If you were wondering, I found it on the Community Coalition website and I highly recommend checking it out if you’re interested in the issues that affect the residents of Los Angeles. Actually, scratch that, you should check it out anyway – it’s a great example of a group using the Internet effectively in communicating their cause.

Image via Mashable

As anyone in the non-profit world will tell you, one of the primary functions of online advocacy is to get supporters (read: donors) for your cause. A new report on Mashable has some interesting insights. Check it out here

One of my undergraduate degrees was an interdisciplinary major that I created called “Social Media and Contemporary Culture” – a combination of sociology, anthropology, and media studies.  That was back in 2003 when Xanga was still in, Friendster was the top social network, and Facebook was just a thought in Mark Zuckerberg’s head. Little did I know that a few years later the term “social media” would have cache on a completely different level. Using social media can be an effective way to spread ideas, but with all that’s out there, how are you supposed to know where to begin? Here are a few resources to get you started:

• Mashable: standard reading in the social media world
• Mashable How-Tos: extremely helpful guides
• The Center for Social Media at American University released a white paper on what they call “Public Media 2.0″.
• Looking to hire someone? Check out what to look for in a social media expert

ThinkMTV is an online community/clearing house website for social issues run directly by MTV. Issues range from global issues like environmentalism, human rights, and war and peace, to local issues like education, discrimination, and sexual health. I first heard of Think when I was working as a summer associate at MTVN. It’s headed up by Ian Rowe, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Public Affairs. He’s a pretty sharp guy with lots of experience in empowering youth, so he definitely has cred in this area.

In 2008, Think MTV won a grant from the Knight Foundation to get 51 young citizen journalists – one from each state and the District -  to cover issues important to them as part of Choose or Lose ’08.

CarlDBrown covered California. Below is a particularly moving piece he did on City Year Los Angeles and a great example of the inspirational potential of pro-social media.

(full disclosure: I’m applying for a job at City Year, but that’s beside the point. Leon’s story is really compelling)

I’ve been doing some snooping on the ThinkMTV. I don’t know how many active users there are on the site now, but it looks like most of the new stories being produced are from non-profits rather than individual users.  While I’m all about them getting their word out, I’m hoping the citizen engagement didn’t end with the election. I hope to be posting more content from ThinkMTV in the near future.

All together it’s what I would consider an cosmopolitan feel-good-fest. For the most part, the talks are inspirational and ideological with messages of bringing the world together for the collective good. You walk away inspired to do good and make change. I’m all about that, however, the power of idealism only goes so far. So what I want to hear about next is how or where we get the tools to act on our ideas. The people speaking got to do the things they do through a series of fortunate events. How does the guy in the audience find his or her path?

What is compelling about Causecast is its dynamic use of design, multimedia, pop culture, and web 2.0 logic to create a brand that projects itself as compelling, informative, and entertaining. The target audience is clear:  the millennial generation and their supposed predisposition to adopting different causes that fit their identities. However, I find myself asking two questions: Who actually uses this website and how effective is it as a tool for the causes it supports?

I’ll have a more analytical assessment of this as my research progresses, but for now you can take a look for yourself.

When you look at the intersection of pop culture and social issues, you’re looking at at the intersection between the consumer and citizen. Since much popular culture is produced in support of consumerism (in the neo-liberal context), the approach to “taking action” tends to be focused on the individual and individual action. When trying to discuss global action, the discourse tends to take on the citizenship frame – a more collectivist approach. The two aren’t necessarily at odds, but the reality is that real change requires collective action at all levels – government, private industry, non-profits, and individuals.

That said, asking the question “how can media bring about action” isn’t the right one. It should be, who can use media to bring take action and who can take action. This is the question I’ll be researching over the next few weeks as I round out my grad school experience. On this blog, I’ll be highlighting change makers, introducing innovative uses of media for pro-social purposes, and putting my two cents in every now and then.

Hope you enjoy and join in on the conversation (otherwise, I’ll be talking to myself)…