Brian Wheeler, executive editor at Charlottesville Tomorrow, spoke about the Web as a tool for multimedia election reporting and citizen engagement at RJI's "Down-home Democracy: Empowering Citizens With Outstanding Coverage of Local Elections" on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014.

1. The Web as a tool for multimedia
election reporting and citizen
engagement
Brian Wheeler, Executive Director
Charlottesville Tomorrow
@bawheeler
@cvilletomorrow
www.cvilletomorrow.org
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
September 30, 2009
1

2. Charlottesville Tomorrow
A community information
resource covering growth,
development, local politics and
education
We connect you to vital information
for making informed choices about
our community’s future.

3. About Charlottesville Tomorrow
Founded in 2005 as a community non-profit
In City of Charlottesville & Albemarle County
Population: 145,000
Famous for: Mr. Jefferson & the University of Virginia
Four full-time employees + interns
•
•
•
•
Executive Director
Growth & development reporter
Education reporter
Community Engagement & Marketing Specialist
Managed by 11-person Board of Directors
Annual budget of $400,000
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
3

4. About Charlottesville Tomorrow
As a journalism business…
Charlottesville Tomorrow is:
• A hyperlocal online information resource
• A member of the Virginia Press
Association and the Local Independent
Online News (LION) publishers
association
• A partner with other local media
companies and non-profits covering local
politics
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
4

5. Charlottesville Tomorrow in action
Hyperlocal news
Civic media
Local election
coverage
Research
Polling
Visualizations
To engage community
To inform choices
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
5

6. Our approach
Fact-based
Non-partisan
In-depth
No positions taken
Informing YOUR choice
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
6

7. “Democracy becomes real for
people when they decide what
kind of community they
want, not so much which
political party or candidate they
support.”
Suzanne Morse
Smart Communities

8. Why does it matter?
“…an informed public will make decisions that
will protect and build upon the distinctive
character of the Charlottesville-Albemarle area.”
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
8

9. Local elections impact our quality of life
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
9

10. Strategic focus on TWO local elections initially
Charlottesville
City Council
(5 seats)
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
Albemarle
Board of Supervisors
(6 seats)
10

11. Providing in-depth resources for voters
•
•
•
•
•
•
News stories
Candidate interviews
Candidate forums
Mailing of voter guides
Online voter resources
Campaign finance data
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
• Our own media
campaigns promoting
voter participation
• Weekly radio programs
• Wiki pages
• Weekly email
newsletters
11

12. Democracy demands informed choices
VOTE SMART in local elections
http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/elections
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
12

13. Power of media partnerships
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
13

14. Daily Progress partnership
Partnership started in August 2009
Charlottesville Tomorrow places an average
of 25 stories per month in the daily
newspaper representing almost 53% of the
paper’s coverage of growth and
development issues and local politics.
53% of coverage in
2013
CT
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
DP
14

15. C-VILLE Weekly partnership
In 2013, Charlottesville Tomorrow
launched a similar partnership with
C-VILLE Weekly for coverage of local
public schools.
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s full-time
education reporter fills one page of
each edition of the weekly newspaper
with school news, calendar items, and
educator profiles.
C-VILLE Weekly
provides for
layout and
printing of
School Board
Voter Guides.
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
15

16. Availability of CIVIC MEDIA in Charlottesville
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
16

17. Availability of CIVIC MEDIA in Charlottesville
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
17

18. Mission-driven journalism for a special place
“It’s a different act of
journalism to write about
a place where you live
than a place you are
passing through.
The difference is almost
spiritual.”
Jay Rosen
New York University
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
18

19. Multimedia news stories
News story featuring:
* Audio podcast
* Embedded audio
* Original documents
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
19

20. Tracking the money in local politics
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
20

21. Our community wiki: cvillepedia
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
21

22. Start to finish coverage of the candidates
Since 2005, we have recorded all
the important public moments for
our local candidates.
* Candidate announcements
* Candidate forums
* Taking office
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
22

23. Even working the polls on election day
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
23

24. Why do we do it? It’s vital to our democracy…
• Local officials impact our quality of life.
• We trust engaged citizens, armed with clear, nonpartisan information, will make informed choices.
• The information we collect during campaigns is one
tool for government accountability.
• Our daily reporting helps ensure open government
and transparency.
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
24

25. Engaging our voters with civic media
With the help of our partners…
Non-profit content
specialists
News and printing
partners
Online database
tracking the money in
local elections
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
25

26. THANK YOU
Charlottesville Tomorrow : An Advocate For Our Future. Today.
26