This webinar covers the start-up steps for launching a local PolicyOptions.org bureau.

1. Starting a Local Bureau
Webinar on PolicyOptions.org

2. Agenda
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7 Steps to Start Up
Selecting News to Digest
Assigning Entries
Adding Content

3. 7 Steps to Start-Up

4. Start Up Steps
1. Add Organizations, their Programs & Key
Staff
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Set up Feedly.com (RSS reader)
Add RSS Feeds to Feedly.com
Add Assignments to Basecamp.com
Student Role (entering news, orgs, etc.)
Faculty/Staff Advisor Role (reviewing)
Launch: community partners, students, faculty

5. Start-Up Overview
Recruit &
Add Orgs, !
Set-up !
Train Student!
Programs,!
feedly.com
Team
and People
Add RSS Feeds!
to feedly.com
Add Assignments!
to Basecamp
Add & Edit !
Entries

6. 1. Add Organizations,
their Programs & Key Staff
Start with Local then County then State (if not
already added):
• Government Agencies
• Media (esp. online newspapers, etc.)
• Non-Profit Agencies
• service providers
• associations, advocacy, etc.
• foundations

7. 2. Set Up feedly.com
• Set-up Feedly.com account using generic
email account
• Create one local folder for all feeds
• Create one state folder for each of the 13
major issue areas

8. Organizing RSS Feeds
Group RSS feeds
• one folder for each
local bureau
• 13 folders for each
major issue area

9. feedly.com

10. 3. Add RSS Feeds
to Feedly.com
When adding local and state organizations,
identify:
• RSS feeds
• org news pages update regularly
• email newsletters
• twitter feeds

11. No RSS?
• No problem
- www.page2rss.com - creates RSS on
page changes
- www.mmmmail.com - converts emails
to RSS

12. 4. Managing Editor Role
• Manages Feedly news sources
• Selects news items to be digested
(see step-by-step mini-guide below)
• Assigns entries on Basecamp
(see step-by-step mini-guide below)
• Ensure PolicyOptions.org style, format
• 2-4 hours/week

13. 5. Student Roles
• At least two per bureau @ 5-7 hour/wk
• Adds content to PolicyOptions.org
(see step-by-step mini-guide below)
• Detail oriented
• Implements PolicyOptions.org style
• Community and campus outreach

14. Training
• Designate official trainings for
PolicyOptions.org staff
• Utilize guides on PolicyOptions Wiki
(see step-by-step mini-guide below)
• Emphasize learning by doing
• Convene subsequent trainings

15. 6. Faculty/Staff Advisor Role
• Community engaged
• Knowledgable of local organizations
• Ensures progress
• Student support
• Increases faculty awareness

16. Ensure Quality Control
Site visitors notice inconsistent formatting,
delays in updating.
To ensure quality:
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Hold regular trainings
Create a process of revision
Time estimate: ongoing

17. 7. Launch
Three audiences, each of whom can
utilize the resource in different ways
• Community Partners
• Students
• Faculty

18. Community Partners
PolicyOptions.org is a resource to deepen
CBO relationships:
• Create and distribute online demos
• Next meeting - show your site!
• Interns at CBO’s can use the resource

19. Students
PolicyOptions.org news provides:
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Insight on their volunteer work
A social entrepreneurship tool
Community connections
Resources for research papers

20. Faculty
Faculty can use the resources in the
classroom
• Current events for classroom
discussions/assignments
• Augments service learning courses
• Visit and demonstrate the site!

21. Selecting News
to Digest

22. News Types
• Announcements
• Funding
• Meetings
• Legislation
• Executive Action
• Court Rulings
• Publications
• Assessments

23. We do NOT Report…
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Opinions and Editorials
Pending court cases
Gossip and scandal
Local crime
Human interest
Purely international

24. Examples
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New Jersey Childhood
Obesity Study: Trenton
Chartbook
•
Trenton shooting victim
collapses in front of
downtown pizza shop
•
Study on the
Relationship Between
Travel Demand and
Economic Growth
•
Driver Killed in Moore
County Crash

25. National News
• Obamacare v Romneycare - we don’t report
on the political discourse or the horse race
• We report on the policies: facts, figures, local
and state assessment and implementation
(e.g., policy initiatives undertaken, federal funding,
agency reports and analysis, legislation passed,
executive actions)

26. State News
• Gov. Christie’s weight not as important to New
•
Jerseyans as the policies he implements on Sandy
Recovery or prisoner re-entry.
Statistics, policy initiatives, nonprofit activities:
Reports from state agencies and state specific Federal
agencies
Analysis from policy think tanks and institutes
Funding opportunities
Meetings and events: Board of Ed., to Governor Town
Halls, to issue based state conferences.
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27. Local News
• The hardest to find because there are the
fewest sources (when compared to state and
national)
• Social Media is a public sentiment forum,
not a platform to grow a knowledge base.
• Non-profit newsletters, local government
releases and meetings, your institute’s work.
• Leverage your connections to community
partners to aggregate news.

28. Categorizing News
All News is categorized on PolicyOptions.org as:
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Announcements: all news is an announcement
Funding: press releases, other announcements on funding opportunities
Meetings/Calendar Events: conferences, nonprofit meetings, government hearings
Legislation: analysis, impact, or summary of PASSED legilsation
Executive Action: President’s/Governors Executive Orders, Appointments
Court Rulings: finalized court decisions that impact policy and law
Publications: reports and scholarly work that do not assess efficacy and/or provide policy options.
Assessments: reports and scholarly work that does assess efficacy and/or provide policy options.

29. www.Feedly.com
• Navigation
• Viewing
• Mark as Read
and Saved for
Later
• Adding RSS feeds
• Organizing RSS
feeds

30. Assigning Entries

31. Basecamp
• Basecamp is an intuitive, online project
management tool.
• In a “To Do” List style, individuals can be
assigned tasks.
• Our “To Do” list will be labeled News
Bureau Entries.

32. Assign via Basecamp
• www.basecamp.com
• Create News Bureau To Do list via email
• Assign To Do’s to individuals with deadlines
• Receive notification of completion

33. Enter the
news entry assignment
on Basecamp

34. Format the Assignment
Content Type
(Geographic Ownership)
Altered Title
Data Source (USA) National Institute
of Justice Enhances Crimesolutions.gov
http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/
pressreleases/2013/ojppr102813.pdf
Link to Original Source

35. Assignment Guidance
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Indicate the specific location(s) impacted
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Find original sources, not the article that
quotes the press releases or summarizes a
report.
Craft an alternate title that conveys
information not advocacy

36. Adding Content

37. Series of Online Steps
1. Feedly
2. Basecamp
3. PolicyOptions.org Entry
4. PolicyOptions.org

38. Feedly - Select News

39. Create Basecamp
Assignment

40. Create Entry
Login to PolicyOptions.org Admin page

41. Stylistic Requirements
Editor’s Guide on PolicyOptions Wiki
• NO ALL CAPS
• Proper Quotation
• Unbiased Titles

42. Entry Requirements
• Original link is the first Source entry
• No more than three paragraphs as
description
• Include logo of organizations
• Enter organization

43. Including Logos
News photos aren’t as important for a
digest
• Screen capture: www.skitch.com
• Capture logo
• Enter after completing all other entry
requirements