Southeast MI Media Lab

734-719-0192 communitymedialab@heritage.com

What is a community media lab?

Journal Register Co. launched a local Community Media Lab in April 2012 to bring the audience in the newsroom and train community contributors in digital media. Recently, we renamed it the Southeast Michigan Media Lab with the intention of attracting participants from across the region to free workshops and offer individual training. We provide a learning-based and collaborative environment, as well as a vehicle for the community to document and chronicle the important events that shape their history and platform to share their voice, using our newspapers and websites. The lab is open noon to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, and by appointment. Michelle Rogers , who is director of community engagement and editorial training, runs the lab.

Workshops
The lab offers free workshops to the community
n LinkedIn n Blogging n Social media n Marketing n Photography and video n Audiocasts/editing audio n Freedom of Information Act n Citizen journalism n Online safety n Visual storytelling tools n Crowdsourcing stories n Beat blogs n News writing n Column writing n AP Style basics n Photo editing n Search engine optimization n Understanding web analytics n Google Drive n SMS best practices n Blogging for nonprofits n Livestreaming video n Holding live chats n Public relations writing

Sign up for a workshop on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaLab

One-on-One Instruction
How we have helped
n Helped the Washtenaw Democrats and Saline Area Chamber of Commerce set up Twitter accounts n Helped the owner of Lavin Lift Strap set up a YouTube account to share their product demonstration videos n Helped local senior citizens set up personal Facebook page and Craigs List account n Helped local comedian edit video for her blog n Helped local business owners write news releases n Helped community members set up blogs and linked to them on our websites n Helped a blogging partner learn data visualizations n Helped an Internet marketer learn AP Style basics

Blogging Partners
We host a blog roll on our websites across Michigan under the Life section and link to local blogs on education, parenting, movies, animals, retirement, financial planning, health and spirituality, travel, theater, teen issues, mental health and agriculture.

Blogger Guidelines
Once we receive word that your blog is live, we will begin working on getting your site linked to our site at www.heritage.com.

In exchange for us linking to your blog, we ask that you allow us to post a news widget on your site which will provide your audience with the latest headlines from our newspaper. Once you're linked on our site, please add our headline widget to your blog.
In order to keep your readers engaged, we ask that you please post at least three new messages a week on your blog, while checking in daily for comments and reader feedback. The worst thing for a reader is to come across a blog that hasnt been updated in months. Youre almost guaranteed to have lost that persons interest for good. To keep our standards, we ask that your blog be informational and not promotional. If you are blogging about the profession you have, please do not turn your blog into a customer recruitment tool where you are posting the latest offerings you have. Feel free to create a separate blog for your customers, but please share with us only the one that is informational.

Follow the Lab on Social Media

On Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaLab

On WordPress
http://communitymedialab.wordpress.com

Also on Twitter: @CommunityMediaL

Heritage Media

Eight print publications and the website Heritage.com

n The Chelsea Standard n The Dexter Leader n The Manchester Enterprise n The Saline Reporter n The Milan News-Leader n The Ypsilanti Courier n The View in Belleville n Ann Arbor Journal

Community Contributions

We welcome community contributions and are ramping up efforts to encourage more of it. This column was provided after the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra approached us about coverage and we asked for a volunteer to write it up. They found a student willing to contribute and his column was published.

Heres an example of a contribution from the Saline District Library. We would like to see more content sharing from members of the communities we serve, as well as representatives from nonprofits, churches, civic organizations, entertainment and art venues, and public institutions.

Editor Contacts
Chelsea and Dexter Editor: Kathleen Murphy, editor@dexterleader.com and editor@chelseastandard.com Saline and Milan Editor: Austen Smith, editor@salinereporter.com and editor@milannews.com Ypsilanti and Manchester Editor: Krista Gjestland, editor@ypsilanticourier.com and editor@manchesterenterprise.com A2 Journal and Belleville Editor: Gary Winkelman, editor@a2journal.com, editor@bellevilleview.com
734-429-7380