I spent last Thursday, night (9/24/09) beaming with pride as our youngest received a special recognition at his middle school. He and 29 other 8th graders were inducted in the the Junior National Honor Society. I didn’t know they even had one, did you? Well, they do. It’s a big deal.

I tried not to embarrass him in front of his friends.  You can’t show too much emotion you know. You just have to be cool.

Well, that lasted all of a New York minute.  As parents, it’s our job to fawn, congratulate and take pictures. Well my poor kid has a mother wrapped up in public relations. That means every move he makes might bring on a media blitz. So before the evening was finished, I went into PR Mom mode. In the so called “Good old days” I’d prepare a pitch to a newspaper to be sure they would cover an event. They I would pray to the Media Relations god for no fires or nuclear attacks. But that day, I didn’t have to. My information was going hyper-local.

Hyper-local is a new term giving to, well local news. Community newspapers have been covering local stories since ink first hit the page.  So what’s different? Immediate gratification, that’s what.

By the time I got home, uploaded my pictures and wrote a one sentence description about the event, it was on the front page of a “hyper-local” news blog. I became a  citizen journalist in a matter of minutes.

Now really, the simple act of posting a story to a Web site does not make you a journalist but the need for local content could create a win-win situation for non profits.

I’ve always encouraged my clients to build relationships with members of the media. Tell your stories and become a trusted resource. But they(my clients) have frequently run into media road blocks that frustrate even the most courageous of causes.

It’s now a new day. Your voice is important and you can tell your story just about anywhere.

But there is also caution. Having been able to check the box of journalist during part of my career, I am particularly sensitive to sharing information with balance and accuracy. Knowing where that line is can make the difference between information of substance and a ridiculous rant.

The failing traditional newspaper model has been replaced by community voices. Even the dailies have given considerable column space to readers now turned writers. So step up. This is an opportunity to get your story told with some kind of control over your own message. But please do so with integrity and balance. If you want to know more about getting your story told, call or email me @ 860-343-8555 or afs@anitafordsaunders.com.

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