The New Rural Economy Project

Insights from the Communications Insights from the Communications ThemeTheme

October 27, 2006October 27, 2006

Researchers:David BruceIvan Emke

Doug RamseyBill Reimer

Derek WilkinsonAnna Woodrow

Students:Jennifer Butler

Colene ChisholmNancy DeluryKatrina EllisLori Gould

Lindsay LyghtleTara MadiganAlison Moss

Paula RomanowAndrea Sharkey& Many others!

Presentation Outline•Background and Context for CommunicationBackground and Context for Communication

oil, web, glueoil, web, glue•Some EvidenceSome Evidence

From a number of data sourcesFrom a number of data sources•Summary and ConclusionsSummary and Conclusions

Communications Capacity and PolicyCommunications Capacity and Policy

Which capacities need to be built?

•Does rural Canada need to:Does rural Canada need to:

better use existing tools and/or learn new ones?better use existing tools and/or learn new ones?

find and share information about the New find and share information about the New Economy within the community?Economy within the community?

Communication is:•A multi-faceted aspect of community life,A multi-faceted aspect of community life,

GlueGlue to bind people together. to bind people together.

OilOil to lubricate social and economic relations. to lubricate social and economic relations.

Web Web to mark lines of influence and interaction. to mark lines of influence and interaction.

Communication(s)•Builds community collectively,Builds community collectively,•Produces/maintains culture and identity,Produces/maintains culture and identity,•Provides necessary information for full Provides necessary information for full

participation of community members,participation of community members,•Provides a ‘voice’ to otherwise excluded Provides a ‘voice’ to otherwise excluded

groups, via local tools.groups, via local tools.

Evidence•Communication Tools (inventory)Communication Tools (inventory)•Traditional media (Key Informant Survey)Traditional media (Key Informant Survey)

Newspapers and Newsletters (content analysis, Newspapers and Newsletters (content analysis, Rural News Editors survey, Lot 16 - case study)Rural News Editors survey, Lot 16 - case study)

Radio (Twillingate survey, Mackenzie case study)Radio (Twillingate survey, Mackenzie case study)•New forms of mediaNew forms of media

Internet (Chat rooms)Internet (Chat rooms)

Traditional Communication

•MarketMarket•BureaucraticBureaucratic•Associative Associative •CommunalCommunal

Traditional Media Remains Important•Variety of Important Forms:Variety of Important Forms:

Newspapers, Radio, Television, Bulletin boards, Newspapers, Radio, Television, Bulletin boards, Gathering spaces, Word of mouth.Gathering spaces, Word of mouth.

•New communication tools New communication tools enhanceenhance and and augmentaugment existing tools. existing tools.

Twillingate Survey

23%

3%

9%

7%6%

52%

Local Cable TV

Interpersonal

TV Channel NotSpecifiedBulletin Boards

Newspaper

Radio

Where do you find out about something going on in the community?

85% get their information from (local) television or

word of mouth

Twillingate Survey1% 1%3%

6%

15%

74%

Phone Call

Letter

Don't bother

Go to TownHallInternet

Public Meeting

How do you communicate local concerns to municipal officials?

Rural Newspaper Editors Survey (Emke, 2002 and 2006)

18.7 22

.2

38.9 43

.4

15.7

17.7 23

.712

.1

3 4.5

05

1015202530354045

Stronglyagree

Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree

2002 2006

Percent who agree/disagree that:

sometimes community newspapers have to champion particular

development strategies (and dismiss others) to help the community to develop appropriately

Rural Newspaper Editors Survey (Emke, 2002 and 2006)

9.9

9.7

33.2

27.6

8.4

10.2

33.7 35.2

14.9 17

.30

5

1015

20

25

3035

40

Stronglyagree

Agree Neutral Disagree Stronglydisagree

2002 2006

Community newspapers should

consider the possible effects on the region in

deciding whether to cover certain stories

Content Analysis - Rural Newspapers•How has the Local Newspaper covered How has the Local Newspaper covered

issues in the new economy over the past 20 issues in the new economy over the past 20 years?years?

•Frequent and continuing coverage of:Frequent and continuing coverage of: local heritage local heritage concern about natural resources and the concern about natural resources and the

environment (water, parks)environment (water, parks) changes in industrychanges in industry

Content Analysis - Rural Newspapers•No detailed discussion of globalizationNo detailed discussion of globalization•No detailed discussion of external marketsNo detailed discussion of external markets•1996-2004, shows a decline in local and 1996-2004, shows a decline in local and

political facts and analysis, and an increase political facts and analysis, and an increase in human-interest newsin human-interest news

Impact of a Community Newsletter

42

7961

100

0102030405060708090

100

Awaren

ess

Inter

est

Inter

actio

n

Belong

ing

Agree or StronglyAgree

Twillingate Radio Survey• What was the most What was the most

important important issueissue covered in the radio covered in the radio broadcast?broadcast?

• Community Radio Community Radio makes use of makes use of associative and/or associative and/or communal relationscommunal relations

28%

16%

13%

10%

33%

Local Info

Rural Challenges

History/ Culture

Local Talent

Conference Info

How to use community radio?

24%

24%

16%

12%

7%

4%13%

Cover LocalNewsCommunityEventsShowcase LocalTalentDiscussion ofLocal issuesPride &CohesionHeritage &CultureOther

Reclaiming Community Radio•Mackenzie BCMackenzie BC•Responding to the loss of a key Responding to the loss of a key

communication toolcommunication tool•Mackenzie Area Radio Society created (non-Mackenzie Area Radio Society created (non-

profit). Allows the community to talk to and profit). Allows the community to talk to and with itself, critical web and gluewith itself, critical web and glue

New Forms of Communication

Learning Facilitated By technologyConstrained by:Constrained by:• social capacity, social capacity, • hardware, hardware, • speed of access, speed of access, • time constraints and busy schedules, time constraints and busy schedules, • relative importance of learning and motivation, relative importance of learning and motivation, • Imagination.Imagination.

Learning Facilitated By technologyImplications:Implications:• Invest in training and capacity Invest in training and capacity

development (youth?)development (youth?)• Expand technology training opportunitiesExpand technology training opportunities

Summary

Communicative Capacity

The capacity to communicate in the NRE?

•Existing networks/tools constrain choicesExisting networks/tools constrain choices•Media tools not necessarily used effectively Media tools not necessarily used effectively

or for intended purposesor for intended purposes•Local champions are key (CAP Coordinator, Local champions are key (CAP Coordinator,

Newsletter Creator, Newspaper Editor)Newsletter Creator, Newspaper Editor)

Capacity to use tools?•Some communities have learned to use Some communities have learned to use

community radio, newspapers, and/or community radio, newspapers, and/or newslettersnewsletters

•Strategic local approaches to using the Strategic local approaches to using the Internet and Broadband are emerging and Internet and Broadband are emerging and evolvingevolving

Capacity to use content?•Some editors champion new rural economy Some editors champion new rural economy

issuesissues•Content of most communication is local Content of most communication is local • Importance of building, maintaining and Importance of building, maintaining and

addressing social networks outside the addressing social networks outside the communitycommunity

Capacities to Build•Find and share information about the NRE Find and share information about the NRE

and its impacts on the community, and its impacts on the community, •Use information for planning and decision-Use information for planning and decision-

makingmaking• Improve use of the Internet and BroadbandImprove use of the Internet and Broadband• (Re) discover the power of traditional media (Re) discover the power of traditional media

(radio, TV, newspaper) with the right content(radio, TV, newspaper) with the right content

Policy Suggestions• Increase support for traditional forms of Increase support for traditional forms of

community mediacommunity media• Increase support behind newer forms of Increase support behind newer forms of

mediamedia•Provide support to Provide support to connectconnect different forms of different forms of

communicatingcommunicating•Develop policies to resist ‘Oligarchy’ Develop policies to resist ‘Oligarchy’

ownership pattern in Canadian mediaownership pattern in Canadian media

Conclusion•Traditional Media remains the principle form Traditional Media remains the principle form

of rural communication.of rural communication.•Rural residents can increase their Rural residents can increase their

communicative capacity by expanding and communicative capacity by expanding and connecting local tools.connecting local tools.

•Policy needs to address the importance of Policy needs to address the importance of old old andand new forms of communication(s). new forms of communication(s).