In this issue you will find:

1. Member Connections

2. Be in the Know – How GMT Tools Can Help Your Group
3. Buzz from the Beat

4. Link(s) of the Month
5. Community Coverage

6. GMT Welcomes 1 New Member

7. Support: Database Do’s and Don’ts
8. Opt out instructions

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1. Member Connections: New Support Numbers, True Spin Conference Discount, and Google Member Map

We’ve moved! Please take note of our new office address and phone. All staff extensions of your tireless support team remain the same.

Green Media Toolshed
1800 M St., NW | Suite 300 North
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 659-7710
Fax: (866) 875-5292

Vocus Support:

Nina Schwartz, 202-659-7710 x10

Michelle Kohn, 202-659-7710 x13

Green Media Toolshed members will be offered a 10% discount for registration at the True Spin Conference, a national conference on media relations and progressive communications, to be held in Denver, CO from January 21 – 22, 2010.

To receive the discount, write GMT on the mail-in registration form and subtract the discount from the registration fee, which varies according to when you sign up. You will have to mail in checks to get the discount, and so are unable use credit cards for registration.

GMT has participated in the last two True Spins and helped to organize a track at the '08 conference. We'll be involved again this year with our Executive Director Marty Kearns as a speaker.

Keynotes will include Andy Goodman of agoodman.com, and Rashad Robinson of GLAAD. Other speakers include Kathy Bonk of CCMC, Dean Hollander of Fenton Communications, and strategic consultant Holly Minch, whose name you may recognize as a trainer for GMT’s skill building training on election communications.

More info coming soon at http://www.truespinconference.com/

Ever been curious about the demographics of GMT members? Looking for a network of other green groups close to you? Then check out the newly created Google Member Map that illustrates all GMT members nation wide. Discover the members around you and browser for others by location.

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2. Be in the Know - How GMT Tools Can Help Your Group: In Need of a Customized Media List Training for Your Communications Team?

That’s just one more area where GMT is here to help. In addition to the media database trainings offered both from GMT staff and also Vocus PR, we enjoy sending our staff to wherever is reachable around the DC area to meet and have detailed discussions with communications teams about how you can better use the database and take advantage of GMT tools.

This past July, Nina Schwartz, membership coordinator and media database trainer, gave a presentation on advanced uses of the media database to the communications team at SeaWeb at their staff retreat in Silver Spring, Maryland. The session was an excellent opportunity to discuss their media outreach and give specific pointers to their team.

Having a staff retreat or other meeting in the DC area where having a GMT expert could help? Get in touch with Nina Schwartz, at (202) 659-7710 x10.

If you would be interested in this opportunity and distance is a factor, Nina can setup a discussion via conference call and webinar instead.

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3. Buzz from the Beat: Department of Interior Releases Hundreds of Classified Images on a Climate Changed Arctic

Both Mother Jones and Reuters have covered information about the recent Department of Interior’s release of over 700 arctic images that convey the effects of global warming.

These 700 high-resolution images have a “vast improvement” on prior images on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. There are even an extra 500 images of 22 global warming affected sites in the United States.

Julia Witty of Mother Jones drew attention to this in her July 16th article, “Climate Security Wins a Round,” while expressing the common surprise felt among environmental activists that the DOE released these photos upon being asked. No large delay got in the way of their public visibility.

Julia Witty is an environmental correspondent for Mother Jones who has a history as a former documentary filmmaker and as the author of The Fragile Edge, a book about coral reefs which received the PEN USA literary award for nonfiction, the John Burroughs Medal, the Kiriamaya Prize, and was short listed for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Read Julia Witty’s announcement on Mother Jones at http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/07/climate-security-wins-round

The July 16th coverage on Reuters is available at http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN16430912

A library of the arctic images is viewable at http://gfl.usgs.gov/ArcticSeaIce.shtml

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3. Link of the month: Creating a new Social Media Strategy? Become an expert on the 4Cs Social Media Framework

All of you working to explore and understand new social media strategies should read this guest blog post by Guarav Mishra on Beth Kanter’s blog. Mishra focuses on what makes social media social -- not just a list of tools you should use.

Mishra lays out a framework for 4 components -- content, collaboration, community and collective intelligence. It is definitely worth a read to get some new ideas on your social media strategy.

Beth Kanter is in high demand nation wide among nonprofits for consulting on online presence, social media strategy, and blogging strategies. She has helped many groups achieve success in these areas, and has authored chapters in several books including "Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders," edited by NTEN and to be published in 2009.
Mishra’s article and links to Beth’s other work is available at http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2009/07/guest-post-by-gaurav-mishra-the-4cs-social-media-framework.html

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5. Newsroom Notes section: USA Today to launch new electronic edition and weekend extra in August

Having trouble keeping up with newsroom updates? This new section will provide you with a look into one important update of the season.

USA Today’s new e-Edition which will debut on August 3rd, will feature additional content for subscribers.

Part of the electronic edition will be a unique weekend product, the USA Today Extra. The weekend edition will be available to print and online subscribers on Saturday and Sunday, and will contain automotive, entertainment, movie, sports, technology and travel news. An editor has not yet been named.

Pitch USA Today at

(703) 854-3400

www.usatoday.com

A good environmental reporter at the headquarters of USA Today in McLean, VA is:

Oren Dorell, Reporter/Writer, covers general environmental and conservation issues as well as natural disasters. (703) 854-3323, odorell@usatoday.com

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6. Let’s Welcome 1 New Member to our GMT Community

The Kansas Riverkeeper (also known as Friends of the Kaw) works to preserve and protect the Kansas River for present and future generations. They advocate the rehabilitation of the Kansas River's environs, including its water quality and wildlife habitat, and promote compatible public recreational uses of the Kansas River.

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7. Media Database Q & A: Update a reporter’s email address.

Our shared media contact database gives you an incredible advantage to benefit from information that nearly 200 environmental groups contribute to the system. Although the Vocus Research and Green Media Toolshed teams work behind the scenes to maintain the quality of information, the best and most efficient way to contribute to the system is to submit updates when you find a reporter’s new contact information. This way you get immediate access to the new information and you contribute back into our shared resource.

Green Media Toolshed does kindly request that when you find a reporter’s updated info, that you add it into the system for your future benefit and that of others.

Here are a few simple steps to help you in the process:

1. Open the media contact record you would like to update.
2. Click on the Edit button in the upper middle portion of the profile screen.
3. Edit the email field in the System Information section on the left-hand side of the page. Note: please do NOT make any edits to the Proprietary Information section.
4. Enter any specific instructions you’d like for the research team to see in the Comments to the Research Team box, at the bottom left hand side of the page.
5. Click the blue Submit button in the lower right portion of the screen.
6. You will receive an email from the Vocus Research Team, usually within one week, although no time frame is guaranteed. Your request will either be confirmed or denied.

Should your request be denied, your edit will become a User Record, or Propriety Record, in the Green Media Toolshed account.

We prefer to eliminate User Records in our system to maintain the validity of all contact information. If you are not able to find the error in your edit, please report the User Record to Nina Schwartz, nina@greenmediatoolshed.org, or Michelle Kohn, michelle@greenmediatoolshed.org, for help locating the correct contact information and removing the User Record.

For further questions, call the GMT support directly at (202)-659-7710 x10, Nina Schwartz, x10 at and Michelle Kohn at x13.

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View past e-newsletters in our monthly e-newsletter archive section of the GMT website: http://www.greenmediatoolshed.org/taxonomy/term/38

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