Eleven Tips for Reporting the Youth Vote

http://www.futuremajority.com/node/794

It even gives a shout out to YDA a a model. Peer to Peer!Check the link above, here is the text, but the original post links to sources, in case you need to site them when you are telling people why we (young people) matter.

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Journalist Cheat Sheet: Eleven Tips for Reporting the Youth Vote

Mike Connery's blog

Update: I've added in another tip (now # 1).
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It’s getting rather tiring, correcting one shoddy media report on the youth vote after another. This really came to a head this weekend when, less than 24 hours after forcing a young UNLV student to ask Hillary Clinton whether she preferred Diamonds or Pearls, CNN un-ironically aired a piece during The Situation Room that made a mockery of young voters and their participation in our electoral process.

So I created this “cheat sheet” for journalists. Basically it’s a listing of all the most common mistakes that the media makes when reporting on young voters. Enjoy. Spread widely.
Journalist Cheat Sheet: 11 Tips for Reporting on the Youth Vote:

Tip #1:
The youth vote is not synonymous with students. In fact, students make up only a small part of the eligible youth vote. Only 21% of all 18-29 year olds are currently attending a college or university. That means that when you report on "students", you are leaving out the other 79% of all the individuals that make up the "youth vote." These people serve in our military, are struggling to raise families - and yes, have very different concerns from college students. I understand that makes it difficult for you to cram them into a cookie-cutter story about student aid activism and tuition costs, but you do them and your readers and our democracy a disservice when you limit your coverage to students.
Source: Current Population Survey

Tip #2:
Stop saying that “Howard Dean courted young voters and the youth failed to show up.” Fact of the matter is, youth participation quadrupled at the 2004 Iowa Caucus, they just didn’t vote for Dean. In case you missed it, young people voted in higher than usual numbers and were 17% of all participants.
Source: Pew Trusts

Tip #3:
This tip is directly related to Tip #2. Your cognitive dissonance w/r/t the 2004 Iowa caucus springs from the fact that young people did not vote in a monolithic block like you expected. That’s called reality, and it is your job to report it accurately. Young voters chose John Kerry over Howard Dean by almost 2-1. If any candidate in Iowa was the “youth candidate” in the 2004 primary, it was John Kerry, and he won the nomination.
Source: CNN Exit Polling

Tip #4:
The idea that “young people don’t vote” is patently ridiculous. In 2004, 49% of all voters 18-29 went to the polls. That’s millions of voters. In fact, a report by the Harvard Institute of Politics stated that more voters 18-29 went to the polls (20.7 million) than did voters over 65, the so-called reliable seniors (19.4 million).
To spell this out, we may still vote at lower rates than the rest of the electorate, but there are more of us. Millennials are the largest living American generation. In 2004, we were 17% of the electorate. It’s estimated that we may well be 25% in 2008, and by 2015, we will be over 30% of all voters. That makes our support valuable, and that’s why the Obama, Clinton and Edwards campaigns all have full-time youth outreach staff.
Sources: Harvard Institute of Politics (pdf), CIRCLE (pdf), Young Voter Strategies (pdf)

Tip #5:
If you insist on reporting the same old story that young people vote at a lower rate than the rest of the electorate, then you have an obligation to also inform your readers/viewers/listeners that youth turnout has increased for 3 years straight, and is at its highest level in over a decade. You also have an obligation to note that in 2006 the youth vote swung a number of important federal races, including pushing Democratic candidates Jon Tester, Jim Webb, and Joe Courtney over the top.
Source: Historical voting patterns (pdf), Impact on Races (pdf), Midterm Turnout (pdf).

Tip #6:
If you are going to report on low-turnout among young voters, you also have an obligation to note that young people face more barriers to voting than do older voters. We move more frequently, requiring us to re-register sometimes on a yearly basis, on campus we face a lack of voting machines and long lines, and many university towns actively discourage and try to prevent students from voting.
Source: League of Conservation Voters Education Fund

Tip #7:
There are simple fixes to the problems outlined in #6 – election day and same-day registration and mail-in voting are two such fixes that can be applied at the state level. These have been proven to bump youth turnout by as much as 14%!!!!! It would be nice if you reported on them occasionally.
Source: CIRCLE

Tip #8:
Young voters will participate if they are asked to, particularly by a peer. This is proven. But the system stopped asking long ago by removing resources and manpower away from young voter outreach. Only in recent years have organizations – and a few campaigns – begin to reengage young voters in any serious way. The result is three straight years in which youth turnout increased. In plain terms: young voters are not apathetic. Rather, the system fails to engage them in any meaningful way.
Source: Young Voter Strategies, Voter Mobilization Tactics

Tip #9:
Stop reporting on “celebrity activism” as the Rosetta Stone for understanding the youth vote. This is a Boomer and Gen-X construction created for a broadcast TV culture of the 80s and 90s. Today’s young voters are interested in peer-to-peer communication and networked action. From Facebook to on the ground, peer to peer organizing at club, bars, barbershops and apartment canvassing, the most effective, and sustainable developments in youth organizing in the past five years have come from new, grassroots organizations doing peer to peer organizing on the ground or online. Stop reporting on celebrities and start doing the work of talking to and reporting on the activities of these organizations. Good places to start include:
Forward Montana, The Oregon Bus Project, New Era Colorado, Young Democrats of America, and The League of Young Voters.
There are many more, but let’s do this in baby steps. Start with these and we’ll work out way deeper into youth organizing together.

Tip #10:
Related to #9, “talking to young voters” is not code for “dumbing down.” We understand issues. We have thoughts on those issues. We’re yelling loudly for the “adults” to take action on those issues. See: Iraq, Global Warming, Global Poverty, Darfur, and college aid. Stop stereotyping us in your reporting by spotlighting frivolous questions.
Moreover, and this is very important, you REALLY need to stop force-feeding us these fluff questions in national forums (see: Mac vs. PC and Diamonds vs. Pearls). If you are going to say that we are frivolous, you shouldn’t be enabling - or worse, instigating - that behavior. This habit is doing nothing to build your credibility with a younger audience that is already abandoning you for the internet. So following this rule is not only good for Democracy, it is good for your bottom line.
Source For more on issues, visit the Harvard Institute of Politics for their annual surveys.

Tip #11:
Related to #10, we do not live in a Newtonian Universe. We live in an Einsteinian Universe. Just as the act of observing something changes it, your reporting on the youth vote has an effect on the youth vote. It effects how campaigns, staffers and consultants perceive young voters. When you fail to accurately report on increasing turnout or the impact of youth on an election, these individuals continue to believe that the youth vote is a waste of time. This feeds a vicious cycle in which campaigns put less money into youth outreach, meaning young voters are less likely to turnout because they are not being asked/engaged.

You are not neutral observers. There are no neutral observers. We all exist in a self-referential ecosystem. You are culpable here. With great power comes great responsibility. We rely on you to use it wisely. Please start living up to those not unreasonable expectations.

Canopy Roads Visioning Workshop

Theses roads are important and special to all of us, so I hope to see some of you there.
________Barb

The Tallahassee-Leon County Canopy Roads system is a local treasure providing both residents and visitors with an opportunity to step back in history and enjoy the stunning living legacy of these tree lined roads. You are invited to participate in a discussion on the future of canopy roads in our community.

The Canopy Roads Citizen's Committee is hosting a public workshop Nov. 5 to discuss the current condition of our Canopy Roads system, the desired future of the Canopy Roads, threats to that future, and opportunities to achieve common goals. The Citizen's Committee will use ideas, information, and opinions expressed at the workshop to guide development of management plans for the Canopy Roads system.

All interested members of the public are encouraged to attend. The evening will consist of presentations about Canopy Roads management, small group discussions about the current state and desired future for the system, and development of recommendations for the Citizen Committee to take forward. For more information, contact Brian Wiebler of the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department at 891-8616 or wieblerb@talgov.com.

This public workshop will be held Monday, November 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Dorothy B. Oven Park, 3205 Thomasville Road.

Contact
Jenn Meale, County Public Information Officer, (850) 606-5300; or Bill Behenna, City Communications Department, (850) 891-8533

FAMU Parade Tomorrow

Help us celebrate FAMU's Homecoming by joining the Leon County Democratic Party in FAMU's 2007 Homecoming Parade!

In 2006, several Leon Democrats joined Alex Sink, Daryl Jones, Skip Campbell, and local elected officials as they walked FAMU's parade route for their campaigns. This Saturday, November 3rd, the Party has its own entry and all Leon Democrats are welcome to join in! If you haven't participated in the FAMU Homecoming parade before, this is definitely something you won't want to miss! We'll have our Leon County Democratic Party banner, a vehicle decked out with FAMU decorations, and walkers passing out candy and Leon Dems lapel stickers to parade goers.

Logistics:

- We'll be meeting at the Cars/Trucks Staging Area, at the corner of W Georgia and Old Bainbridge facing east along W Georgia. Look for the blue Toyota Prius and/or the white Leon County Democratic Party banner.

- Please arrive at the staging area at 7:30am SHARP, giving yourself enough time beforehand to find a parking space and locate your fellow Democrats.

- Parade Route: The parade will begin in Frenchtown at the intersection of Macomb and Georgia Street. We'll travel south on Macomb to Tennessee; east on Tennessee to Monroe; and south on Monroe to Gaines. The parade will officially end at the corner of Monroe and Gaines.

- Prior to joining the parade, you will be asked to sign a Release of Liability form.

- Wear Orange and Green if at all possible! And since we're representing the Leon Democratic Party, please dress appropriately... for example, no torn t-shirts or jeans. Our participation is a privilege as well as an opportunity for us to show our support for FAMU, and so this is not an occasion to make a political statement. With this in mind, please do not wear any clothing with controversial messages - regardless of how truthful the message may be.

Participating in the FAMU Homecoming parade is always a lot of fun and there's no better way to spend your Saturday morning. If you'd like to join us, please RSVP to LeonDems@yahoo.com so that we have an idea of the size of our group.

We hope to see you there, and thanks for everything you do for the Party.

Victory for Low Power FM Radio!

The United States Senate Commerce Committee voted on Oct. 30 to substantially expand the number of community media outlets in the United States. In a consensus vote, the Committee moved to report Senate Bill 1675, the Local Community Radio Act of 2007, to the full Senate -- and opened the door for thousands of new community radio stations to be built in America's largest cities, and smaller communities across the nation.

Full Story:
[Prometheus Radio Project statement]

Senate Bill 1675, the bill designed to 'implement the recommendations of the Federal Communications Commission regarding Low Power FM', was introduced by Senators John McCain (R-AZ), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). This bill is designed to allow thousands more Low Power FM community radio stations to reach Americans in cities, and all across the country.

The Senate Commerce Committee had moved twice in the past to expand low power FM radio opportunities to community groups in America's cities. This year, the bill is accompanied by a strong House of Representatives companion (House Bill 2802, sponsored by Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Lee Terry (R-NE)) with 55 cosponsors, and diverse bipartisan support from Georgia to Guam.

This unusual bipartisan partnership, and this successful movement of the bill into the full Congress, came about as a result of the enthusiastic and energized grassroots advocacy of Americans frustrated with the poor quality of media across the country.

"Low Power FM radio was limited back in 2000, when the big broadcasters tried to convince America that 100-watt community radio stations would interfere with the biggest stations in America's biggest cities," said Prometheus technical director Pete Tridish. "At Congress' demand, the FCC proved that there was plenty of room for low power FM radio. With today's vote, and with the growing momentum to expand low power FM radio in the House of Representatives, communities across the country have a reason to celebrate."

Over 800 Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations currently serve communities across the United States, but almost every city and suburban area in the United States lost their chance to build their own community radio stations when Congress limited the service, at the demand of big broadcasters. Corporate lobbying interests such as the National Association of Broadcasters had curtailed the expansion of the LPFM service, keeping these non-commercial, completely local stations from being built in all but one of the top 50 markets in the US. If the Local Community Radio Act becomes law, hundreds, if not thousands, of these stations will reach American communities.

"The United Church of Christ has supported low power radio from the beginning," said Cheryl Leanza, managing director of the United Church of Christ, Office of Communication, Inc. "We support this legislation which, if passed, would mean more churches, community groups, and schools around the country will be able to reach out to their local communities."

This vote comes the day before the FCC will hold a public hearing on localism in Washington DC, the fifth in a series of six public hearings the FCC has held over the past year. It also follows close on the heels of Chairman Kevin Martin's Oct 18th announcement that he plans an FCC vote on dismantling remaining media ownership rules by the end of the year. The Commission has drawn wide fire for this decision, from civil rights leaders and community groups, as well as legislators.

"Putting LPFM licenses in the hands of communities where local voices are being silenced by large national radio chains is a step in the right direction. Finally community members across the nation will have an alternative to McRadio," said Joel Kelsey, a spokesperson for Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

"Low power FM radio is one strong tool that we can use to fight media consolidation," said Prometheus program director Hannah Sassaman. "The big broadcasters can try to keep us down, but we will fight to make sure our legislators listen to local civil rights, school, neighborhood, and community groups -- and we will build local radio stations that are accountable to us.

Many groups came together to support this fight to expand low power FM, including the Alliance for Community Media, Common Cause, the United Methodist Office of Communications, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the Future of Music Coalition, the Media Access Project, Reclaim the Media, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Free Press, the United States Public Interest Research Group, the Christian Coalition, the United Church of Christ, Office of Communication, Inc., Consumers Union, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and many more organizations.

To find out more about the Prometheus Radio Project and it's organizers' and allies' efforts to bring diverse, community media to America and the global community, visit http://www.prometheusradio.org.

Source:
www.prometheusradio.org