Survival and Adaptation in the New Media Age

What do the Roman Catholic church and the city of New York have in common? Both are using the New Media to expand their audience reach.

Let's first look at how the Roman Catholic church is making use of the New media. According to a recent statement by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, AZ, in the Catholic News Service, America's Roman Catholic church's great communications challenge today is to "keep the interest of people who have so many places to turn."

Bishop Kicanas argued that the church should not hesitate "to engage the modern digital technologies," which "can be vehicles for communicating." Given recent advances in communications technology, Kicanas noted that people today Twitter and blog, they e-mail, use Skype, Blackberries and iPhones, and choose Facebook partners.

"Communication, while enhanced by technology, rests on the power of the message and the authenticity of the communicator," he said.
"Technology facilitates the fundamental desire" people have to communicate and engage one another.

With "effective communications" as its theme, the June 24-26 meeting of the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management examined the potential of a new universe of communications for the church.

Participants included Catholic bishops, educators, leaders in business, finance and philanthropy, and priests, sisters and lay leaders.

Bishop Kicanas described himself as a blogger of sorts. The online "Monday Memo" he writes weekly to the Tucson Diocese is presented as a kind of blog on their Web site and is sent out to an e-mail readership.

"People today want to be in the know," he said. "We live in an information society, a mass media culture." There are no secrets in the Twitter, cell-phone, Internet world," Bishop Kicanas said, "It is best and right to get out with the story as it is. That alone could tell the truth."

Bishop Kicanas urged the leadership organization to "help the church at every level to acquire and become proficient in communications and information technology" and to help it "develop interactive forms of communication that engage others, especially the young." Web sites move beyond providing information to inviting user participation.

"My Catholic Voice" is an Internet and wireless service primarily for young people between 18 and 35, Kicanas said, "It employs "the best Internet technologies and social networking capabilities" to share Catholic faith via what is called "Web 2.0."

Secondly, it's interesting to see how a metropolis like New York City NYC)is adapting to the New Media in it's commitment to reach out to new audiences.

Recently, the NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM) announced its foray into the social media world with help from Facebook's Chief Privacy Officer Christopher Kelly and NYC News Channel 11's Larry Hoff.

NYC's Office of Emergency Management have established a Facebook site to be the official source for information about emergency events and important City services. Citizens can sign up to receive emergency notifications through phone calls, emails, or text messages.

NYC's Office of Emergency Management are sending out tips like these:

"During the summer, New York City can be as much as 10 degrees hotter than surrounding areas. OEM reminds New Yorkers to beat the heat this summer by staying out of the sun during its peak hours, 11 AM to 4 PM. If you have to be in the sun, wear sunscreen and a hat to protect your face and head."

"All New York City public schools will be open Monday, June 8. However, OEM continues to remind New Yorkers of habits to reduce the spread of influenza and other germs."

"Opening fire hydrants is a common way to cool off during New York City's sweltering summers, but hydrants without spray caps waste 1,000 gallons of water per minute and can lower water pressure throughout the system. Firefighters need high water pressure to fight fires. OEM reminds New Yorkers to ask for the right tools when using hydrants to stay cool. Contact your local firehouse to obtain a spray cap, or call
311

Another innovative use of Facebook, is to encourage New Yorkers to join the Citizen Corps Council on-line and partner with OEM to make New York City a safer and stronger city, and to join a Community Emergency Response Team in your neighborhood.

The also offer a "Tip of the Week" such as:

"Insure So You Can Rest Assured." Homeowners insurance does not cover property damage caused by flooding. The U.S. National Flood Insurance Program offers flood insurance at a low cost to homeowners and businesses in participating communities. Get prepared by finding insurance that works for you."

Instead of wringing their hands and crying the blues about information overload, these two traditional organizations are using non-traditional methods to expand their audience reach.  Welcome to Web 2.0