Mobile Certification for Local Reporters

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1. What is your project? [1 sentence]

This certification program would provide extensive training to local media reporters on how to use mobile to engage more citizens about important issues of the day thus creating a more informed community. 

2. How will your project use mobile tools and approaches? [2 sentences]

The certification program would include basic and advanced topics. The modules would range from how to use an iPhone to how reach more people with local news and information via the tools of social media. 

3. Who will use it and why? [1 sentence]

Local reporters mainly from dailies under 150,000 circulation and large weekly newspapers - the group that needs this kind of training the most. 

4. Please list three ways they would learn about your project.

1. Local Media Association serves more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada and has compiled an email database with over 7,500 contacts. We would promote to this group via email, on our website and through our printed newsletter.

2. Local Media Association has partnership agreements with many other state and regional associations such as: Associated Press Media Editors, California Press Association, Pennsylvania Press Association, Ohio Press Association, Missouri Press Association, Colorado Press Association, Virginia Press Association and others. They too would promote this for us. 

3. We would ask our other partners such as Borrell Associates and The Blinder Group to share this with their extensive client databases and we believe that they would (Gordon Borrell serves on our board of directors). 

5. What connections have you made, or will you make, with others [communities, organizations or networks] about your project? [2 sentences]

We would work in conjunction with our established partners (listed above) as well as Borrell Associates to develop and promote the mobile certification program for local reporters. 

6. What part of the project have you already built? [1-2 sentences, feel free to include links]

We are currently offering a basic sales and online certification program in conjunction with Borrell Associates. We intend to add other modules and a mobile certification for local reporters would be a nice addition to our program (especially if we can offer it for free as a result of this grant). 

7. What does success for your project look like? [1-2 sentences]

Success in year one would be 250 or more certifications of local reporters that became fully trained in mobile. We would also work to measure impact (during our recent Innovation Mission, a visit to Fisher Communications showcased their impressive iPhone training course that has resulted in huge percentage increases in social media reach. Many consumers now prefer to get their news and information via Facebook and Twitter; this training should help to increase social media reach. 

8. What resources do you need to succeed? [1-2 sentences]

We need an independent contractor to manage the program and the funds to develop the courses (both the content and the technology side). 


Additional details:
Please list who is on your team: Local Media Foundation Board of Directors led by John Humenik, president & publisher, Arizona Daily Star and Nancy Lane, president, Local Media Association
Expected number of months to complete project: 6-12 months to launch all courses
Estimated Project Cost: $127,500 (includes independent contractor for one year and technology costs to develop web-based training)
Name: Nancy Lane
Twitter: localmediarocks
Email address: nancy.lane@localmedia.org
Organization [if applicable]: Local Media Foundation (501 c-3) affiliated with the Local Media Association
City: Offices in Myrtle Beach, SC, Philadelphia, PA, Traverse City, MI
Country: USA
How did you learn about the contest? Past applicant and grant recipient; receive emails from Knight