.

    What will you do when suddenly you're newsworthy!
Appearing on television is a far different experience
than just speaking in public. Veteran Fox TV
News anchor and reporter Loree Vick will help you
develop the skills & techniques necessary to project a
positive, confident image. You will learn to address
the camera effectively, speak in "sound bites", and
present yourself for maximum effectiveness on camera.
Loree put ordinary people "on air" every day and knows
how to prepare people for feature or crisis coverage.

    $95 per person.

............................................................................



Start a revolution via the Internet . . .

> Stop Being A Bore: Use Creativity in Your Media Communications
    1 - 4 p.m.

    Step out from behind the podium and start thinking creatively. There
are times to be traditional and there are times you need to shake it up.
We'll talk about viral marketing, blogs, creative visuals, web-sites as
news-sites, tactics of TrueMajority.org and MoveOn.org, and online
organizing.

    Taught by Aaron Toso, Senior Account Executive with Cause
Communications.

    $95 per person.