The findings presented within the following two chapters are based on a case study of a community reporters programme developed and run by People’s Voice Media, a not for profit community development organisation. The reasons for the choice of the approach and the choice of the particular case study have been discussed within Chapter 4. Following on from the details provided in Chapter 4, I now further outline the all important context of the research in terms of the organisation which developed the Community Reporter Programme (further contextual information and images of the framing of the Community Reporter Programme can be located within Appendix F). Further background contextual information regarding the two regeneration areas on which my study is based can also be viewed within Appendix D.
5.2.1 People’s Voice Media: Background
People’s Voice Media evolved and was part of Manchester Community Information Network (MCIN). MCIN began operating in 1994 as a not for profit social enterprise and charity with the goal of increasing social inclusion through ICT and its associated objectives also included supporting community regeneration through the use of ICT. The original activities of MCIN were centred around computer access and developing IT skills, together with community websites with a focus on information provision. Mymanchester also evolved at this early stage in the form of a kiosk project. Beginning with the recognition that Mymanchester was too generic and therefore not reflective of the diverse communities within the city, thirteen community websites evolved and were subsequently created by MCIN based on both communities of geography and interest. These websites had been largely managed by community and steering groups but sustained community engagement proved difficult until eventually MCIN was running all of the sites. Concurrently MCIN recognised that the
Internet was moving on and in particular in relation to the development of social media. Social media lies at the heart of the subsequent development of the Community Reporter Programme and the rebranding of MCIN in 2009 as People’s Voice Media, which had once been part of MCIN’s activities. A recent definition of People’s Voice Media incorporated within one of their information leaflets reads as follows:
...a not for profit community development organisation that has been working with communities since 1995. We now work across the UK, using social media to develop dialogues and community cohesion and support communities to have a voice.
Historically, MCIN incorporated community regeneration within its objectives and the organisational literature placed social media and community at its heart of the definition of People’s Voice Media:
MCIN objectives include; to highlight community activity, bring people together and support community regeneration through ICT.
People’s Voice Media supports communities by developing, marketing and distributing community stories, news & views through the use of social media
5.2.2 The Community Reporter Programme: Evolution, Meaning and Components
Have you ever wanted to tell your side of the story?
Our Community Reporter Programme is a loosely structured programme that is flexible to the needs and interests of each individual. A Community Reporter is someone who is given the skills and facilities to produce regular online content - this can be thoughts and reflections on their life, reporting on events that are happening in their area or issues that affect a group they’re involved with...”(Extract from Chalktalk, 2009).
The Chief Executive of People’s Voice Media described the evolution of the Community Reporter Programme in relation to the evolution of social media. He spoke about how the development of social media was associated with the perception that producing content for the existing community websites through the vehicle of locally based community reporters could be the key to reinvigorating the sites and thus reengaging the community. One of the long term employees of People’s Voice Media described noticing a shift from a more information based initiative to one which became more about reporting and telling stories, providing communities with more content to view. For him, this shift and the seed from
which focused on the deaf community, exploring the use of video as a way for deaf people to tell their stories using British Sign Language. The Community Reporter Programme developed by People’s Voice Media can in essence, be seen as a programme driven by the evolution of social media, with the associated perception of opportunities for reengaging the community in local community focused media initiatives and giving local communities a voice and learning in terms of developing skills training for employment. Importantly, as will be identified later in the thesis (Chapter 6) the programme and indeed People’s Voice Media itself, as the Chief Executive himself pointed out, has followed the direction of government policy and thus associated funding closely throughout its lifespan. At the time of research, the programme was being funded through a mix of Regeneration Programmes, Education and Training Programmes, consultation exercises and commissions. The Community Reporter Programme sits within the broader activities of People’s Voice Media, illustrated through the “The People’s Voice Media Model” and “The People’s Voice Media Education Model” both documents presented to me during my talks and interviews with the Chief Executive of the organisation. These documents are included within Appendix F.
Having personally participated in the Community Reporter Programme and having spoken to staff running the programme, organisations and individuals integrating the programme within their activities, partners, volunteers supporting the Community Reporter Programme and community reporters themselves, it became clear that describing what exactly the programme encompasses is unsurprisingly challenging given the problematic definitional issues surrounding social media itself, discussed within Chapter 3. This can be said to relate principally to the interpretive flexibility of the Community Reporter Programme and the nature of social media and the use of this term itself (Russell & Williams, 2002). That is to say that the Community Reporter Programme is to some degree shaped by the different ways in which people and organisations in different situations interpret meaning and value of the programme within their lives and communities. Teresa, for example, explained that she could not really provide me with an overview of the programme and how it works because of the “bespoke” and “no one size fits all” nature of the programme which fits around the particular community they may be working with, working differently thus with different groups according to their reasons for participating. The recognition that people will have different reasons for engaging means that the programme and associated training adopts a “non prescriptive” approach (Teresa). Jess also spoke about her training delivery, particularly in
Salford, being tailored to the specific group of people attending the course: “very much like…what do you guys need, what can I offer you?”
What it means to be and indeed what the term community reporter means is no less challenging and similarly open to interpretation as will be revealed throughout the presentation of the findings in this chapter. The Community Reporter Programme itself can be understood as representing a very particular framing of social media with implications for participation and this will be explored further in section 5.3.1. Fundamentally, the experience of the Community Reporter Programme may be quite different for each individual involved. I certainly feel that my brief experience as a community reporter was something quite unique to me and was in many ways shaped by timing and social setting, for example. As David tried to explain the use and meaning of the term community reporting, he expressed his feeling that “reporting” is “probably not quite the right word.” He also felt that there was a lack of clarity concerning the terms suitability, but that it was functioning, at the time, as a way of explaining what the organisation was doing in terms of the bringing together of social media and community. The idea behind the term community reporting may best be described in relation to the underlying ethos that is centred on the metaphors of voice and ‘storytelling’. David, for example, suggests that community reporting is about “just people telling stories” rather than “reporting” in any formal sense and Teresa concludes that “community reporting is about telling stories...it’s about having a voice, having the confidence to have that voice and share it”. Voice is equated here with the idea of “being seen and heard in the world” (Teresa) and thus confidence building is seen as a pivotal aspect of the programme:
“...you know, you need to feel that you are worth something in order to have a voice and somebody’s going to be interested in anything, you’ve got to say, so it’s working at that level of confidence with people” (Teresa).
Indeed, giving participants a voice and increasing confidence was identified as a primary aim of the Community Reporter Programme in its early days, as the programme was referred to as allowing “people to express themselves” and tell their stories online on the premise that:
“Everyone has something to say and stories to tell about their local area and their lives” (MCIN, 2008).
When viewing community reporting as being about storytelling, Teresa, one of the staff supporting the programme, explained that this can take a range of forms, from making videos
5.2.3 Overview of My Research Participants in Relation to the Community Reporter Programme
I have included this section to help guide the reader through this chapter and potentially ‘get to know’ some of my research participants building on the background information provided in the methodology, Chapter 4 (section 4.4). Whilst my research predominantly focused on those engaging with the Community Reporter Programme within the context of its operation in the two key regeneration areas of focus, it also included insights and voices from those who have engaged with the programme elsewhere in Greater Manchester, and from those accessing support around the creation and sharing of community related content via the Social Media Centre drop-in facilities in Salford. Some community reporters enter community reporting in the context of a specific project and thus group or organisational frame and thus I also interviewed representatives of the associated organisations. Additional insights are explained in Table 5.1 below which seeks to provide a background to the participants who have taken part in this research in terms of their relationship to the Community Reporter Programme.
Figure 5.1: My research participants and the context of their Community Reporting
Manchester and East Manchester Community Reporters
associated with the regeneration area and content being shared via the community website BoftheBlog
Anonymous Community Reporter, Antony, Lynne B, Paul E, Paul R & Joyce, (PVM organised focus group participant).
Community Reporters involved in Projects, developed with a group and organisational context involving the integration of the Community Reporter Programme and staff operating within the East Manchester Social Media Centre including:
Edge Lane Allotments: Project focused on the regeneration of an allotment site in East Manchester.
Victoria House: A supported housing project in Manchester run by Carr- Gomm, a national charity which provides housing and support services to vulnerable people.
Parktastic: Parktastic is a citywide initiative aimed at developing the usage of local parks by providing increased open access to play opportunities and activities. Parktastic, in the East Manchester regeneration area is run by 4CT a charitable company seeking to improve the quality of life for residents. The East Manchester Parktastic programme recruited four junior workers, who got involved in evaluating the programme through the community reporter approach.
The Manchester Communication Academy: A project integrating the Community Reporter Programme as part of the engagement goals associated with the building of an academy style school.
Edge Lane Allotments: Patrick and Sharon.
Victoria House: Phil, Paul A & Shona.
Parktastic: Becca & Chelsea.
Manchester Communication Academy: Ruth, Nile & Sophie.
The Dyslexia Group: A community reporter group made up of people who face the challenge of dyslexia in their lives. The group emerged from a PVM staff member contacting the manager of a dyslexia outreach project who works for New East Manchester Regeneration partnership.
The Dyslexia Group: Jill.
Salford based Community Reporters Colin, Fay, Richard, Jon, Keith, Kevin, Mike S,
Jane, Tricia & Tony.
Salford-based volunteers Supporting the Community Reporter Programme
Mike C & Julie.
Salford based Community Reporters within the Talk Broughton Project: part of a wider partnership project which has been commissioned to research the area of Higher Broughton in Salford in order to try to identify why a high percentage of people who live in the area are inactive. Talk Broughton is an example of how the Community Reporter Programme has been integrated and adapted for use as a consultation tool within the context of regeneration
Euna & Stan.
Community activists and people involved in or getting involved in community media production, (utilising and not utilising the Salford Social Media Centre for their activities).
Phil, Angela & Stephen.
PVM Staff with a or prior role relating to the Community Reporter Programme and the Chief Executive of PVM
Anonymous, David, Jess M, Jess P, Teresa, Kate & Gary.
Representatives involved in the project being developed within an organisational context.
Victoria House: Parissa; Parktastic: Katrina. The Manchester Communication Academy: Lynne, Community Learning Centre Manager and Community engagement officer,
Talk Broughton: Kiera and Ross.
Representative of the New Deal for Communities Regeneration Partnerships (Salford and Manchester)
3, all choosing to be anonymous.