Behind the loud and often garrulous rhetoric of politicians and pundits lies a quiet pipeline of information that flows from the research world to the people making policy decisions in state and federal offices. The staffs of senators’ offices, the long-time bureaucrats at the Department of Justice or the Department of Health and Human Services, or the communications staff of major committees on the Hill all need information they can trust in order to formulate the policies that shape and support our society.
So how do policymakers find that information, and what is the most effective way to reach them? For insights, we talk with John Hutchins, communications director at , a research organization that for the past 37 years has developed and evaluated education and social programs, from workforce development to education reform to family and child well-being. [More]
A at Salon by Kerry Lauerman got me wondering if maybe the tide is turning, and social media is returning to what works: depth of content and an original perspective.
Lauerman is reporting from the front lines of online publications. was one of the first into this new world of digital media with its fully online “magazine.” (We still have not found a good name for these kinds of publications.) Way back in, what, 1997 (?), Salon launched itself without the doppleganger of a paper version. Just as we look at modern steel-and-glass skyscrapers today and say, meh, what’s the big deal?, Salon might not seem like such a revelation, but at the time, it was. And now, bonus, it has a long history of experimentation to draw on. [More]
A senior communications advisor at one of the oldest think tanks in the country talks about how they are using social media to get their research findings out to policymakers, journalists, and the public.
We sat down with the David Jackson. He says all the things your English teacher taught you about strong topic sentences are even more important today. [More]
