General orientation for events coverage
GenderIT.org and APCNews have both been recognised for the coverage done in events by readers and writers, becoming one of its substantial outputs when it comes to gender, internet rights and ICT policy arena.
What is the dynamic we propose to the team for an event coverage?
GenderIT.org and APCNews commits to keep the core writers informed about any upcoming event of relevance for coverage, so the team is available and ready to go. Team meetings and email contacts will be the spaces to have these discussions and updates.
The editorial teams team will develop a communications plan before the event, to make sure we are all on the same page, adding background information on the event, why it is relevant to our advocacy goals, what are the responsabilities of each one of us, what are the outputs expected, and what are the expectations in general.
This plan will include orientation for work previously, during and after the event. Many times the event itself is just the tip of the iceberg: many other things will be needed before, during and after the event in terms of coverage. Please refer to the CSW case linked to this document to use as an example of what we mean by this.
Once the event its happening, weather we are carrying an on-site or an off-site coverage, the editors will be in touch and available for the writers as much as possible to provide orientation, feedback on whatever is necessary and to make suggestions.
As mentioned before, sometimes after a big event we prepare a newsletter edition. The content of this edition can be composed by on-site produced content, or in some cases of special materials - usually in-depth articles – commissioned to complement the on-site delivered content.
One of the ways that the APCNews/GenderIT.org teams have of assessing and monitoring the reach of these editions is through a website statistics report done one month after the edition went out. This search tell us which were the most read materials, the number of visits to the website, the impact on social media, among other indicators. And our experience with these reports has showed us so far that GenderIT.org events coverages are quite successful. These reports can be shared with the team of writers if you consider it is a relevant resource for your orientation.
Events usually covered by GenderIT.org
Even though coverage opportunities change, and our advocacy objectives might give more importance to some events over the others, the coverage that GenderIT.org usually does relates to these spaces:
UN spaces
Global Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
Examples:
2010 IGF coverage condensed in special edition
2011 IGF coverage condensed in special edition
2012 IGF coverage condensed in special edition
Regional and national IGFs
Examples:
2013 LAC IGF coverage condensed in special edition (full coverage in Spanish)
2014 Asia-Pacific IGF (stand alone article)
Impacting global advocacy on tech-related violence against women through regional IGFs (stand alone article)
Commission on the Status of Women
Examples:
2011 CSW coverage condensed in special edition
UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Example:
CEDAW: APC's Submission to the Commitee on the General recommendation on girls’/women’s right to education (stand alone article/resource)
Universal Periodic Review
Example:
On sexual and internet rights:
Examples:
Global Meeting on Gender, Sexuality and the Internet in 2014 (coverage in synch)
Global Meeting on Gender, Sexuality and the Internet in 2014 (special edition)
EROTICS project meetings in India and United States in 2013 (special edition)
On violence against women:
Examples:
Partners' relevant events
Examples:
Other local, regional or global initiatives or events related to access, FLOSS, media, human rights, among others.
CSW: A real case of coverage
We have attached one report featuring as an example the coverage planned and executed (including final statistical reporting) of the 2013 Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) session in New York. This will be a good case to read through in order to get a sense of how GenderIT.org and APC communications team work like during a relevant event coverage. Check it out here: Media:File:CSW case example.pdf
What kind of outputs do we expect from events' coverage?
Writers attending to key events on behalf of GenderIT.org/APCNews or following them remotely are expected to produce certain outputs that will later feed an edition (if that is the case) or be featured on GenderIT.org/APC.org websites, on other APC websites when relevant, and on social media.
Feminist Talks (blog posts)
1. Feminist Talks doesn't have to be too long. Around 1500 words is perfectly fine, and we encourage to input as much insight and analysis as possible in the writing. It is usually personal and insightful.
2. You can submit your inputs or engage in discussions around women's rights issues in GenderIT.org's Feminist Talk. To submit your blog you should create an account and then navigate to create feminist talk.
3. Make sure you have chosen a profile picture for you and a short byline for the “about” field. Other information is optional.
4. You can also send your reflections and photos directly to genderit@apcwomen.org and we will upload them for you. You do not need to be registered to send a comment on other posts.
5. Off-site team: Those following the event off-site can help with blogging by using the tweets sent by on-site team as input for their articles, as well as the webcasts when available. This is a good practice that allows us to produce more content and to help on-site team.
Examples:
How technology informs my activism: A conversation with gender and technology activists in Barcelona
Video: Feminist talks on a feminist internet
Never mind the nipples: Sex, gender and social media
How crucial is anonymity for sexual exploration and promoting sexual rights activism
Articles/interviews
1. Writers attending the event are expected to write sessions chronicles, articles on hot topics, or interview key advocacy referents. This can be in text format, or video, or an audio interview. It will depend on the kind of material and its quality (you might have a great interview in recorded audio but if the sound quality is not good enough, it is possible that it might have to be turned into a text piece).
2. Some of the articles/interviews will be prearranged with GenderIT.org editorial team before the event, having in mind the people attending to that space and the topics covered.
3. Criteria for writing articles (extension, depth) is detailed in the GenderIT.org's payment squeme (link) and shall be coordinated with the editors beforehand.
Examples:
Stripping the IGF bare: where are women´s rights?
Interview with Nana Darkoa: Adventures from the bedroom of an African woman
Let's talk about gender analysis in the LAC IGF
Women at the IGF: Now we need to mainstream gender
Digital World 2012: stories to end violence against women
[http://www.genderit.org/articles/azerbaijan-when-online-security-synonymous-personal-safety Azerbaijan: When online security is synonymous with personal safety
1. Make sure that you have a Twitter account. Make it open (otherwise people who are not following you – the ones we want to reach- won't be able to see your tweets). If you want to keep your Twitter account private you can create a new one for work. Make your user name as personal as you can, (eg: sonia_apc rather than womensprogramme_apc). People are more interested in personal opinions and views rather than organisational speech. Writers are expected to use their accounts for tweeting during events.
2. We use the hashtags: #genderit and #genderitES for Spanish. APC Twitter accounts are @APC_News @APCNoticias @APCNouvelles @GenderITorg @GenderITorgES.
3. Find out and send us the Twitter accounts of partners/members attending, so that we can follow them with the GenderIT.org and APC accounts.
4. Sometimes, before an event, a set of predefined tweets is shared via email to facilitate the tweeting and the dissemination of our key messages.
5. Once at the event, find out what hashtag people are using. Sometime there are various hashtags circulating. For instance, with CSW, tweeples could be using various tags — such as #CSW, #CSW59 or #CSW2012. Identify the most popular one. We'll use that hashtag for the box on APC.org.
6. If this event does not have an active hashtag, we will set up one, probably using somehow the name of the conference, so all tweeples can relate to. This way, you can easily follow the conversation and then create one page with all posts from the event for easy reference (check Storify below).
7. Tweet (in English and/or in Spanish)! You can quote panelists and participants (short, summarised and catchy phrases) and/or your reactions to what it's being said, about conversations you have or overhear, your observations, soundbytes, links to interesting resources or news, photos, reminders about events. You can also reply to other participants; many times real participation takes.
8. Re-tweet interesting stuff from other people: this will help us build our Twitter audience.
9. Blog. Many times you can cut and paste some tweets and replies and make an interesting post with little effort. You can also use tweets for reporting or as a way of taking notes.
10. Invite people to share their own writings: You will not be alone in the coverage of an event, so this other people are your allies. Contact them via Twitter or email to give them a heads up on the coverage plans and ask them to send you their stuff.
Example: Are you going to be writing at #IGF? If so, I would love to include your post(s) in our ongoing event coverage. Send me a DM with a link to your post, and we’ll get it added to our site.
11. Remote team: Keep an eye out on tweets, re-tweet conversations, reply and join conversations, and conduct deeper research on tweeted links. Engage as much as possible – we know it is hard not being present physically to follow up what is going on at the event, but we promise you that it is completely possible and useful.
Tips for live tweeting
Make a plan: Choose your sessions in advance. If you are attending an event with multiple tracks, schedule which sessions you’ll be attending and covering in advance. If you don’t want to cover everything you sit in on, consider what your readers will benefit from the most. Once you decide what you will be covering, prep your posts with these basics to save time:
- Name of the session and speaker: Make sure you can provide a bit of background about the speaker, including links to his/her company, Twitter handle, etc.
- Details of the session: Is there a Slideshare or a programme available that you can review in advance? if so, it may help to type up the basic structure of the presentation and then fill in the details as you listen.
Tip: Be careful. Some events are more private that others; if it's a small event make sure that people are OK with your tweeting.
Bonus tip: If you have multiple people covering an event, set up a Google spreadsheet with the list of all sessions, times, and people covering the conference. From there, writers can indicate which sessions they are covering so they are not duplicating efforts.
Decide on a writing platform. In addition to deciding which sessions you want to cover, decide how you want to capture information from each session. Because internet connections can never be relied upon 100 percent, we suggest to write in a text editor so you don’t have to worry about connectivity.
Decide what kind of content to produce: There are a number of ways you can cover sessions at an event, and you should decide what format will work best for your audience before you get on-site. Here are a few general options:
1- Live blogging: This is reporting from a session in real time.
Pro: You can provide immediate coverage of an event.
Con: Depending on how many posts you publish, your audience may feel a bit overwhelmed.
2- Daily wrap-ups: This is providing highlights from the conference from each day.
Pro: These posts are easy to digest.
Con: It’s not a good option if your audience wants detailed information.
3- Post-event coverage: Collect content that you can then use after the event. This content may be a bit more refined, and it could have a bit of a different spin than “straight coverage” of a session.
Pro: You can focus on the best content from the event and in essence be a filter for your audience.
Con: This is not a good option if the information is time sensitive, or there are a lot of other people covering the event quickly.
Regardless of if you are publishing your content in real time or dripping it out, here are some ways to generate interest in your coverage:
Announce what you will cover. If you are going to be changing your regular posting schedule and publishing live blogs throughout a conference, it’s a good idea to let your readers know. You can also use this post to announce if someone from your organization will be speaking.
Example: Check out what #genderit announced that will be covering at the #CSW59
Tease your session. If you are speaking at the event, you may want to write about your session before it occurs. Not only is this is a great way to repurpose content that you have spent a lot of time creating, but it also builds anticipation for your session.
Example: Susan Marx wrote about an internet intermediaries’ guide to social media and online VAW fighting strategy, which was a preview of the presentation she gave last year at #CSW58.
Step-by-step posts. One classic way to cover a session is to do a rundown of the ideas the speaker shared, following the same structure as the presentation. This is especially easy to do if the speaker is covering a process or another well-organized topic.
Example: Susan Marx shared her wrap-up of a panel discussion on how to eradicate online violence against women at the #CSW59.
Bonus tip: If you are doing live tweeting, you can use this: “I put a live blogging disclaimer at the top of the post that says, ‘I’m live tweeting, excuse lapses of grammar, spelling errors, and typos‘”
Summary of tweets. Another fun thing you can do is follow the Twitter stream during the presentation and record the most insightful and popular tweets and share them in a post (check Storify below).
Example: Missed the event and looking for a compilation of debates? Check our most tweetable moments from #CSW58
A compilation of Instagram photos. There are a lot of intangibles you experience when attending an event. Capture them by taking photos or curating what others have shared and post that on Twitter (always remember to respect people's right to privacy and anonymity).
Example: 45 GenderIT.org insider Instagram pics from workshops at #CSW58
Wrap-up posts. When necessary, instead of covering individual sessions, consider writing a wrap-up post that outlines the key points you found most valuable or compelling, and share the link with a tweet that is appealing and captures the best of the article.
Example: #SectionJ: From footnotes to headlines
After you do all your thing on Twitter, and the event is almost finished, you need to give it a bit of love. Here are some easy ways to increase the distribution of your conference content on Twitter (and this can also apply by email):
- Include the event hashtag in the title of the materials you are posting on Twitter, since it is an easy way to help spread the word about your post and to have it automatically included in the Twitter stream.
- Send your content to the event’s organizers too, contacting them via Twitter or email. While your audience will hopefully benefit from your coverage of the event, the event organizers will likely want to see and share your post, as well.
1. Take Back the Tech (in English) and APC (in English, Spanish and French) pages are the only official Facebook pages APC uses.
2. Writers are invited to post on Facebook using their personal accounts all links and photos considered relevant.
3. Inviting people at the event to “like” the pages and to post relevant links as well is another possibility.
Pictures
1. We always appreciate having pictures to illustrate the articles or for some other purposes, so picture taking is more than encouraged. 2. You can upload them to a Flickr account and share them with the editors, also by email, or upload it yourself to illustrate your output.
Tip: Please remember that this entails security and privacy issues for the people in the pictures, so make sure that the people appearing in the image is fine with that.
Storify
1. Storify has been successfully used during some events to compile relevant tweets, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and other social media posts. It's a fast and easy way to compose blog posts-like content.
2. Its also a very useful tool to condense and store in one place debates or interviews carried over Twitter, for instance (as in the first example below).
Examples:
What does it take to create a feminist internet?
Day 3: Sexual Right, Privacy and Technology - Common Concerns Moving Forward
Newsletter edition
Usually, after a big event coverage, a special GenderIT.org/APCNews edition is released (this is not always the case) but it is quite a key and relevant moment in GenderIT.org's editorial timeline, since it spikes our readership interest and it keeps us as reference points on the gender lensed coverage of events that are usually (if covered at all) covered from other perspectives.
Examples:
Gender peripheries of the Internet Governance Forum in Latin America
Gender, sexuality and the internet
9th IGF: Feminist talks scale over the walls of internet governance
One last word
Before attending an event
1. Check all the publications/promotional material you can bring with you, and with staff members that live in your city.
2. If you think the event is relevant enough for us to have some materials printed, let us know.
3. Also check their luggage restrictions and if there's budget available to pay extra weight.
During the event
1. Remember to collect business cards of people you consider relevant.
2. Offer attendees to sign up a sheet for our newsletters.
After attending the event
1. Report back to the team on how the event went and all relevant information.
2. Type down the information you collected on the business cards and please send it to the team.
3. Send us the suscribers email addresses for the newsletters and we will add them to our database.
Read more: Why are events' coverages important for GenderIT.org
From February to September of 2014, GenderIT.org team carried an evaluation process to respond, among others, to these questions:
Is GenderIT.org reaching the audience that it aims to reach?
To what extent are our readers satisfied with GenderIT.org website and content?
We consider that it is relevant to feature this information in this section since it will give writers a better idea of the kind of use our readership and writers are making of the website content, and what they like the most, therefore orientate the materials produced during coverage.
The evaluation data was collected through a readership survey, a survey and interviews with GenderIT.org writers, and an analysis of the website statistics since 2010 to date.
Some relevant highlights from the readership survey [1]:
- Type of content: In-depth articles were pointed out as extremely useful, and about a quarter of all respondents ranked feminist talks as extremely important.
- Type of content format: Half of respondents said that they prefer all the three formats named (audio, text, video). Among the remainder, text was the clear favourite.
- What do readers get from GenderIT.org: Majority of respondents agreed and agreed strongly that when they read GenderIT.org I feel more informed on topics.
- Majority of respondents disagreed with the affirmation that when they read GenderIT.org they find information similar to what they can get in other websites.
- Majority of respondents agreed and agreed strongly with the affirmation that when they read GenderIT.org they get an alternative perspective on the issues.
Some relevant highlights from the writers' survey and interviews [2]:
- In terms of events coverage, all those who had covered events spoke of the experience as exhilirating if exhausting. There were no suggestions on improving how things are run during the events themselves.
- It is clear that the events are significant in building the GenderIT.org 'family', making people feel connected and supported.
- The articles coming from an event are staggered to maintain interest.
- GenderIT.org needs more and better quality audio for the use in community radio stations.
References:
[1] In mid-2014 GenderIT.org disseminated an online questionnaire, requesting that all users of GenderIT.org respond. By the closing date, a total of 162 people had submitted a full questionnaire response to GenderIT.org.
[2] The writers survey was conducted in July 2014, with a pool of around 100 former and current contributors to GenderIT.org.