It is kind of surprising given the economy — but very welcome nonetheless — that two new journals have been launched recently that public policy communicators should consider checking out.
The first one that caught my eye is the Journal of New Organizing. The JNO is an online publication devoted to advancing effective organizing practices, leadership development and campaign innovation in the progressive community. It publishes original research, reporting and analysis of organizing practice and theory by practicioners, academics and expert observers. Founded in 2009, the Journal aims to advance public analysis, actionable knowledge and transparent dialogue in the organizing space, from local community organizing to national campaigns to new media innovations. The Journal encourages and solicits feedback, letters, article proposals and original submissions.
The first edition has articles on:
- Socially Networking Your Data: An Obama Campaign Case Study
- Coalition Organizing on Campus: A Student Perspective
- Keeping Hope Alive: The Story of Obama’s Neighborhood Teams Following Election Day
- Lessons Organizers Can Learn from the Military
The JNO looks to be an interesting read, looking beyond grassroots organizing to larger communications campaigns.
Also new, and discussed in some detail on the Communications Network blog, is the The Foundation Review. TFR is the first peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, written by and for foundation staff and boards and those who work with them implementing programs. Its mission is to share evaluation results, tools, and knowledge about the philanthropic sector in order to improve the practice of grantmaking, yielding greater impact and innovation. It intends to provide rigorous research and writing, presented in an accessible style. Each issue of The Foundation Review provides peer-reviewed reports about grant programs including reports by foundations on their own work.
The Communications Network had this to say about TFR’s most recent edition:
A recent example of this trend is the fact that The Foundation Review (TFR), which only began publishing a year ago to help improve foundation practices, has devoted its entire fourth — and forthcoming — issue to an exploration of the strategic use of communications within and among foundations….
I couldn’t agree more with the observation that tools and how-to’s still dominate our knowledge of communications practice. And that also suggests that we need to to do more to demonstrate what communications are helping foundations achieve. The more we can show, the more we can encourage wider adoption of and support for communications activities that add, and in measurable ways, to the work foundations do. As noted, there’s already a lot of talk about harnessing the power of communications to advance philanthropy, and support for these efforts are coming from other quarters besides communications professionals who work for foundations.
If you check out either of these journals, please let me know what you think of them.
About Michael Hamill Remaley
Michael Hamill Remaley is the President of Hamill Remaley Communications. Previously, he was Director of Communications at the Russell Sage Foundation and Prior to that was Vice President and Director of Communications at Public Agenda. He has held a variety of positions at organizations such as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, TCC Group and the Center for Social Policy and Community Development.