[act-ma] How You Can Make Use of Open Media Boston (progressives take note)

[Jason Pramas]

Hi all,

Every now and then I like to spread the word to the communities we serve 
about how to make use of Open Media Boston - your progressive metro news 
weekly.

It's pretty straightforward, but here's the deal

1) Send us press releases when you're doing events
We can't cover things we don't know about; so always email us press 
releases at least a couple of days in advance. Our email is 
info at openmediaboston.org. We can never guarantee coverage - given our 
relatively small staff - but definitely add us to your press lists if 
you haven't already.

2) Submit op-eds to our Opinion section
Whether we can cover a particular event or not, there's another great 
way to get the word out about your position on an issue or about an 
action you've run or been involved with ... write an op-ed piece and get 
it to us in a timely fashion. Don't sweat the word length (it's the web 
after all), but 500-700 words is pretty standard. We also encourage 
letters to the editor, if you just feel like commenting at length on 
something we've published. We reserve the right to edit your piece to 
meet our standards. We don't allow people to run press releases. And 
we'll usually only run a piece that's run somewhere else if we 
simultaneously publish it with the other publication. But we love to 
have a busy Opinion section. And we love it even more when people ...

3) Comment on our articles
On our current website, you just have to get a free User account and 
you'll have the ability to comment on any piece we have up. On the new 
website we hope to be launching this spring, you'll be able to log on to 
our site with your Facebook and (probably) Twitter accounts - which will 
make commenting even easier. Like something or dislike something on Open 
Media Boston? Then why not make a comment?

4) Submit Event listings
Are you involved with a protest, show, reading, opening, etc,.? With an 
Open Media Boston User account, you can post an Event listing to our 
calendar and let our thousands of weekly viewers know what's happening.

5) Submit Event advance stories to our Living section
If you really want to build for your event - especially cultural events 
- we will allow people to write extended advance stories on upcoming 
events for publication in our Living section on a case-by-case basis. 
Such submissions should be fairly short - 300-500 words - but they're 
easy to write. As with Opinion submissions, we don't allow people to run 
their press releases. And we usually won't run such advance pieces about 
events sponsored by private interests, but otherwise we'll consider a 
broad range of submissions.

And are you a journalist or allied media maker?

Then consider trying out to be a reporter with Open Media Boston. Sure, 
we're still fairly cash poor, and pretty much all-volunteer. But we have 
a significant and growing audience after almost 3 years of weekly 
publication - plus we've got the eye of a whole bunch of non-profits and 
unions, the local mainstream media, academia, numerous politicians and 
regulators, a good number of digerati, quite a few hipsters, bohemians, 
ne'er-do-wells, bons vivants and people-about-town, and lots of working 
class people inside and outside the preceding categories. So it's a good 
place to get some clips and hone your craft.

That's it for the list.

Oh but one more thing ... if you're looking to donate to a non-profit or 
join a co-op, we've got both. Drop us a line if you want to put your 
cash to work furthering the cause of independent news media in the 
service of social justice movements and the many local communities 
increasingly ignored by the shrinking traditional press corps.

Solidarity,

Jason Pramas
Open Media Boston
www.openmediaboston.org
info at openmediaboston.org